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Tooth whitening today.

BACKGROUND: Methods to improve the esthetics of the dentition by tooth whitening are of interest to dentists, their patients and the public. In the past 20 years, research on bleaching and other methods of removing tooth discolorations has dramatically increased. Dentist-supervised and over-the-counter products now are available to solve a variety of tooth discoloration problems without restorative intervention. The indications for appropriate use of tooth-whitening methods and products are dependent on correct diagnosis of the discoloration. OVERVIEW: Tooth-whitening methods include the use of peroxide bleaching agents to remove internal discolorations or abrasive products to remove external stains. Peroxide bleaching procedures are completed by the dentist in single or multiple appointments, or by the patient over a period of weeks to months using custom trays loaded with a bleaching agent. Both methods are safe and effective when supervised by the dentist. Microabrasion is indicated for the removal of isolated discolorations that often are associated with fluorosis. Whitening toothpastes remove surface stains only through the polishing effect of the abrasives they contain. CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Tooth whitening is a form of dental treatment and should be completed as part of a comprehensive treatment plan developed by a dentist after an oral examination. When used appropriately, tooth-whitening methods are safe and effective.

Dental Devices, Home Care↗

Light augments tooth whitening with peroxide.

BACKGROUND: The authors tested the adjunctive use of light with a 15 percent peroxide gel as a single-visit, in-office tooth whitening system. METHODS: Subject (N = 87) with stained (> shade D4, Vita Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany) anterior teeth were randomly assigned to test (peroxide and light), peroxide control (peroxide gel) or light control (placebo gel and light) groups and were treated for one hour. The researchers evaluated tooth shade, color and subject response at baseline and posttreatment and at three and six months posttreatment. RESULTS: The initial shade unit reduction of combined light and peroxide treatment (8.4) was greatest compared with that of peroxide alone (5.9) and of light alone (4.9). Approximately 88 percent of these effects persisted for six months. Lightness was increased and yellowness decreased to a significantly greater extent in the test group than in either control. These findings were corroborated by subject evaluation. One week after treatment, moderate to greatly increased tooth sensitivity occurred in 20 percent of test subjects, 21.7 percent of peroxide control subjects and none of the light control subjects. Neither tooth sensitivity nor gingival redness was present at the three- and six-month visits. CONCLUSIONS: Peroxide and light treatment significantly lightened the color of teeth to a greater extent than did peroxide or light alone, with a low and transient incidence of tooth sensitivity. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Light can increase the tooth-whitening effect of peroxide, thereby increasing the effectiveness of tooth-whitening procedures.

Adolescent↗

A difference in perspective--the North American and European interpretations of tooth wear.

PURPOSE: There is considerable interest in the European dental research literature about the problem of tooth wear and specifically about dental erosion, but this interest does not appear to be matched in North America based on the volume of the literature there. The purpose of this article is to consider the possible explanations for this difference. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This article examines the reasons for this disparity and attempts to explain the difference by reviewing the North American and European literature on the etiology, pathogenesis, and prevalence of tooth wear. RESULTS: It would appear from the literature that the reason for the difference in interest between the 2 continents is a reflection of how the appearance, etiology, and terminology are interpreted and used to define tooth wear, attrition, and erosion. CONCLUSION: Attrition is the wear of teeth against teeth; therefore, by definition any worn surface that does not contact the opposing tooth must have another etiology. An appropriate descriptive term is "tooth wear" when the etiology is multifactorial or cannot be determined. A search of the literature shows more studies in the European literature of the etiology and prevalence of tooth wear than in the North American literature. The thrust of the European studies supports the view that erosion is more important than attrition in the etiology of tooth wear.

Bruxism↗

Impact of tooth wear on daily living.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the effects of tooth wear on patients' quality of life and satisfaction with their dentition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-six tooth wear patients and 76 control subjects were recruited for the study. A Dental Impact on Daily Living questionnaire was used to assess the affect of tooth wear on daily living and satisfaction with the dentition. An ordinal scale was used to assess the severity of tooth wear in a patient cohort. RESULTS: The results showed that tooth wear has a measurable impact on patients' satisfaction with their appearance, pain levels, oral comfort, general performance, and chewing and eating capacity (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Tooth wear has an impact on patients' satisfaction with their dentition regardless of tooth wear severity or personal factors.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Various reasons for permanent tooth extractions in a Caribbean population--Antigua.

