02/06/2026
🦷 Toothy Tuesday 🦷
Those are weird looking teeth! 👀
Pictured below is a great example of a dental malocclusion (abnormal alignment of the teeth) - this is one of the more common types of malocclusions referred to as “parrot mouth”, where the mandible (bottom jaw) is shorter than the maxilla (upper jaw). This is most commonly a congenital or inherited abnormality which affects the growth of the jaw bones, and in severe cases, like the one pictured below, the top and bottom incisors may have no occlusal or ‘bite surface’ contact.
While “parrot mouth” most commonly affects the incisors alone, abnormalities can also be found in the alignment of the cheek teeth or big chewing molars at the back of the mouth, which is luckily not the case in this mare!
When seen in young, growing foals, specialist intervention can be helpful in minimizing or correcting the abnormalities.
The mare pictured below came to us as an adult from a breeding stud and has no trouble with apprehension (picking up) or chewing of food and holds her condition very well. To address her abnormal incisors and “parrot mouth”, a conservative treatment approach has been opted for and she has been managed successfully thus far with regular incisor corrections and routine dentistry here at the clinic ✨
