Dental, Oral Cavity and Oesophagus

Question 1

At what age do the 1st, 2nd and 3rd decidious incisors erupt?

Answer 1

1st - 6 days

2nd - 6 weeks

3rd - 6 months

Question 2

At what age do the deciduous premolars erupt?

Answer 2

Should be present at birth or by 14 days

Question 3

At what age do the permenent incisors erupt and how long does it take them to ‘come into wear’?

Answer 3

1st - 2.5 years

2nd - 3.5 years

3rd - 4.5 years

‘In wear’ 6 months after eruption

Question 4

At what age do the permenant pre-molars erupt?

Answer 4

1 (wolf tooth) - 6 months

2 - 2.5 years

3 - 3 years

4 - 4 years

Question 5

At what age do the molars erupt?

Answer 5

1 - 1 year

2 - 2 years

3 - 3.5 years

Question 6

WHat is the order of eruption of the cheek teeth and what problems might this cause?

Answer 6

M1, M2, PM2, PM3, M3, PM4

PM4 is the last to erupt between PM3 and M1 - prone to impaction if not enough room

Question 7

Describe the appearanceof Galvaynes Groove at key ages:

Answer 7

10 years - first appears at the gumline

15 years - reaches halfway down the tooth

20 years - reaches the occlusal surface (runs the entire length of I3)

25 years - only in the lower half

30 years - disappears

Question 8

Using the corner incisor rule, how old is this horse?

Answer 8

The corner incisor is wider than it is tall - <10 years old

Question 9

Using the corner incisor rule, how old is this horse?

Answer 9

The corner incisor is approximately square - ~10 years

Question 10

Using the corner incisor rule, how old is this horse?

Answer 10

Corner incisor is taller than it is wide: >10 years

Question 11

Small boluses of partially masticated food fall from the mouth during chewing - what is the name for this?

Answer 11

Quidding

Question 12

What additional procedure should you check for / perform in all horses recieving dental treatment?

Answer 12

Tetanus vaccination!

Question 13

Which tooth roots communicate with sinuses?

Answer 13

PM4 - M1: rostral maxillary sinus

M2-3: caudal maxillary sinus

Question 14

What is ptyalism?

Answer 14

Excessive salivation

Question 15

Which nerve is involved in prehension?

Answer 15

Cranial nerve 7: facial nerve

Question 16

Which nerve is involved in mastication?

Answer 16

Cranial nerve 5: Trigeminal nerve

Question 17

Which nerves are involved in deglutition (swallowing)?

Answer 17

Cranial nerves 9 and 10: glossopharyngeal and vegas

Question 18

What are the clinical signs of cleft palate?

Answer 18

• Foals
• Milk at nostrils
• Coughing after nursing
• Ill-thrift

Question 19

What is the length of the oesophagus in a horse?

Answer 19

125-180cm

Question 20

What is the most common cause of choke?

Answer 20

Ingesta of abnormal consistency (poor quality hay, beet pulp, hay cubes)

Question 21

If you have acute onset of green feed ocming out of the nose, what are your differential diagnoses?

Answer 21

Choke

Stomach is about to burt

Question 22

How would you go about treating a case of choke?

Answer 22

• Many cases do resolve spontaneously
• Warn owners it will be distressing - coughing and profuse epistaxis
• Heavy sedation - a2 and butorphanol
  
  • head drop lower than thoracic inlet to prevent aspiration
• Stomach tube
  
  • lavage water + lube
  • NOT PARRAFIN OIL
• Withhold feed and water
• IV fluid therapy
• Replace electrolytes and correct acid-base abnormalities
• Anti-inflammatories
• Antibiotics (aspiration pneumonia)

Question 23

Which skeletal muscle relaxant might you give in a case of choke?

Answer 23

Guafenesin (10mg/kg q1-2h)

Question 24

On average, how much saliva does a 500kg horse produce each day?

Answer 24

12L