A study was undertaken in September 1990 to investigate the reasons for permanent tooth extractions in Antigua. Eight out of 10 dentists on the island were requested to record permanent tooth extractions, including tooth type and reasons for extraction, during a 6 week study period. All 8 dentists provided data which indicated that 471 teeth were Extractions for orthodontic and impaction reasons comprised 4.3 per cent of tooth extrac-irregularly attending dental services. The principle reason for extractions was caries (61.6 per cent). Periodontitis (29.9 per cent) was the next most frequent reason for extractions and it became the predominant indication for tooth loss after 40 years of age. Extractions for orthodontic and impaction reasons comprised 4.3 per cent of tooth extraction, but these causes disappeared after 30 years of age. Restorable teeth were not commonly removed. The tooth types most frequently extracted due to caries were lower first molars and upper molars. Most commonly extracted, periodontally involved teeth were lower central incisors and upper third molars.

Adolescent↗

Cell responses evoked by tooth pulp stimulation above the marginal layer of the cat's trigeminal nucleus caudalis.

In cats anesthetized with urethane, all-or-nothing, synaptically evoked recordings were made from 80 separate units in the descending spinal tract of the trigeminal nerve above the left trigeminal nucleus caudalis, at depths not exceeding 50 micrometer from the surface of the medulla. The units were excited by the left upper (21), left lower (25), either (28), or only on simultaneous stimulation of both (six) canine tooth pulps. There was no somototopic distribution. The latency of responses ranged from 4 to 82 msec. For the group of 28 units excited by upper and lower tooth pulps, there was close matching of response latencies from the two teeth. An abrupt decrease in latency upon increasing stimulation strength ("jumping"), and a gradual increase in latency during repetitive stimulation at a frequency between 1 and 20 Hz ("drifting") was characteristic of most, but not all, responses. Units evoked by stimulation of the inferior dental or infraorbital nerves had similar characteristics. Stimulation of a tooth pulp at threshold for a particular unit was used to test the excitability of that unit after suprathreshold stimulation of the same or a different canine tooth pulp. Stimulation of the upper left canine tooth pulp was generally only facilitatory, while stimulation of the lower left canine tooth pulp was initially facilitatory and later inhibitory. Stimulation of the upper or lower right canine tooth pulps did not excite but could inhibit units excited by the left canine tooth pulps. There was a significant correlation between the frequency at which a unit would follow repetitive stimulation and the duration of the inhibition generated by the first of a pair of stimuli. Long inhibition was associated with poor frequency following.

Animals↗

Projection of tooth pulp afferents to the thalamus of the cat. I. Focal potentials and thalamocortical connections.

Electrical stimulation of tooth pulp afferents in cats evoked short latency focal potentials in the basal ventromedial nucleus of thalamus (VMB), in the border zone between this nucleus and the arcuate nucleus of the ventrobasal complex (VBA), and in the marginal zone of VBA and the external nucleus of the ventrobasal complex (VBX). No responses were found in the centre of VBA and VBX. Very few responses were found in the intralaminar region. The projection from the tooth pulps was bilateral, but the best responses following stimulation of the ipsi- and the contralateral tooth pulps could be evoked at slightly different locations within VMB. The mean latency of the responses was shorter following stimulation of the contralateral tooth pulp than following stimulation of the ipsilateral one. Electrical stimulation in VMB, VBA, and VBX evoked focal potentials in thalamocortical projection fibres, which were recorded from in the white matter below areas SI and SII after decortication by suction. Conditioning stimulation of the tooth pulps suppressed these responses within 200 ms if the stimulating electrode was placed at the border between VBA and VMB, suggesting that tooth pulp stimulation activates a thalamocortical projection with a postexcitatory inhibition. Finally, lesions were made in the thalamus and their effects were checked on the cortical responses to tooth pulp stimulation. If the lesion included the region of VMB bordering to VBA the cortical responses decreased in amplitude. It is concluded that VMB and the borderzone between VMB and VBA are important relays between the nociceptors of the tooth pulp and the sensory cortex.

Animals↗

The tooth-worm: historical aspects of a popular medical belief.

