overshot teeth free sample

There was no much attention paid until now to bite and teeth quality of Louisiana Catahoula. The reason is that Catahoula is the American breed and there is generally only a little attention focused on this matter. Both NALC standard, valid since 1977 (last revision in 1994) and UKC standard (2008) say that: „A scissors bite is preferred, but a level bite is acceptable. Full dentition is greatly desired, but dogs are not to be penalized for worn or broken teeth. Overshot or undershot bite are serious faults, but not disqualifying“. Catahoula is working breed and working qualities have been always more demanded than an ideal conformation and a superior bite. This is also the heritage we must deal with now.

Evaluation of European breeds and breeding was always more strict in this point of view and more focused on correct bite and full dentition, namely in breeds that preserve more or less normal skull parameters. Thus, scissor bite and full dentition is what most of breed standards demand and faults are more penalized. There is a good reason for it, because an efficient function needs a proper skull and jaw structure and teeth position. However, some anomalies were found also in wild living wolves and some faults are fairly common among various dog breeds even if not wanted.

Full dentition with all adult teeth fully erupted consist of incisors (Incisives – I), canines (Caninus – C), premolars (Praemolares – P), and molares (Molares – M). Upper and lower jaw differ in a number of molars. The teeth pattern is following:

In order to understand severity of dental faults it is good to know what is correct and why. A way how a wolf uses its teeth would be the best example to explain this matter. Concerning Catahoula, it a good example, too, because this breed has got most probably a red wolf among its ancestors.  It could also support one of explanations of Schutzhund as a not very suitable activity for this breed that was mentioned by Anke Boysen elsewhere (https://www.ealc.info/en/working-dog-catahoula/).

In training and performing Schutzhund the preferred grip is a „full mouth bite“. The dog should grasp subject’s arm or leg well into its mouth, between its molars and premolars and behind the canines. This is not the way a wolf does it. A wolf grips with the front of his mouth. The four canine teeth puncture the prey and their overlapping structure combined with jaw strength prevents the prey from pulling free. Once the prey is down, the premolars are used for biting off chunk of meat. The upper P4 and the lower M1 on each side are especially developed for this task. The carnasals are the most massive teeth in the canine jaw. They are very sharp and their location mid-way down the length of the jaw puts them at the point where jaw pressure is greatest. The incisors located at the front of the mouth are specialized for delicate work. They nibble the last bits of meat off bones and are also handy for scratching an itch or pulling something bothersome out of the coat or from between the pads. Molars, other than mentioned, are flat for grinding plant matter. Wolves eat also some fruits, grasses and other plant matter and this type of food must be chewed a little to start digestive process.

All those specialized teeth have their proper position in the jaw, which is determined by their function, and they require a properly formed skull and lower jaw to function efficiently. The muzzle must be long enough and broad enough to accommodate the teeth in their proper locations. Jaw strength comes not only from the muscles, but the shape of the skull (1).

Most working breeds with normal skull mantained generally above mentioned dental structure, because it is the most efficient also for their work such as herding, hunting, etc. Nevertheless, missing teeth and malocclusions are typical dental faults in these breeds.

Missing teeth(hypodontia) is the fault observed often also in Catahoula breed. This fact and the degree of the fault should be evaluated according to which teeth and how many are missing. Some of premolars (P1, P2 or P3) and some of molars (M2, and most probably also M3) are most frequently among missing teeth. If the first premolar (P1), one of the smallest teeth, is missing, it is much less a problem than missing the upper P4 or M1 which belong to the most important teeth (see above). The more teeth that are missing, the more faulty and less functional the bite becomes.

As missing teeth like to appear in certain families and lines, it is important to take this into account when choosing breeding partners and to avoid those affected the same way. Inheritance of hypodontia is not possible to describe by a simple model and its analysis  indicated heterogenous genetic control of different forms. Whereas the absence of P2 can be described by the recessive major-gene model, the absence of P4 have more complex genetic mechanism (3).

Faults of bite concern also Catahoula breed. Dog’s bite is the way his teeth fit when his upper and lower jaws are closed. The standard type is a scissor bite, in which the upper incisors just overlap and touch the lower incisors and all premolars and molars fully fit. Another possible variation is a tight scissor bite, when upper and lower incisors touch each other more then above or lower incisors are outwards of longitudinal line of bottom jaw. Catahoula has also a level (even) bite permitted by the breed standard. It is when the upper and lower incisors meet exactly, surface to surface. This means that teeth can be worn down much faster, but it does not affect actually the function and both jaws are of the same length as in previous cases. Level bite is considered normal in some breeds, including Catahoula, nevertheless,  some consider this type of bite as an expression of underbite. On the other hand, research among wild wolves showed that fully a third of animals had even bites. No structural fault is tolerated to this degree in a natural species, particularly in a feature so critical to the survival of that species.

Overshot bite is caused by physically longer upper jaw than the lower one and the uneveness between them is larger than 2 mm. This fault occurs more often among dog breeds nowadays. Contrary to undershot, this fault can be controlled by genetics, nutrition, environment and by mechanical forces generated by the interlock of the upper and lower teeth. Overshot  can affect the mouth’s function more than undershot and indicates usually weakness in the lower jaw.

