OTHER DIAGNOSES CONSIDERED
Other conditions or ailments that might also need to be ruled out by a vet.
Diagnosis
Conditions or ailments that are the cause of a problem that you see - your observation.
Your vet may diagnose
Fracture of Incisive Bone of Upper Jaw or Mandibular Incisors Lower Jaw
Synonyms: Fractured Incisors
Summary
Fracture of the incisive bone of the upper jaw or the mandible that houses the incisor teeth is a common injury, especially in younger horses. Often, this happens when a horse bites down on a rigid structure, feels pressure and then pulls back, causing the incisor teeth to become displaced or the bone to break. Young horses are more likely to engage in this behavior.
In many cases, this injury goes unnoticed for days. In some of those cases, the only treatment may be removal of loose, badly damaged teeth and dead bone. When discovered soon after injury, inter-dental wiring may be performed in selected cases. This may help to maintain normal appearance, alignment and function of the teeth.
The long term consequences of the fracture depends on whether or not the permanent teeth or tooth buds are damaged. If they are, permanent teeth will either not form or will be deformed. Your vet may take radiographs of the area to assess the severity of the damage. This may help provide a prognosis.
In many cases, this injury goes unnoticed for days. In some of those cases, the only treatment may be removal of loose, badly damaged teeth and dead bone. When discovered soon after injury, inter-dental wiring may be performed in selected cases. This may help to maintain normal appearance, alignment and function of the teeth.
The long term consequences of the fracture depends on whether or not the permanent teeth or tooth buds are damaged. If they are, permanent teeth will either not form or will be deformed. Your vet may take radiographs of the area to assess the severity of the damage. This may help provide a prognosis.
my vet's role
Diagnostics Used
These are tests that might be helpful to make this diagnosis or further characterize the condition.
Treatments May Include
These treatments might be used to help resolve or improve this condition.
PROGNOSIS AND RELEVANT FACTORS
The prognosis for most of these injuries is good, but it depends on the specific configuration of the fracture. There may be long-term damage to the permanent teeth, which may require special dental maintenance. Even horses that lose their incisor teeth usually are able to eat surprisingly well.my role
I might observe
You might make these observations when a horse has this condition.
Very Common
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Front Teeth (Incisors) Appear Broken Outward
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Slobbering, Drooling or Salivating
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Front Teeth (Incisors) Look Abnormal
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Bleeding from Mouth
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Dropping Grain or Feed Abnormally when Eating
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Difficult to Bridle or Work with Mouth
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Cannot Chew, Chewing Abnormally
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Abnormal Movement or Twitching of Lips
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Foul Odor from Mouth or Face, Bad Breath
Less Common
Questions To Ask Your Vet:
- How does the prognosis change if we do not treat, versus treat with wiring or other surgical repair?
- What will I need to do after surgery to monitor the repair?
Prevention
Feed youngsters excess long stem forage to keep them occupied. Provide plenty of turnout and exercise to growing horses so that they are less likely to engage in these sorts of behaviors.