The concept of a tooth-worm, which according to popular belief, caused caries and periodontitis, has existed in diverse cultures and across the ages. During the Enlightenment, however, the theory of the tooth-worm was assigned by medical doctors almost exclusively to superstition. Even so, the idea that toothache was caused by gnawing worms held on even into this century. There were many different ideas with regard to the appearance of tooth-worms. In England, for instance, it was thought that the tooth-worm looked like an eel. In Northern Germany, people supposed the tooth-worm to be red, blue, and gray and in many cases the worm was compared to a maggot. The gnawing worm was held responsible for many evils and, in particular, was blamed for toothache provoked by caries. The question is discussed of how the belief in the existence of the tooth-worm in former times can be explained. In popular medicine, numerous therapies were applied in order to eradicate the tooth-worm. In addition to the fumigations with henbane seeds, which allowed the "tooth-worm" to develop in the form of burst seeds, there were also magical formulas and oaths.

Arab World↗

Fibroblast growth factor 9: cloning and immunolocalisation during tooth development in Didelphis albiventris.

There are no reports in literature about functional roles of fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF-9) in tooth development in animals with complete tooth pattern. The classical model for studying tooth development is the mouse, which has small number of teeth and distinctive incisor and molar patterns. The opossum Didelphis albiventris with five upper and four lower incisors, one canine, three premolars, and four molars, on each side of the jaw, seems to be a convenient model to test results obtained in the mouse. Molecular expression studies indicate that FGF-9 participates in murine tooth initiation and regulation of morphogenesis. Searching for similarities and differences in FGF-9 expression between the opossum and the mouse, amino acid sequence and expression pattern of FGF-9 in the developing first molars of D. albiventris were characterised. FGF-9 cDNA sequence was obtained using RT-PCR and expressed in bacterial system for recombinant protein production and analysis of immunoreactivity. FGF-9 expression during tooth development was investigated by immunoperoxidase method. FGF-9 protein consists in a 209-residue polypeptide with a predicted molecular mass of 23.5 kDa. FGF-9 amino acid sequence has 98% of sequence identity to human and 97% to rodents. During tooth development, epithelial FGF-9 expression was seen at the dental lamina stage. Mesenchymal expression was seen at the bud stage and at the cap stage. No significant expression was found in the enamel knot. While in rodents FGF-9 is involved in initiation and regulation of tooth shape, it is suggested that it is only involved in tooth initiation in D. albiventris.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Phosphorylation of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase in medullary and upper cervical cord neurons following noxious tooth pulp stimulation.

The phosphorylated Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase (pERK) and Fos expression and masticatory muscle activity were analyzed in rats with capsaicin-induced acute inflammation of the tooth pulp in order to clarify the role of the spinal trigeminal nucleus and upper cervical spinal cord in tooth pulp pain. Digastric and masseteric muscle activities were significantly increased following capsaicin injection into the molar tooth pulp but not after vehicle treatment. The pERK-like immunoreactive (LI) neurons were observed in the subnuclei interpolaris-caudalis transition (Vi/Vc) zone, the paratrigeminal nucleus (Pa5) and the superficial laminae of the caudal Vc/C2 zone. The pERK expression was detected as early as 2 min and peaked at 5 min after capsaicin or vehicle injection. The pERK expression in the Vi/Vc zone and Pa5 was bilateral, whereas it was predominantly ipsilateral in the caudal Vc/C2 zone. The capsaicin treatment of the whisker pad produced pERK expression in the rostro-caudal middle portion of the ipsilateral Vc, but small number of pERK-LI cells were observed after vehicle treatment. The pERK expression was similar in the Vi/Vc zone following capsaicin injection into the upper or lower molar tooth pulp, whereas the pERK expression was in the lateral portion of the caudal Vc/C2 zone after upper molar injection and restricted to the medial portion of the Vc/C2 zone after the lower molar capsaicin. These data were confirmed with Western blots. There were differences in the distribution of Fos protein-like immunoreactive (LI) cells and pERK-LI cells following tooth pulp stimulation. After capsaicin application into the upper molar tooth pulp, no pERK-LI cells were observed in the ventral part of the Vi/Vc zone, whereas many Fos protein-LI cells were expressed in this region. The difference in the distribution pattern of pERK- and Fos protein-LI cells in the Vi/Vc zone suggests their differential temporal expression profiles after capsaicin. The present findings suggest that tooth-pulp-driven neurons in the spinal trigeminal nucleus are involved in tooth pulp pain through activation of the intracellular signal transduction pathway that involves earlier ERK phosphorylation and subsequent Fos expression.