The incidence of level bites is increasing among Catahoulas beside some missing teeth. Undershot bite is one of more serious faults that occur in this breed. There is no doubt that such faults and abnormalities are inherited. Upper and lower jaws grow independently, factors influencing a size of jaw are different from those affecting the size of teeth and various genes are involved in this process. These problems are polygenic resulting from the action of many genes, thus it is difficult to eliminate them because there is no single „bad bite“ gene.  The length of the skull and the muzzle play a role and a dominant way of a shorter skull inheritance is known. Thus, this must be taken into account in case of Catahoula, too. A combination of parents with rather different length of their muzzles is not recommended, because it could increase the incidence of faults in bites and occurrence of undershot or overshot bites among offsprings. And we have proved already that Catahoulas may vary in their muzzle size in more than one third of its length.

Inheritance and elimination of severe dental faults is difficult in breeds more numerous than Catahoula. There is impossible to exclude from breeding all individuals that show any fault due to complicated, polygenic and often recessive way of inheritance in such a rare breed. However, those showing more serious faults, such as the overshot and the undershot bite and numerous and the most important teeth missing, should be surely excluded from breeding.

There was no much attention paid until now to bite and teeth quality of Louisiana Catahoula. The reason is that Catahoula is the American breed and there is generally only a little attention focused on this matter. Both NALC standard, valid since 1977 (last revision in 1994) and UKC standard (2008) say that: „A scissors bite is preferred, but a level bite is acceptable. Full dentition is greatly desired, but dogs are not to be penalized for worn or broken teeth. Overshot or undershot bite are serious faults, but not disqualifying“. Catahoula is working breed and working qualities have been always more demanded than an ideal conformation and a superior bite. This is also the heritage we must deal with now.

Evaluation of European breeds and breeding was always more strict in this point of view and more focused on correct bite and full dentition, namely in breeds that preserve more or less normal skull parameters. Thus, scissor bite and full dentition is what most of breed standards demand and faults are more penalized. There is a good reason for it, because an efficient function needs a proper skull and jaw structure and teeth position. However, some anomalies were found also in wild living wolves and some faults are fairly common among various dog breeds even if not wanted.

Full dentition with all adult teeth fully erupted consist of incisors (Incisives – I), canines (Caninus – C), premolars (Praemolares – P), and molares (Molares – M). Upper and lower jaw differ in a number of molars. The teeth pattern is following:

In order to understand severity of dental faults it is good to know what is correct and why. A way how a wolf uses its teeth would be the best example to explain this matter. Concerning Catahoula, it a good example, too, because this breed has got most probably a red wolf among its ancestors.  It could also support one of explanations of Schutzhund as a not very suitable activity for this breed that was mentioned by Anke Boysen elsewhere (https://www.ealc.info/en/working-dog-catahoula/).

In training and performing Schutzhund the preferred grip is a „full mouth bite“. The dog should grasp subject’s arm or leg well into its mouth, between its molars and premolars and behind the canines. This is not the way a wolf does it. A wolf grips with the front of his mouth. The four canine teeth puncture the prey and their overlapping structure combined with jaw strength prevents the prey from pulling free. Once the prey is down, the premolars are used for biting off chunk of meat. The upper P4 and the lower M1 on each side are especially developed for this task. The carnasals are the most massive teeth in the canine jaw. They are very sharp and their location mid-way down the length of the jaw puts them at the point where jaw pressure is greatest. The incisors located at the front of the mouth are specialized for delicate work. They nibble the last bits of meat off bones and are also handy for scratching an itch or pulling something bothersome out of the coat or from between the pads. Molars, other than mentioned, are flat for grinding plant matter. Wolves eat also some fruits, grasses and other plant matter and this type of food must be chewed a little to start digestive process.

All those specialized teeth have their proper position in the jaw, which is determined by their function, and they require a properly formed skull and lower jaw to function efficiently. The muzzle must be long enough and broad enough to accommodate the teeth in their proper locations. Jaw strength comes not only from the muscles, but the shape of the skull (1).

Most working breeds with normal skull mantained generally above mentioned dental structure, because it is the most efficient also for their work such as herding, hunting, etc. Nevertheless, missing teeth and malocclusions are typical dental faults in these breeds.

Missing teeth(hypodontia) is the fault observed often also in Catahoula breed. This fact and the degree of the fault should be evaluated according to which teeth and how many are missing. Some of premolars (P1, P2 or P3) and some of molars (M2, and most probably also M3) are most frequently among missing teeth. If the first premolar (P1), one of the smallest teeth, is missing, it is much less a problem than missing the upper P4 or M1 which belong to the most important teeth (see above). The more teeth that are missing, the more faulty and less functional the bite becomes.

As missing teeth like to appear in certain families and lines, it is important to take this into account when choosing breeding partners and to avoid those affected the same way. Inheritance of hypodontia is not possible to describe by a simple model and its analysis  indicated heterogenous genetic control of different forms. Whereas the absence of P2 can be described by the recessive major-gene model, the absence of P4 have more complex genetic mechanism (3).

