Occlusal angles of cheek teeth in normal horses and horses with dental disease.
Authors: Brown S L, Arkins S, Shaw D J, Dixon P M
Journal: The Veterinary record
Summary
# Editorial Summary Brown and colleagues measured occlusal angles of 687 cheek teeth from 33 equine skulls (22 without dental disease, 11 with documented pathology) using malleable wire impressions, with each measurement repeated five times to ensure reliability. In healthy dentition, mandibular cheek teeth displayed significantly steeper occlusal angles (19.2–30°) than their maxillary counterparts (12.5–18°), with a distinct rostrocaudal gradient where rostral mandibular teeth were flatter whilst maxillary teeth showed the reverse pattern. Diseased dentitions generally preserved these angular relationships, though mandibular 06 positions showed significantly reduced angles compared to normal teeth, suggesting this location may be particularly vulnerable to pathological wear patterns. These reference values establish the morphological foundation for understanding how abnormal occlusal angles contribute to uneven wear, secondary pathologies, and dysfunction in equine cheek teeth. Farriers and equine practitioners can use these data to recognise when therapeutic equilibration or dietary modification may be warranted, particularly when addressing focal wear problems at posterior cheek tooth positions where normal anatomy dictates steeper angles.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Understanding normal occlusal angles for different cheek tooth positions provides baseline reference values for detecting abnormal wear patterns that may indicate dental disease
- •The significant difference between mandibular and maxillary occlusal angles is normal anatomy; recognize that rostral and caudal cheek teeth have distinctly different angles requiring position-specific assessment
- •Occlusal angle changes are subtle in dental disease (except at Triadan 06), so clinical evaluation should not rely solely on angle measurement but incorporate other diagnostic methods
Key Findings
- •Mandibular cheek teeth occlusal angles in normal horses range from 19.2° to 30°, significantly greater than maxillary angles (12.5° to 18°) except at Triadan 06 position
- •Rostral mandibular cheek teeth have significantly lower occlusal angles than caudal mandibular teeth, opposite pattern seen in maxillary teeth
- •Horses with dental disorders show occlusal angles ranging from 15.6° to 28.5° (mandibular) and 9.2° to 16.4° (maxillary), significantly smaller only at Triadan 06 position compared to normal skulls