Animals↗

Freestanding and tooth-implant connected prostheses in the treatment of partially edentulous patients Part II: An up to 15-years radiographic evaluation.

A total of 123 patients were followed between January 1983 and July 1998 with 140 tooth-implant connected prostheses. The age of the patients at prosthesis installation ranged from 20 to 79 years (mean 51.8). 339 (Brånemark(R) system) implants were connected to 313 teeth. The loading time ranged from 1.5 to 15 years (mean: 6.5). 123 patients were randomly selected as a control group with freestanding implant-supported prostheses only. The age of the patients at prosthesis installation ranged from 22 to 78 years (mean 52.3). The loading time for the 329 freestanding (Brånemark(R) system) implants ranged from 1.3 to 14.5 years (mean: 6.2). Evolution of the marginal bone stability around the implant in the tooth-implant connected as well as the freestanding group was studied with respect to the prognosis of the implants. Over the period from 0 to 15 years, there was significantly more marginal bone loss (0.7 mm) in tooth-implant connected versus freestanding prostheses. No significant difference in marginal bone loss was found between the non-rigid tooth-implant connected prostheses versus freestanding prostheses. However, there was a significant difference in marginal bone loss for rigid and multi-connected tooth-implant connected prostheses versus freestanding ones. The results of this study indicate that more bone is lost around implants which are rigidly connected to teeth. This suggests that bending load, which is increased in tooth-implant connected prostheses, might be responsible for this phenomenon. These observations favor the use of freestanding prostheses whenever possible. However, the clinical significance of greater bone loss in rigid versus non-rigid connections might outweigh the annoying phenomenon of tooth intrusion in the case of non-rigid tooth connection, when connection is considered.

Adult↗

Percent of plaque on individual tooth surfaces and differences in plaque area between adjacent teeth in healthy adults.

OBJECTIVES: To apply a planimetric method to determine the percentage of the tooth area covered by plaque on individual tooth surfaces and to compare the percentage of plaque between adjacent tooth surfaces. METHODS: Forty-three adults, mean age 43.0 years, with no signs of periodontal disease, participated. The subjects underwent comprehensive professional cleaning of all teeth. The subjects were then instructed to maintain their ordinary oral hygiene habits. Plaque was registered after 1 month, on each individual tooth surface by use of P%I. RESULTS: The pattern of plaque accumulation was in large symmetrical, with differences in mean P%I between several adjacent tooth surfaces, e.g. for the maxillary buccal and lingual tooth surfaces between the first and second molars (P<0.001) and for the lingual tooth surfaces between the canines and the first premolars (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: In the present study, it was possible to identify and describe adjacent tooth surfaces with the most pronounced plaque accumulation, to make further improvements of oral hygiene possible.

Adult↗

Comparisons of bacterial patterns present at implant and tooth sites in subjects on supportive periodontal therapy. I. Impact of clinical variables, gender and smoking.

OBJECTIVE: (I) To compare the oral microflora at implant and tooth sites in subjects participating in a periodontal recall program, (II) to test whether the microflora at implant and tooth sites differ as an effect of gingival bleeding (bleeding on probing (BOP)), or pocket probing depth (PPD), and (III) to test whether smoking and gender had an impact on the microflora. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were collected from 127 implants and all teeth in 56 subjects. Microbiological data were identified by the DNA-DNA checkerboard hybridization. RESULTS: PPD> or =4 mm were found in 16.9% of tooth, and at 26.6% of implant sites (P<0.01). Tooth sites with PPD> or =4 mm had a 3.1-fold higher bacterial load than implant sites (mean difference: 66%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 40.7-91.3, P<0.001). No differences were found for the red, orange, green, and yellow complexes. A higher total bacterial load was found at implant sites with PPD> or =4 mm (mean difference 35.7 x 10(5), 95% CI: 5.2 (10(5)) to 66.1 (10(5)), P<0.02 with equal variance not assumed). At implant sites, BOP had no impact on bacterial load but influenced the load at tooth sites (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: BOP, and smoking had no impact on bacteria at implant sites but influenced the bacterial load at tooth sites. Tooth sites harbored more bacteria than implant sites with comparable PPD. The 4 mm PPD cutoff level influenced the distribution and amounts of bacterial loads. The subject factor is explanatory to bacterial load at both tooth and implant sites.