Faults of bite concern also Catahoula breed. Dog’s bite is the way his teeth fit when his upper and lower jaws are closed. The standard type is a scissor bite, in which the upper incisors just overlap and touch the lower incisors and all premolars and molars fully fit. Another possible variation is a tight scissor bite, when upper and lower incisors touch each other more then above or lower incisors are outwards of longitudinal line of bottom jaw. Catahoula has also a level (even) bite permitted by the breed standard. It is when the upper and lower incisors meet exactly, surface to surface. This means that teeth can be worn down much faster, but it does not affect actually the function and both jaws are of the same length as in previous cases. Level bite is considered normal in some breeds, including Catahoula, nevertheless,  some consider this type of bite as an expression of underbite. On the other hand, research among wild wolves showed that fully a third of animals had even bites. No structural fault is tolerated to this degree in a natural species, particularly in a feature so critical to the survival of that species.

Overshot bite is caused by physically longer upper jaw than the lower one and the uneveness between them is larger than 2 mm. This fault occurs more often among dog breeds nowadays. Contrary to undershot, this fault can be controlled by genetics, nutrition, environment and by mechanical forces generated by the interlock of the upper and lower teeth. Overshot  can affect the mouth’s function more than undershot and indicates usually weakness in the lower jaw.

The incidence of level bites is increasing among Catahoulas beside some missing teeth. Undershot bite is one of more serious faults that occur in this breed. There is no doubt that such faults and abnormalities are inherited. Upper and lower jaws grow independently, factors influencing a size of jaw are different from those affecting the size of teeth and various genes are involved in this process. These problems are polygenic resulting from the action of many genes, thus it is difficult to eliminate them because there is no single „bad bite“ gene.  The length of the skull and the muzzle play a role and a dominant way of a shorter skull inheritance is known. Thus, this must be taken into account in case of Catahoula, too. A combination of parents with rather different length of their muzzles is not recommended, because it could increase the incidence of faults in bites and occurrence of undershot or overshot bites among offsprings. And we have proved already that Catahoulas may vary in their muzzle size in more than one third of its length.

Inheritance and elimination of severe dental faults is difficult in breeds more numerous than Catahoula. There is impossible to exclude from breeding all individuals that show any fault due to complicated, polygenic and often recessive way of inheritance in such a rare breed. However, those showing more serious faults, such as the overshot and the undershot bite and numerous and the most important teeth missing, should be surely excluded from breeding.

There was no much attention paid until now to bite and teeth quality of Louisiana Catahoula. The reason is that Catahoula is the American breed and there is generally only a little attention focused on this matter. Both NALC standard, valid since 1977 (last revision in 1994) and UKC standard (2008) say that: „A scissors bite is preferred, but a level bite is acceptable. Full dentition is greatly desired, but dogs are not to be penalized for worn or broken teeth. Overshot or undershot bite are serious faults, but not disqualifying“. Catahoula is working breed and working qualities have been always more demanded than an ideal conformation and a superior bite. This is also the heritage we must deal with now.

Evaluation of European breeds and breeding was always more strict in this point of view and more focused on correct bite and full dentition, namely in breeds that preserve more or less normal skull parameters. Thus, scissor bite and full dentition is what most of breed standards demand and faults are more penalized. There is a good reason for it, because an efficient function needs a proper skull and jaw structure and teeth position. However, some anomalies were found also in wild living wolves and some faults are fairly common among various dog breeds even if not wanted.

Full dentition with all adult teeth fully erupted consist of incisors (Incisives – I), canines (Caninus – C), premolars (Praemolares – P), and molares (Molares – M). Upper and lower jaw differ in a number of molars. The teeth pattern is following:

In order to understand severity of dental faults it is good to know what is correct and why. A way how a wolf uses its teeth would be the best example to explain this matter. Concerning Catahoula, it a good example, too, because this breed has got most probably a red wolf among its ancestors.  It could also support one of explanations of Schutzhund as a not very suitable activity for this breed that was mentioned by Anke Boysen elsewhere (https://www.ealc.info/en/working-dog-catahoula/).

In training and performing Schutzhund the preferred grip is a „full mouth bite“. The dog should grasp subject’s arm or leg well into its mouth, between its molars and premolars and behind the canines. This is not the way a wolf does it. A wolf grips with the front of his mouth. The four canine teeth puncture the prey and their overlapping structure combined with jaw strength prevents the prey from pulling free. Once the prey is down, the premolars are used for biting off chunk of meat. The upper P4 and the lower M1 on each side are especially developed for this task. The carnasals are the most massive teeth in the canine jaw. They are very sharp and their location mid-way down the length of the jaw puts them at the point where jaw pressure is greatest. The incisors located at the front of the mouth are specialized for delicate work. They nibble the last bits of meat off bones and are also handy for scratching an itch or pulling something bothersome out of the coat or from between the pads. Molars, other than mentioned, are flat for grinding plant matter. Wolves eat also some fruits, grasses and other plant matter and this type of food must be chewed a little to start digestive process.

