How are missing teeth handled? If a tooth is missing in a patient, the open spot still retains that tooth’s number. That is true whether the tooth is developmentally absent, fell out due to disease, or was What about cats? The Triadan system is developed based on dogs. Cats lack some teeth that are normally present in dogs. They do not have a first maxillary premolar or last molar. They are also missing the first and second mandibular premolars and the last two molars that would be seen in dogs. Therefore, the numbers of the “missing” teeth are just skipped. The cat’s canine tooth remains _04, and the last premolar remains _08. For example, a cat’s left mandibular quadrant contains the following teeth: 301-303 (incisors), 304 (canine), 307 third premolar), 308 (fourth premolar), and 309 (first molar). Teeth 305, 306, 310, and 311 are absent.
previously extracted. For example, if a dog is missing tooth 405, the first visible premolar will be labeled 406.
Figure 3: Feline Dental Chart
Note . From Dominguez, 2016.
DENTAL ANATOMY TERMINOLOGY
● Distal: away from the midline or first incisor ● Incisional surface: the top or contact surface of the incisors ● Occlusal surface: the top or contact surface of premolars and molars. ● Crown: portion of the tooth that is above the gum line ● Root: portion of tooth that is below the gum line ● Apex: tip of root
While the Triadan system is vital to identifying teeth, you will also need to be able to describe specific areas of an individual tooth. For example, there may be a lesion that only affects one portion of a tooth. The following anatomical terms are commonly used in veterinary dentistry: ● Vestibular/Labial/Buccal: toward the cheek ● Palatal/Lingual: toward the tongue ● Mesial: toward the midline or first incisor
COMMON DENTAL LESIONS
○ Oronasal fistula: a hole or connection between the oral and nasal cavities, seen in severe periodontal disease ● Dental fractures : ○ Uncomplicated crown fracture: fracture of the crown without involvement of the pulp chamber ○ Complicated crown fracture: fracture with pulp exposure ○ Slab fractures: fracture of the side of a tooth; may describe either enamel fractures or complicated fractures ○ Note: There are fractures that involving the roots as well, but this course is focusing on what can be seen grossly ● Enamel defects : ○ Abrasion: wear caused by chewing on foreign objects ○ Attrition: wear caused by rubbing/grinding contact of another tooth ○ Enamel hypoplasia: incomplete enamel coverage of a tooth ○ Enamel infraction: crack in the enamel without disrupting integrity of tooth (not fractured or chipped)
Now that you can identify each surface of each tooth in your patient’s mouth, it is time to learn about common abnormalities that you should look for. While a comprehensive discussion of dental diseases and their treatments is beyond the scope of this course, the following list, adapted from AVDC Nomenclature (AVDC.org), should serve as a good introduction. ● Occlusion : abnormalities in dental alignment: ○ Overbite: the maxilla extends beyond the mandible (or the mandible is “shorter” ○ Underbite: the mandible extends past the maxilla (the mandible is “longer”) ● Inflammatory lesions : ○ Gingivitis: inflammation of the gums ○ Periodontitis: inflammation of structures deep to the gums (periodontal ligament or alveolar bone) ○ Stomatitis: inflammation of any/all mucosal surfaces of the mouth (common in cats, associated with calicivirus, herpes, Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV )) ○ Gingival recession/root exposure: gross visualization of tooth roots; the gum has receded, and no longer meets the tooth at the gingival sulcus
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