Bacteria↗

Influence of the condition of the adjacent tooth surface on fluorescence measurements for the detection of approximal caries.

The aim of this study was to test whether the status of the adjacent tooth surface has an influence on the signal of a new laser fluorescence (LF) device for the detection of approximal caries. Seventy-eight teeth were selected from a pool of extracted permanent human molars, frozen at -20 degrees C until use. Before being measured the teeth were defrosted, cleaned, and any calculus removed. As a control, a defined approximal surface of each tooth was measured with the LF device holding the tip with the detecting- and the reverse-side on it, but without a neighboring tooth contacting the surface. The proximal site under examination was then placed adjacent to a tooth, which had deep dentinal caries, a composite restoration, a provisional ZnO-Eugenol restoration, or a ceramic restoration. The adjacent tooth with the ZnO-Eugenol restoration, the composite restoration, and the dentinal caries all demonstrated a statistically significant increase of LF readings on sound tooth surfaces. Teeth with enamel or dentinal caries were only slightly (and not statistically significantly) influenced by the different types of neighboring surfaces compared with the control LF readings. It can be concluded that caries detection of approximal tooth surfaces with the new LF system might be influenced by the condition of the adjacent tooth surface.

Dental Caries↗

How do routines of daily activities and flexibility of daily activities affect tooth-cleaning behavior?

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were: (1) to investigate the level of routines and flexibility of people's daily activity and to identify how tooth cleaning fits into these activities; and (2) to evaluate the impact of different levels of routines and flexibility in daily living on pattern (frequency of tooth cleaning), structure (range of items used in tooth cleaning), performance (relative effectiveness of tooth cleaning) and the outcome of performance (gingival bleeding on probing) in tooth cleaning. METHODS: A convenience sample of 471 Brazilians aged 24 to 44 years was selected from factories, offices, banks, shops, and hospitals. Behavioral, socioeconomic, and clinical data were collected through structured interviews. Dental plaque and gingival bleeding were assessed by clinical examination. Data were analyzed by means of logistic regression. RESULTS: A highly significant relationship was observed between routines of daily activities and tooth-cleaning pattern (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.34, 3.92) after adjusting for age, sex, marital status, and socioeconomic status. No significant associations were observed between routines of daily activities and gingival bleeding. A significant association was observed between tooth-cleaning frequency (OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.07, 2.49), performance (OR = 2.7; 95% CI = 1.77, 4.14), outcome (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.31, 3.18), and flexibility of daily activities. Those who had more flexibility of daily activities had lower gingival bleeding scores. CONCLUSION: People who have a less routinized and more flexible day have higher tooth-cleaning frequency than those who have a less flexible and more routinized day. In this study, those with a more flexible day also cleaned their teeth more effectively than those who had a less flexible day, and had reduced gingival bleeding.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Afferent C fibre innervation of cat tooth pulp: confirmation by electrophysiological methods.

