The technical term for this is Brachygnathism, and it is where the upper incisors are forward of the lower incisors. This is a very common condition and the horse will usually have hooks on the upper 6's (first cheek tooth), and the lower 11's (last cheek tooth). The horse will also usually have a 'smile', due to the central upper incisors and lower corner incisors receiving insufficient wear, and in extreme cases, the lower incisors can become so long that they actually cut into the soft tissue of the upper jaw. As we saw in the section on hooks in the section on Molar Problems, the hooks also cause the movement of the lower jaw to become restricted, and this can cause problems both when the horse is eating and being ridden.
It is essential that these horses receive very regular dental treatment to correct both the molars and incisors, and though the parrot mouth can not be corrected (unless orthodontic treatment is carried out on the horse as a foal), with regular dental care, these horses do not generally have problems eating, even when the Parrot Mouth is quite severe.
Undershot Jaw (Sow Mouth)
The technical term for this is Prognathism and it is the opposite of being Overshot. It is a rare condition and these horses will usually have hooks on the lower 6's and upper 11's.
Slant Mouth
This condition usually occurs as a result of other dental problems, such as the horse eating on one side of its mouth only or due to a missing incisor. When the incisors are viewed from the front, they are not level where they meet, the teeth literally being on a slant. It is essential that the underlying cause is treated at the same time that the incisors are corrected and if the slant is severe, this work may need to be undertaken over a period of time.
Retained Deciduous Teeth (Caps)
The deciduous incisors are shed between the ages of about 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 years, as they are displaced by the erupting permanent teeth. In some cases, the permanent teeth do not erupt directly underneath these teeth, and the caps become retained. In these situations, the permanent incisors will erupt behind the deciduous incisors, and will be out of line with the other incisors. The retained deciduous incisors will need to be removed and generally, this will allow the permanent incisors to move to their correct position.
Missing Teeth
This is a condition that can be seen in both the incisors and the molars. As the opposing tooth to the missing tooth will have nothing to wear against, it will become protuberant. Very regular dental maintenance in these horses is vital if serious dental problems are to be avoided.
The technical term for this is Brachygnathism, and it is where the upper incisors are forward of the lower incisors. This is a very common condition and the horse will usually have hooks on the upper 6's (first cheek tooth), and the lower 11's (last cheek tooth). The horse will also usually have a 'smile', due to the central upper incisors and lower corner incisors receiving insufficient wear, and in extreme cases, the lower incisors can become so long that they actually cut into the soft tissue of the upper jaw. As we saw in the section on hooks in the section on Molar Problems, the hooks also cause the movement of the lower jaw to become restricted, and this can cause problems both when the horse is eating and being ridden.