All those specialized teeth have their proper position in the jaw, which is determined by their function, and they require a properly formed skull and lower jaw to function efficiently. The muzzle must be long enough and broad enough to accommodate the teeth in their proper locations. Jaw strength comes not only from the muscles, but the shape of the skull (1).

Most working breeds with normal skull mantained generally above mentioned dental structure, because it is the most efficient also for their work such as herding, hunting, etc. Nevertheless, missing teeth and malocclusions are typical dental faults in these breeds.

Missing teeth(hypodontia) is the fault observed often also in Catahoula breed. This fact and the degree of the fault should be evaluated according to which teeth and how many are missing. Some of premolars (P1, P2 or P3) and some of molars (M2, and most probably also M3) are most frequently among missing teeth. If the first premolar (P1), one of the smallest teeth, is missing, it is much less a problem than missing the upper P4 or M1 which belong to the most important teeth (see above). The more teeth that are missing, the more faulty and less functional the bite becomes.

As missing teeth like to appear in certain families and lines, it is important to take this into account when choosing breeding partners and to avoid those affected the same way. Inheritance of hypodontia is not possible to describe by a simple model and its analysis  indicated heterogenous genetic control of different forms. Whereas the absence of P2 can be described by the recessive major-gene model, the absence of P4 have more complex genetic mechanism (3).

Faults of bite concern also Catahoula breed. Dog’s bite is the way his teeth fit when his upper and lower jaws are closed. The standard type is a scissor bite, in which the upper incisors just overlap and touch the lower incisors and all premolars and molars fully fit. Another possible variation is a tight scissor bite, when upper and lower incisors touch each other more then above or lower incisors are outwards of longitudinal line of bottom jaw. Catahoula has also a level (even) bite permitted by the breed standard. It is when the upper and lower incisors meet exactly, surface to surface. This means that teeth can be worn down much faster, but it does not affect actually the function and both jaws are of the same length as in previous cases. Level bite is considered normal in some breeds, including Catahoula, nevertheless,  some consider this type of bite as an expression of underbite. On the other hand, research among wild wolves showed that fully a third of animals had even bites. No structural fault is tolerated to this degree in a natural species, particularly in a feature so critical to the survival of that species.

Overshot bite is caused by physically longer upper jaw than the lower one and the uneveness between them is larger than 2 mm. This fault occurs more often among dog breeds nowadays. Contrary to undershot, this fault can be controlled by genetics, nutrition, environment and by mechanical forces generated by the interlock of the upper and lower teeth. Overshot  can affect the mouth’s function more than undershot and indicates usually weakness in the lower jaw.

The incidence of level bites is increasing among Catahoulas beside some missing teeth. Undershot bite is one of more serious faults that occur in this breed. There is no doubt that such faults and abnormalities are inherited. Upper and lower jaws grow independently, factors influencing a size of jaw are different from those affecting the size of teeth and various genes are involved in this process. These problems are polygenic resulting from the action of many genes, thus it is difficult to eliminate them because there is no single „bad bite“ gene.  The length of the skull and the muzzle play a role and a dominant way of a shorter skull inheritance is known. Thus, this must be taken into account in case of Catahoula, too. A combination of parents with rather different length of their muzzles is not recommended, because it could increase the incidence of faults in bites and occurrence of undershot or overshot bites among offsprings. And we have proved already that Catahoulas may vary in their muzzle size in more than one third of its length.

Inheritance and elimination of severe dental faults is difficult in breeds more numerous than Catahoula. There is impossible to exclude from breeding all individuals that show any fault due to complicated, polygenic and often recessive way of inheritance in such a rare breed. However, those showing more serious faults, such as the overshot and the undershot bite and numerous and the most important teeth missing, should be surely excluded from breeding.

There was no much attention paid until now to bite and teeth quality of Louisiana Catahoula. The reason is that Catahoula is the American breed and there is generally only a little attention focused on this matter. Both NALC standard, valid since 1977 (last revision in 1994) and UKC standard (2008) say that: „A scissors bite is preferred, but a level bite is acceptable. Full dentition is greatly desired, but dogs are not to be penalized for worn or broken teeth. Overshot or undershot bite are serious faults, but not disqualifying“. Catahoula is working breed and working qualities have been always more demanded than an ideal conformation and a superior bite. This is also the heritage we must deal with now.

Evaluation of European breeds and breeding was always more strict in this point of view and more focused on correct bite and full dentition, namely in breeds that preserve more or less normal skull parameters. Thus, scissor bite and full dentition is what most of breed standards demand and faults are more penalized. There is a good reason for it, because an efficient function needs a proper skull and jaw structure and teeth position. However, some anomalies were found also in wild living wolves and some faults are fairly common among various dog breeds even if not wanted.

Full dentition with all adult teeth fully erupted consist of incisors (Incisives – I), canines (Caninus – C), premolars (Praemolares – P), and molares (Molares – M). Upper and lower jaw differ in a number of molars. The teeth pattern is following:

In order to understand severity of dental faults it is good to know what is correct and why. A way how a wolf uses its teeth would be the best example to explain this matter. Concerning Catahoula, it a good example, too, because this breed has got most probably a red wolf among its ancestors.  It could also support one of explanations of Schutzhund as a not very suitable activity for this breed that was mentioned by Anke Boysen elsewhere (https://www.ealc.info/en/working-dog-catahoula/).