1. The presence of afferent C fibres innervating the lower canine tooth was investigated in Nembutal-anaesthetized cats. 2. Twenty-five single fibres with conduction velocities (CVp) of less than 2.5 m/s, as calculated from the shortest response latency using monopolar electrical stimulation of the tooth, were recorded from the inferior alveolar nerve. In addition, the extradental conduction velocity (CVn) of the fibres was determined by using bipolar electrical stimulation of the trunk of the inferior alveolar nerve. 3. The mean CVp was 1.4 +/- 0.4 m/s (n = 25; range, 0.6-2.4 m/s); the mean CVn was higher, 1.7 +/- 0.9 m/s (n = 25; range, 0.6-4.0 m/s). For 20% of the fibres CVn exceeded 2.5 m/s; these were slowly conducting A delta fibres. For 80% of the fibres, however, the extradental conduction velocity was in the C fibre range. 4. The relationship between CVp (y) and CVn (x) was y = 0.66 + 0.40x, the correlation coefficient being r = 0.85. According to the present results this implies that for a reliable classification of pulpal C fibres (CVn less than or equal to 2.5 m/s) by monopolar tooth stimulation alone, CVp should be less than 1.7 m/s. 5. For twenty-three of the twenty-five fibres, one to three discrete shortenings of the response latency occurred when the intensity of the tooth stimulation was increased. When the nerve trunk itself was stimulated, a constant response latency was measured at all stimulus intensities applied. 6. For twelve fibres tested, the mean rate of electrical stimulation of the tooth, which the response followed with a constant latency, was 4.1 +/- 2.3 Hz (range, 1.5-10.0 Hz). With higher rates of stimulation the response latency increased until the fibres failed to follow each stimulus pulse. 7. Fifteen of the nineteen fibres tested responded to radiant heat stimulation of the tooth they were innervating. The mean temperature threshold was 41.4 +/- 2.7 degrees C (n = 11; range, 37.4 +/- 46.4 degrees C). 8. For eight heat-sensitive pulpal C fibres the receptive field was determined by mechanical stimulation of the exposed pulp tissue. Four C fibres developed a long-lasting on-going discharge after intense mechanical stimulation of the receptive field. 9. The discharge evoked by heat and mechanical stimulation of the tooth occluded the response evoked by simultaneously applied electrical current pulses to the nerve trunk, indicating that the same fibres were activated by both tooth and nerve stimulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Action Potentials↗

Comparison of responses of cutaneous nociceptive and nonnociceptive brain stem neurons in trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (medullary dorsal horn) and subnucleus oralis to natural and electrical stimulation of tooth pulp.

The activity of 160 single neurons excited by electrical stimulation of the canine tooth pulp was studied in the subnucleus caudalis (medullary dorsal horn) and the subnucleus oralis of the trigeminal (V) spinal tract nucleus in chloralose-anesthetized cats to test the effects of natural as well as electrical stimulation of the tooth pulp. The neurons were functionally classified on the basis of their cutaneous receptive-field properties as low-threshold mechanoreceptive (LTM), wide dynamic range (WDR), or nociceptive specific (NS). The orofacial receptive-field properties and responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the tooth pulp indicated that the oralis and caudalis neurons examined had characteristics typical of those previously documented for oralis LTM neurons and for caudalis LTM, WDR, and NS neurons. Each neuron was also tested with cold and warm stimulation of the canine tooth, and some neurons were also tested for responsiveness to thermal stimulation of the premolar tooth or to mechanical and chemical stimuli delivered to the dentine of the canine tooth. Although all the neurons could be excited by electrical stimulation of the pulp, we found that the only neurons that consistently responded to thermal pulp stimuli were those located in the V subnucleus caudalis. Moreover, only those caudalis neurons that had been functionally classified as nociceptive (4 WDR and 21 NS neurons) showed this responsiveness. Heating of the canine or premolar tooth excited 24 of these 25 nociceptive neurons; cooling activated only 3, and none of the small number of neurons tested with mechanical and chemical stimulation of the dentine was excited. The response of the nociceptive neurons to heating of the tooth contrasted with the responses of the same neurons to pinching and heating of their cutaneous receptive field.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Observations of the cheek tooth occlusal angle in the horse.

The angle of occlusion was evaluated in 230 mandibular cheek teeth from 21 horses. There was no significant relationship between horse condition (sedated, anesthetized, dead) and measurement of mean cheek tooth occlusal angle. Cheek tooth occlusal angle was not significantly affected by the position of the tooth in the mandibular arcade or tooth age. The measurement of individual mandibular cheek tooth occlusal angles was predictive for occlusal angle of the entire mouth. Multiple variations of the incisor separation angle technique were predictive of cheek tooth molar occlusal angle for the measured arcade and the entire mouth but was significantly different contralaterally, suggesting that the single tooth method may be preferred. However, despite the limitations of the relatively simple incisor separation angle technique, it may provide the equine veterinary dentist a rapid method of assessing cheek tooth occlusal angle to ensure proper dental floating methods and outcomes.

Animals↗