The importance of xrays for diagnosing malocclusion.

Charybdis

Post   » Wed Jan 15, 2003 12:09 am


Well, I emailed my vet and he sent me to his site, where there are some good rads of root elongation in rabbits. They also have a dental machine.

http://www.lbah.com/Rabbits/malocclusion.htm

HollyT
Get on your bike.

Post   » Sun Jan 19, 2003 3:29 pm


Is root elongation similiar or the same as wave jaw? If root elongation is not present could wave jaw still be a possibility?

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Sun Jan 19, 2003 3:34 pm


Nope, although both may be present on one pig. Wave Jaw deals more with bone loss on the jaw (which may be present with pocket of infection/pus that you can only see on xrays). My sow's xrays showed a few elongated roots, but there was a wavy appearance to the jaw and places that were "blank" due to probable pus and destroyed bone. They still aren't sure what causes all of this, but malocclusion and genetics are strong suspects.

HollyT
Get on your bike.

Post   » Sun Jan 19, 2003 3:36 pm


Would that show up on skull rads or dental xrays?

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Sun Jan 19, 2003 3:39 pm


Either if the technique was right. Full skull rads (with the xray film and technique for showing the teeth) are the best for showing the entire picture and state of the pig's dental condition. Some vets do individual tooth xrays, which is O.K. if you're considering a specific tooth to be diseased, but I don't find it is as helpful for cavies.

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Cindy in MI
Supporter in '05

Post   » Wed Apr 30, 2003 2:25 am


From the previous posts on this thread, I'm trying to make sense of the angle that molars should be planed.

If one were to look head on at a GP's head, on the uppers, would the longer side of the tooth be on the outside (cheek or buccal side) and the shorter side of the tooth be on the inside (tongue or lingual side), causing the slant to face inward?

Correspondingly, on the lowers, the shorter side would be on the buccal (cheek) side of the tooth and the longer side be on the lingual side of the tooth, causing the slant to face outward?

And should the angle be 15 degrees? 30? Or somewhere between the two?

Also, how far down do they get planed? The short side almost to the gumline?

pinta

Post   » Wed Apr 30, 2003 3:00 am


30 degree angle.

On the uppers, the longer side is the inside(tongue side) and the shorter side is the cheek side. On the lowers, the longer side is the cheek side and the shorter side is the inside(tongue side)

As for shortness, I don't really know. The lower teeth will gradually grow over the tongue(entrapment) so I assume it's fairly obvious how short to go on the lowers. I know the teeth have to fit together but I don't know about length. I do know that for elongated roots the teeth must be planed shorter(almost to the gum?) on the short side to compensate.

I suspect that there is a point where the teeth at the same length fit neatly and evenly together (perfect contact)when the mouth is closed and that would be what the dental vet is aiming for. But that's just an educated guess on my part.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Jul 11, 2003 11:39 pm


Josephine sent me this photo to illustrate problems she is having with her heart pig. She wanted to rule out molar issues but unfortunately encountered them:

Image

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Sat Jul 12, 2003 9:00 am


I just wanted to add that the pic above is of my pig Antoine. I'm starting to think this is all not a coincidence at all. Heart and teeth issues are definitely related in other animals. I'm starting a poll-like thread in the Med forum on heart pigs and incidence of molar issues. It would make sense that the molars (primary issue) are causing the heart murmurs. I don't know for sure, but it looks obvious to me now! Antoine has been O.K. on heart meds, but the murmur has not decreased in three years on treatment. I've emailed Dr. Legendre and plan to email a few other cavy medicine savvy persons to see what they think.

Josephine
Little Jo Wheek

Post   » Sat Jul 12, 2003 9:20 am


https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewt ... 9e8#134600

Here's the other thread I started since I didn't want this one to fill up right now with our discussion.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:09 pm


Osteomyelitis in Guinea Pig's Jaw:

Charybdis sent three xrays showing a pig "who has a serious bone infection in the jaw--it's a lateral protrusion and the vet says a mandibulectomy would be the only course of action."

These photos should be helpful to a vet, who would be better able to see the problem (I hope Josephine and Charybdis can comment on the xrays):

www.guinealynx.info/photos/charybdis-12.jpg
www.guinealynx.info/photos/charybdis-13.jpg
www.guinealynx.info/photos/charybdis-14.jpg

Overgrown Molars -- Tongue Entrapment

Here are some photos of tongue entrapment that Paravati posted:

Image

Image

Charybdis

Post   » Tue Sep 28, 2004 9:50 am


I just wanted to note that Pinta's dentist, Dr. Legendre, looked at the x rays Lynx posted for me. He said the pig does have ostemyelitis most likely due to an infection in a lower molar. He also said that extraction of the tooth would be the course of action.

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