In training and performing Schutzhund the preferred grip is a „full mouth bite“. The dog should grasp subject’s arm or leg well into its mouth, between its molars and premolars and behind the canines. This is not the way a wolf does it. A wolf grips with the front of his mouth. The four canine teeth puncture the prey and their overlapping structure combined with jaw strength prevents the prey from pulling free. Once the prey is down, the premolars are used for biting off chunk of meat. The upper P4 and the lower M1 on each side are especially developed for this task. The carnasals are the most massive teeth in the canine jaw. They are very sharp and their location mid-way down the length of the jaw puts them at the point where jaw pressure is greatest. The incisors located at the front of the mouth are specialized for delicate work. They nibble the last bits of meat off bones and are also handy for scratching an itch or pulling something bothersome out of the coat or from between the pads. Molars, other than mentioned, are flat for grinding plant matter. Wolves eat also some fruits, grasses and other plant matter and this type of food must be chewed a little to start digestive process.

All those specialized teeth have their proper position in the jaw, which is determined by their function, and they require a properly formed skull and lower jaw to function efficiently. The muzzle must be long enough and broad enough to accommodate the teeth in their proper locations. Jaw strength comes not only from the muscles, but the shape of the skull (1).

Most working breeds with normal skull mantained generally above mentioned dental structure, because it is the most efficient also for their work such as herding, hunting, etc. Nevertheless, missing teeth and malocclusions are typical dental faults in these breeds.

Missing teeth(hypodontia) is the fault observed often also in Catahoula breed. This fact and the degree of the fault should be evaluated according to which teeth and how many are missing. Some of premolars (P1, P2 or P3) and some of molars (M2, and most probably also M3) are most frequently among missing teeth. If the first premolar (P1), one of the smallest teeth, is missing, it is much less a problem than missing the upper P4 or M1 which belong to the most important teeth (see above). The more teeth that are missing, the more faulty and less functional the bite becomes.

As missing teeth like to appear in certain families and lines, it is important to take this into account when choosing breeding partners and to avoid those affected the same way. Inheritance of hypodontia is not possible to describe by a simple model and its analysis  indicated heterogenous genetic control of different forms. Whereas the absence of P2 can be described by the recessive major-gene model, the absence of P4 have more complex genetic mechanism (3).

Faults of bite concern also Catahoula breed. Dog’s bite is the way his teeth fit when his upper and lower jaws are closed. The standard type is a scissor bite, in which the upper incisors just overlap and touch the lower incisors and all premolars and molars fully fit. Another possible variation is a tight scissor bite, when upper and lower incisors touch each other more then above or lower incisors are outwards of longitudinal line of bottom jaw. Catahoula has also a level (even) bite permitted by the breed standard. It is when the upper and lower incisors meet exactly, surface to surface. This means that teeth can be worn down much faster, but it does not affect actually the function and both jaws are of the same length as in previous cases. Level bite is considered normal in some breeds, including Catahoula, nevertheless,  some consider this type of bite as an expression of underbite. On the other hand, research among wild wolves showed that fully a third of animals had even bites. No structural fault is tolerated to this degree in a natural species, particularly in a feature so critical to the survival of that species.

Overshot bite is caused by physically longer upper jaw than the lower one and the uneveness between them is larger than 2 mm. This fault occurs more often among dog breeds nowadays. Contrary to undershot, this fault can be controlled by genetics, nutrition, environment and by mechanical forces generated by the interlock of the upper and lower teeth. Overshot  can affect the mouth’s function more than undershot and indicates usually weakness in the lower jaw.

The incidence of level bites is increasing among Catahoulas beside some missing teeth. Undershot bite is one of more serious faults that occur in this breed. There is no doubt that such faults and abnormalities are inherited. Upper and lower jaws grow independently, factors influencing a size of jaw are different from those affecting the size of teeth and various genes are involved in this process. These problems are polygenic resulting from the action of many genes, thus it is difficult to eliminate them because there is no single „bad bite“ gene.  The length of the skull and the muzzle play a role and a dominant way of a shorter skull inheritance is known. Thus, this must be taken into account in case of Catahoula, too. A combination of parents with rather different length of their muzzles is not recommended, because it could increase the incidence of faults in bites and occurrence of undershot or overshot bites among offsprings. And we have proved already that Catahoulas may vary in their muzzle size in more than one third of its length.

Inheritance and elimination of severe dental faults is difficult in breeds more numerous than Catahoula. There is impossible to exclude from breeding all individuals that show any fault due to complicated, polygenic and often recessive way of inheritance in such a rare breed. However, those showing more serious faults, such as the overshot and the undershot bite and numerous and the most important teeth missing, should be surely excluded from breeding.

Occlusion is defined as the relationship between the teeth of the maxilla (upper jaw) and mandibles (lower jaw). When this relationship is abnormal a malocclusion results and is also called an abnormal bite or an overbite in dogs and cats.

