Glossary

Apical – Located away from the occlusal surface towards the tooth roots.
Apical Abscess – Pocket of infection at the root of a tooth.
Arcade - Refers to a row of teeth, a horse has four arcades of cheek teeth and two arcades of incisors.
Buccal – Located toward the cheeks, the surface of the cheek teeth facing the cheek.
Calculus – A build up similar to plaque in humans.
Cap – A term used for the deciduous tooth as it sits in place over the permanent tooth which is ready to erupt.
Caries – Decay of a tooth.
Caudal – Located toward the back of the mouth.
Cheek teeth - A general term to refer to the premolars and molars.
Crown - The section of the tooth that continually erupts into the mouth and used for grinding, not the root.
Deciduous - “Baby” teeth. These are replaced by permanent teeth and th young horse matures.
Distal – Located away from the midline of the mouth.
Eruption - The process of the movement of the tooth crown out from the bone of the jaw into the mouth.
Gingivitis – Inflammation of the gum’s.
Hooks – A hook forms when the front of the first premolar is further forward than its opposing tooth. Hooks can also form on the last molars. Hooks can become so long that they cut into the gum of the opposing jaw.
In Wear – The term used when opposing teeth have erupted to a sufficient height above the gum line to grind against one another.
Incisors – The front teeth just inside the lips.
Interdental space—the space between adjacent teeth in a row, the toothless area separating the incisor’s from the cheek teeth.
Labial – Located toward the lips or the surface of the incisors facing the lips.
Lingual – Located toward the tongue, the surface of the lower teeth facing the tongue.
Malocclusion - Abnormal contact between opposing upper and lower teeth.
Mandible – The lower jaw bone.
Mastication – Chewing or grinding of food.
Maxilla – The bone of the upper (stationary) jaw, which contains the wider arcades of the cheek teeth in the horse, which the lower mandible grinds/chews against.
Mesial – Located toward the midline of the mouth.
Molars – The three molars follow the three premolars they are large cheek teeth used for grinding/chewing. Horses do not have deciduous/baby molars, they erupt as permanent teeth.
Occlusal – Located toward the occlusal/chewing surface of the tooth.
Occlusion - Refers to the chewing or biting surfaces, contact point of the opposing teeth.
Palatal – Located toward the palate, the surface of the upper teeth facing the palate.
Permanent - “Adult” teeth. Same as human adult teeth, they are intended to last with the horse for the rest of his/her life.
Premolars - First three large cheek teeth on the top and bottom jaws, used for chewing/grinding. Horses have deciduous/baby premolars and permanent premolars.
Ramps – Are formed when the horse is chewing incorrectly and the tooth is worn in to a ramp like shape with one end of the tooth longer that the other usually on the first premolar or the last molar.
Rostral – Located toward the front of the mouth.
Shedding caps - The loss of the baby teeth as the new permanent teeth erupt to take their place in the oral cavity.
Step Mouth – where one tooth is noticeably taller than the other teeth in the same arcade. Sometimes this is due to the opposing tooth being absent.
Wolf Teeth – Wolf teeth are vestigial teeth and sit directly in front of the premolars, generally found on the upper jaw.

Glossary

Apical – Located away from the occlusal surface towards the tooth roots.

Apical Abscess – Pocket of infection at the root of a tooth.

Arcade - Refers to a row of teeth, a horse has four arcades of cheek teeth and two arcades of incisors.

Buccal – Located toward the cheeks, the surface of the cheek teeth facing the cheek.

Calculus – A build up similar to plaque in humans.

Cap – A term used for the deciduous tooth as it sits in place over the permanent tooth which is ready to erupt.

Caries – Decay of a tooth.

Caudal – Located toward the back of the mouth.

Cheek teeth - A general term to refer to the premolars and molars.

Crown - The section of the tooth that continually erupts into the mouth and used for grinding, not the root.

Deciduous - “Baby” teeth. These are replaced by permanent teeth and th young horse matures.

Distal – Located away from the midline of the mouth.

Eruption - The process of the movement of the tooth crown out from the bone of the jaw into the mouth.

Gingivitis – Inflammation of the gum’s.

Hooks – A hook forms when the front of the first premolar is further forward than its opposing tooth. Hooks can also form on the last molars. Hooks can become so long that they cut into the gum of the opposing jaw.

In Wear – The term used when opposing teeth have erupted to a sufficient height above the gum line to grind against one another.

Incisors – The front teeth just inside the lips.

Interdental space—the space between adjacent teeth in a row, the toothless area separating the incisor’s from the cheek teeth.

Labial – Located toward the lips or the surface of the incisors facing the lips.

Lingual – Located toward the tongue, the surface of the lower teeth facing the tongue.

Malocclusion - Abnormal contact between opposing upper and lower teeth.

Mandible – The lower jaw bone.

Mastication – Chewing or grinding of food.

Maxilla – The bone of the upper (stationary) jaw, which contains the wider arcades of the cheek teeth in the horse, which the lower mandible grinds/chews against.

Mesial – Located toward the midline of the mouth.

Molars – The three molars follow the three premolars they are large cheek teeth used for grinding/chewing. Horses do not have deciduous/baby molars, they erupt as permanent teeth.

Occlusal – Located toward the occlusal/chewing surface of the tooth.

Occlusion - Refers to the chewing or biting surfaces, contact point of the opposing teeth.

Palatal – Located toward the palate, the surface of the upper teeth facing the palate.

Permanent - “Adult” teeth. Same as human adult teeth, they are intended to last with the horse for the rest of his/her life.

Premolars - First three large cheek teeth on the top and bottom jaws, used for chewing/grinding. Horses have deciduous/baby premolars and permanent premolars.

Ramps – Are formed when the horse is chewing incorrectly and the tooth is worn in to a ramp like shape with one end of the tooth longer that the other usually on the first premolar or the last molar.

Rostral – Located toward the front of the mouth.

Shedding caps - The loss of the baby teeth as the new permanent teeth erupt to take their place in the oral cavity.

Step Mouth – where one tooth is noticeably taller than the other teeth in the same arcade. Sometimes this is due to the opposing tooth being absent.

Wolf Teeth – Wolf teeth are vestigial teeth and sit directly in front of the premolars, generally found on the upper jaw.