Attrition:
- What is attrition?
- The
wearing away of a tooth as a result of tooth-to-tooth contact
- What causes attrition?
- Malocclusions
or “bad bites” which cause teeth to rub against other teeth
- In
Boxers the maxillary incisors usually rub on the inner surface of the
mandibular canines or incisors
- Is attrition the only cause of tooth
wear?
- Tooth
abrasion is the pathologic wearing away of the tooth
by rubbing
- Aggressive tooth brushing, bruxism (grinding
teeth), excessive gnawing on fur, tennis balls and kennel doors can cause
tooth abrasion
Epulides:
- What are epulides?
- Epulis is a term that means: any
benign lesion on the gingiva.
- A
veterinary dentist usually means: a noncancerous growth coming from the
ligaments that anchor a tooth in the jaw bone.
- Epulides
may be fibromatous (mostly soft tissue), ossifying (contains some bone)
or acanthomatous (causes soft tissue and bone to break down).
- What causes epulides?
- No
one really knows why epulides grow.
- Boxers
seem to be predisposed to developing fibromatous epulides.
Gingival hyperplasia:
- What is gingival hyperplasia?
- An
increase in size and thickness of the soft tissue which surrounds a tooth
results in overgrowth of the gums (gingiva).
- Frequently,
the gums grow large enough to completely cover the teeth.
- What causes gingival hyperplasia?
- An exaggerated
reaction by the gingiva to bacteria and tartar on the teeth. Usually periodontal diseases cause
gingiva to recede. Boxers have the opposite reaction.
- Certain
medications used to treat seizures, allergies, infection or high blood
pressure can cause gingival hyperplasia. This is usually reversible if
the medications can be stopped.