In the normal, aligned mouth, the left and right side mirror each other. Dogs have a total of 42 adult teeth and cats have 30 adult teeth. The normal occlusion of a dog and cat mouth are similar. Below we"ll share how malocclusions can affect both canines and felines.

A Class I malocclusion takes place when one or more teeth are in an abnormal position, but the maxilla and mandibles are in a normal relationship with each other. A Class I tooth may be pointing in the wrong direction or rotated.

Although complete correction of certain teeth misalignments may not be possible, there is always something we can do to improve the functionality of the bite and make the patient comfortable. For best results, it is important to recognize a malocclusion as early as possible.

The upper incisor teeth slightly overlap the lower incisors. The lower canine tooth (fang) sits between the upper canine tooth and 3rd incisor. The premolar teeth do not touch each other and form zigzag-like pattern between the upper and lower premolars. The large upper 4th premolar tooth rests on the cheek side of the lower first molar. This tooth is also known as the upper carnassial tooth. The molars are not visible in this image.

What happens when you peek into the mouth of a patient and note that one or more teeth are out of place? Hopefully you don"t quickly close the mouth, hoping that the pet owner didn"t spot the problem. (Out of sight, out of mind.) It"s much better to let your client know when something isn"t right in their pet"s mouth and explain what it will take to fix a poor or nonfunctional bite. But before you can recommend orthodontic care for your patients, you"ll need to embrace the concepts of malposition and malocclusion.

Occlusion refers to the relationship between the maxillary and mandibular teeth when they approach each other, as occurs during chewing or rest. Normal occlusion exists when the maxillary incisors just overlap the mandibular incisors (Figure 1A), the mandibular canines are equidistant from the maxillary third incisors and the maxillary canine teeth, and the premolar crown tips of the lower jaw point between the spaces of the upper jaw teeth in a saw-toothed fashion (Figure 1B). Flat-faced breeds, such as boxers, shih tzus, Boston terriers, Lhasa apsos and Persian cats, have abnormal bites that are recognized as normal for their breed in which the mandibular jaw protrudes in front of the maxillary jaw, altering the above tooth-to-tooth relationship (Figures 2A and 2B).

Malocclusion refers to abnormal tooth alignment. Skeletal malocclusion occurs when jaw anomalies result in abnormal jaw alignment that causes the teeth to be out of normal orientation. Dental malposition occurs when jaw alignment is normal but one or more teeth are out of normal orientation.

When dental malposition or skeletal malocclusion causes trauma to other teeth or oral soft tissues, the condition is termed poorly functional ornonfunctional and treatment is indicated. Therapy options include moving or removing the offending or offended tooth or teeth, or surgically creating additional space for the malpositioned tooth to occupy without causing trauma.

Mandibular distoclusion (also called overbite, overjet, overshot, class 2, and mandibular brachygnathism) occurs when the lower jaw is shorter that the upper and there"s a space between the upper and lower incisors when the mouth is closed. The upper premolars will be displaced rostrally (toward the nose) compared with the lower premolars. Mandibular distoclusion is never normal in any breed (Figures 3A and 3B).

Figure 3B. A dog"s mandibular distocluson.Mandibular mesioclusion (also called underbite, undershot, reverse scissor bite, prognathism, and class 3) occurs when the lower teeth protrude in front of the upper teeth. If the upper and lower incisor teeth meet each other edge to edge, the occlusion is an even or a level bite (Figure 4).

Rostral cross bite occurs when the canine and premolar teeth on both sides of the mouth are normally aligned but one or more of the lower incisors are positioned in front of the upper incisors (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Rostral cross bite.Mesioverted mandibular canines (also called lingually displaced canines or base narrow canines) occur when the lower canine teeth protrude inward, impinging on or penetrating the maxillary gingiva (Figure 7). Often this condition is due to retained deciduous teeth. The resulting trauma can be alleviated through tooth movement, crown reduction and restoration, or extraction.

The definition of a parrot mouth is when the top incisor teeth"s front edge is further forward that that of the lower teeth. Obviously there are all different degrees of parrot mouth — minor through to severe. In minor cases, the upper and lower incisors still meet, but are not perfectly aligned, but in severe cases, the two do not meet at all.

As far as genetics go, parrot mouth is NOT directly heritable. That is, we rarely see an individual sire or a mare throwing an abnormally high number of parrot mouthed foals. The most common cause of it is when a mare is bred to a stallion of very different head type. Surprisingly, these two stud animals often have normal teeth structure, yet when they are bred, the mismatch is so great that a parrot mouth offspring is produced.

It is important to remember that malocclusions in horse"s teeth (when they are not in the correct positioning and alignment etc) is poorly understood when it comes to how heritable it is, and is often a very complex mismatch of many genes. Thus having a badly conformed mouth in your animal may present a risk in breeding, but certainly doesn"t mean that animal will throw offspring with a similar condition.

