Diente de lobo

Los dientes de lobo son dientes de caballo pequeños, en forma de clavija , que se encuentran justo delante (o rostrales ) de los primeros dientes de las mejillas de los caballos y otros équidos . Son primeros premolares vestigiales , y el primer diente de la mejilla se denomina segundo premolar incluso cuando no hay dientes de lobo. Torbjörn Lundström en Suecia informó que alrededor del 45-50% de 25.000 caballos tenían dientes de lobo. Son mucho menos comunes en la mandíbula (mandíbula inferior) que en el maxilar (mandíbula superior), aunque muy ocasionalmente se encuentran dientes de lobo mandibulares.

No tienen precursores de hoja caduca , pero pueden ser ellos mismos de hoja caduca, ya que se cree que a menudo se eliminan cuando el segundo premolar de hoja caduca se desprende alrededor de los dos años y medio de edad. También pueden ser eliminados por la broca si están particularmente flojos, y ciertamente pueden extraerse accidentalmente, ya sea parcial o totalmente, cuando se realiza odontología equina de rutina.

Su tamaño es extremadamente variable, desde pequeñas clavijas de sólo 3 mm de diámetro hasta raíces de hasta 2 cm de largo. En un pequeño número de casos pueden estar "molarizados" con un borde de esmalte claramente irregular. Es imposible medir el tamaño de la raíz examinando la corona, excepto para decir que si la corona es móvil es muy poco probable que haya una raíz intacta de gran tamaño.

Existe controversia sobre el tiempo promedio de erupción y diferentes autores sugieren tiempos diferentes. Todos los autores que han realizado algún tipo de estudio riguroso sugieren que brotan entre el nacimiento y los 18 meses, aunque la mayoría dice entre los 6 y los 9 meses.

Cuando hay dos dientes de lobo uno al lado del otro, es muy probable que uno sea un fragmento del segundo premolar temporal.

Dientes de lobo ciego

Los dientes de lobo ciego son dientes de lobo que están presentes pero que es posible que no hayan salido de la encía. Pueden permanecer completamente debajo de la encía. Una buena regla que se cumple en la mayoría de los casos es:

Cuanto más adelante o rostral esté un diente de lobo, más probable será que quede ciego y más probable que la raíz quede más paralela al maxilar en lugar de perpendicular a la línea del maxilar.

Esto se muestra en los diagramas a continuación, donde 106 y 406 son los segundos premolares según el sistema triadan modificado y WT es el diente de lobo. La capa rosada es la encía.

Cómo los dientes de lobo pueden causar problemas

Normal wolf teeth without pathology are not inherently painful to a horse which does not have a bit in its mouth. Equally certain is that there are cases where wolf teeth do cause significant problems to horses because of their interaction with the bit.

There are four mechanisms which have been postulated by which wolf teeth may cause discomfort. It is probable that all four of these mechanisms are possible in different cases.

The wolf tooth and/or periodontium is inherently painful
- Only likely where the tooth is pathological or very loose
- Unlikely to be true for healthy wolf teeth
The bit pushes the cheek towards a sharp/large wolf tooth causing cheek pain
- Certainly a viable mechanism where the wolf tooth is large and positioned so that it has close contact with the buccal mucosa
The bit touching a wolf tooth causes pain or discomfort in wolf tooth
- Possible if bit is being pushed towards tooth with force or tooth is inherently sensitive to pressure or contact with bit
A wolf tooth physically restricts the movement of the bit
- Only with very large or rostrally positioned wolf teeth

Assessing which wolf teeth should be removed

There is a school of thought which says that all ridden horses' wolf teeth should be extracted, because if they are removed then they cannot cause problems, and it is not a major surgical procedure. With the wolf teeth removed, it is also easier to put in a proper bit seat. There is another school of thought which believes that wolf teeth should be assessed and removed when they are likely to be causing a problem. Very few vets or equine dental technicians subscribe to the belief that they are never a problem. Certainly it is useful to assess wolf teeth because some horse owners are reluctant to have them removed unless they are very likely to be causing problems.

The following factors are useful in making an assessment:

Position

A rostrally-positioned wolf tooth is more likely to touch the bit or to pinch buccal mucosa pushed towards it by the bit. A wolf tooth tucked in on the inside of the 2nd premolar is much less likely to cause problems.

Size

A large wolf tooth is more likely to interfere, although a small one may be such a small job to take out that it is better to just remove it.

Movement

Any wolf tooth which moves is likely to be small, a fragment, or be a fractured crown. All three are probably better removed.

Damage

Any damaged wolf tooth is more likely to be inherently painful or have periodontal disease associated with it.

Asymmetry

Common sense suggests that, where a horse only has one wolf tooth, it is less likely to have a uniform response to the bit on both reins.

Whether they are blind

Many veterinarians and equine dental technicians believe that blind wolf teeth are more likely to be problematic.

Whether they are maxillary or mandibular

It is without dispute that mandibular wolf teeth are more likely to cause interference than maxillary wolf teeth, because the bit is drawn towards the mandible with most bit/bridle arrangements.

The intended use of the horse

Where a horse is performing at a high level it is less acceptable to have any doubt in relation to possible problems caused by wolf teeth.

The age of the horse

Where wolf teeth are discovered in an elderly horse, there are strong arguments for maintaining a status quo.

How the horse is performing

Most authorities would agree that any horse with wolf teeth that is not responding well to the bit should have them removed.