Dental Formula - Horse
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The Horse
Dental Formula
2 (I3/3 C0/0 P3/3) Deciduous
2 (I3/3 C1/1 P3-4/3 M3/3) Permanent
Canines
- Rudimentary
- In diastema
Molars
- Surfaces enlarged
- Higher crowns
- Delayed root development
- Complicated folding of enamel
Incisors
- High crowns
- Folded enamel surfaces
- Roots converge
Premolars
- Wolf tooth (PM1) often lacking
- Molars and Premolars form a continuous surface
- High rate of wear
- Continually erupt
- Upper teeth wider than lower
- No infundibulum in lower teeth
Ageing
- Horses can be aged by their teeth
- At 2 and a half the first permanent incisor will erupt
- At 3 and a half the second permanent incisor will erupt
- At 4 and a half the third permanent incisor will erupt
- Over 5 years of age the folding of the enamel ring (infundibulum) can indicate age
- 7 year hook
- Over 13 years of age a dental star will be present
- The Galvayne's Groove is a brown groove on the upper corner incisor teeth and indicates that the horse is over 10 years old
- At 15 the groove will be approximately half way down the tooth
- At 20 the groove will run down the whole tooth
- Over 20 the grove begins to disappear
- At 25 the groove will only be visible on the bottom half of the tooth
- At 30 the groove will usually be gone