The real problems with being parrot mouthed are due to the fact that horses" teeth are hypsodont teeth — that means that they have long crowns up in the bone and continue to erupt or move into the mouth throughout life — up to a point where there is no more tooth left to erupt into the mouth. If they are not opposing another tooth, they continue to erupt into the mouth to a point where they are a problem and dig into the opposite jaw etc.

Above: reserve crown of teeth allows the tooth, once fully formed and grown by around 6 years of age, to move into the mouth as the grinding surfaces of the teeth are worn away.

Horses" teeth do not grow indefinitely like rabbits" teeth, but for some time they continue to erupt into the mouth — with the purpose being to replace the tooth which is worn away during the chewing process. Because a paddock grazing horse may on average chew approximately 20 million times per year, the highly repeated grinding of tooth on tooth, or tooth onto fibrous feed material will lead to wearing away of the tooth. Thus new tooth needs to erupt into the mouth to replace the tooth which has been worn away. This tooth eruption process usually continues up until the horse is 15- 20 years of age — but sometimes more and sometimes less.

It is this fact that there is only so much tooth available to be used in a horse"s life, that the teeth — if normal height and angle,should NOT have their grinding surfaces ground smooth by an equine dental practitioner. Nature provided the horse with teeth made from three different substances — enamel, dentin and cementum — which all wear away at different rates. This produces a rough grinding surface which will effectively crush feed ready for digestion.Smoothing of the tooth"s grinding surface will often render a horse in pain and unable to chew its food properly for days to weeks — a very disturbing situation — especially for the horse!

Unless the tooth is abnormally high or the angle is wrong, the smoothing of a tooth"s grinding surface will reduce the life span of that tooth by at least 50 % if this procedure is repeated each year. What I am saying is not to be confused with the fact that the waste tooth eg sharp enamel points, tall teeth, hooks, waves, ramps, excessive transverse ridges etc, should not be removed or reduced at a dental visit.

The eruption process of teeth works fine if the teeth all line up even and oppose one another. But if they are not matched, then the tooth which is not opposed will continue to erupt into the mouth and become longer and longer.

As the elongating tooth or teeth become more prominent, they may cause the tooth to be moved or forced out of its normal position and they also may restrict the whole jaw"s normal RCM (rostro-caudal movement) whilst eating or when ridden.

As you can imagine, with 20 million chews per year, a hook on the upper first cheek tooth could result in that tooth being pushed forward away from the tooth behind it. Thus an abnormal gap in between the teeth would result, and feed becomes trapped in that gap, leading to rotting of the feed and severe gum disease (periodontal disease).

Periodontal disease is very common in horses, and needs to be detected early. If left untreated, it becomes irreversible, and often leads to premature loss of that tooth, and/or possible tooth root abscess formation. As those of you who have had meat stuck between your teeth for a few days, periodontal disease produces bad breath (halitosis) and can be quite painful. It may cause a horse to chew slowly, pack feed inside its cheeks (quid), drool saliva and tilt its head when eating etc.

The floating must be certain to address the associated overgrowths of teeth which arise and encourage the backwards displacement of the Mandible (jaw). These overgrowths include lipping of the incisors, hooks on the cheek teeth and excessive transverse ridges on the cheek teeth. Obviously the sharp enamel points must also be addressed.

“Other animals with an overshot jaw have difficulty grasping food because of misaligned incisors. In horses, incisor malalignment is obvious but not necessarily a significant problem, because they are capable of seizing food with their lips. The major concern is the potential development of cheek-teeth disorders that inhibit their ability to chew,” shared Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., an equine nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research.

Foals with an overshot jaw are therefore at risk of malnutrition, slow growth, and the development of additional dental problems. For example, lack of contact between the upper and lower incisors can result in overgrowth of incisors and cheek teeth, known as premolars. In addition, this lack of contact may trap the lower incisors behind the upper incisors, potentially contributing to the lack of lower jaw growth, which exacerbates the condition as the foal grows.

Orthodontic abnormalities characterize by teeth misalignment and jaw displacements or clinical malocclusions. These conditions vary depending on the causes, their severity (types), and especially the problems they present to patients and treatment planning.

In general terms, occlusion refers to teeth alignment at the bite. A precise occlusion occurs when the upper and lower grooves match the points of the corresponding molar at bite.

Malocclusion causes include genetics (hereditary factors), a difference in the size of the jaws, or the size of a tooth that might not correspond with the jaw. Other causes include congenital disabilities (cleft lip and palate) and extra, lost, impacted, or oddly shaped teeth.

The first malocclusion type is in grade, less aggressive. Upper teeth minimally overlap the lower teeth. It is evident when people smile with their teeth touching each other, and the upper teeth cover the lower teeth slightly further than expected.

The most prominent malocclusion is prognathism. This third type of abnormality, known as an underbite, is characterized by a protruding lower jaw (mandible). This means the lower jaw (mandible) and teeth are mispositioned in front of the upper jaw (maxilla).

Furthermore, even after successful surgery, patients must use braces to realign teeth and improve the bite. Consequently, early identification and treatment ensure a less traumatic treatment option and highly desirable results.

To achieve strong oral health and a wonderful smile, your upper and lower jaws need to evenly meet. This allows you to do things like eating and swallowing with ease and avoid some very serious health risks to your jaw, mouth and teeth.

A malocclusion is whenever the upper and lower rows of teeth do not meet. There are three types of malocclusions: overbites, underbites and crossbites. Overbites and underbites are the most common but all three require immediate and thorough orthodontic treatment. It can be tricky to know if you have a severe enough overbite or underbite to warrant orthodontic intervention.

Just because your upper teeth extend somewhat over your lower teeth, doesn’t necessarily mean you have an overbite. In addition, minor overbites are very common and might not require braces. Overbites that are severe enough to need fixing occur when the upper teeth overlap the bottom teeth to an excessive degree of roughly 4 to 10 millimeters. This can be caused by genetics, a recessive chin, misaligned bites, thumb sucking, poorly fitted crowns, gum disease or as the result of injury. Also, sometimes teeth just come in awkwardly.

Overbites are more common than underbites and are called a Class II bite. One thing to remember is that having a slight overbite is normal because the shape of the human skull naturally allows for the upper teeth to extend beyond the lower teeth. During checkups, your dentist should measure your overbite and underbite and consult with you if they suspect any issues.

An underbite, a Class III bite, is when the lower teeth extend beyond the upper. Essentially, the lower jaw protrudes, making it impossible for the lower row of teeth to align with the upper row causing the potential for several serious oral health issues. This can be caused by the upper jaw bone being underdeveloped or the bone in the lower jaw being overdeveloped.

Most people believe there are only two malocclusions. There is a third type, though, known as a crossbite. And while it is less common, it still requires diagnosis and treatment. Crossbite is a lateral misalignment meaning the top teeth are positioned too close to the cheek or tongue.

Crossbite occurs during childhood and doesn’t naturally correct itself over time. It can occur between the front or back teeth. The side effects are similar to and just as serious as overbites and underbites. Upon diagnosis, your dentist should present treatment options and recommend a course of action.

For less severe bites, a removable retainer is a suitable enough solution to produce the desired results. This type of retainer hooks around the back teeth to hold itself securely in place. The removable element makes it easier to clean your teeth but the patient must be responsible enough to remember to put it in every day. Forgetting for long stretches would negate this treatment’s effectiveness.

The most common way to treat misaligned bites is with braces or aligners, especially with children or teenagers. Braces use taut wires to connect tiny brackets to apply consistent pressure to teeth. This forces them to realign and straighten over time. Braces have a high success rate but can be pricy and patients must wear them for anywhere between one to three years.

Don’t wait and let your overbite, underbite or crossbite worsen and create additional issues for your mouth, teeth and gums. Letting these problems linger can result in you needing caps, crowns or dental hardware installed. Furthermore, neglect can make them harder to fix down the road.

Little we thought he should ever own it, or that John would be pointing it out to his own boys, lecturing them on "undershot," and "overshot," as he used to lecture me.

Almost everyone has top teeth that slightly overlap their bottom teeth. However, when the overlap is significant or protrudes excessively over the bottom teeth, this is called an overbite. To be classified as an overbite, the upper teeth must protrude forward over the lower teeth by more than 3 millimeters.

An overbite is a type of malocclusion, which is the medical term for the abnormal relationship of the upper and lower teeth. A malocclusion is just a fancy term for a bite problem. While orthodontists refer to overbite as excess vertical overlap of front teeth, lay persons usually use overbite to describe excess horizontal space between the upper and lower front teeth.

While dentists and laypeople have different meanings for overbite, it can be helpful to understand the difference between overjet and overbite. An overbite occurs when the upper teeth overlap the bottom teeth in the vertical place of space by more than 3 millimeters. With an overjet, the teeth on the upper jaw set forward of the lower teeth in the horizontal direction. To put it another way, the upper front teeth protrude outward. This is sometimes called “buck teeth.”

The primary difference between these two bite problems is that an overbite focuses on the depth of the bite while an overjet focuses on how far the upper front teeth protrude.

The difference between an overbite and underbite is a bit easier to explain. While an overbite happens when the top teeth set forward of the lower teeth, the opposite is true with an underbite. An underbite occurs when the lower teeth set forward of the upper teeth, creating a bulldog-like appearance.

The most common cause of an overbite is the shape and size of the jaw or teeth. These issues can have skeletal causes (mismatched jaw size) where the upper jaw sets too far forward, or the lower jaw sets too far back (or a combination of the two). There are also dental causes such as the upper teeth tilting too far forward or when lower teeth are naturally missing.

Starting around the age of 7, Dr. Redford and Dr. Burke can evaluate a child to identify bite and teeth issues. Treatment in kids that still have baby teeth present is called “interceptive orthodontics.” The goal of this early orthodontic treatment is to fix developing problems earlier rather than later.

With younger children, sometimes a simple retainer can be used to tip back the upper front teeth. This is a straightforward, cost-efficient way to correct a tooth position problem. In older kids and with large overbites, orthodontists often use overbite correction devices (sometimes called growth modification devices or functional appliances). There are two effective orthodontic appliances used in our practice to correct overbites in kids—a Herbst Appliance and a Carriere Distalizer.