202 ANIMAL DENTISTRY. 



In very vicious animals the recumbent position may be neces- 

 sary to properly trim the molar teeth, but such animals are 

 rarely encountered. In our experience w^ith upwards of fifty 

 thousand horses only two such cases have been met — one 

 was a trotting bred stallion and the other a hackney gelding. 

 Both of these animals would resent any attempt to place a 

 float into the mouth by striking viciously with the fore feet. 

 In such cases the veterinarian is warranted in resorting to an 

 appropriate means of restraint, in the recumbent position. 



FLOATING THE TEETH OF THE OX. 



The ox carries the head low, has an unyielding tongue 

 and a strong jaw and is so unaccustomed to being handled 

 about the mouth that it makes a rather unwelcome subject 

 for dental operations. These obstacles are met by securing 

 the head and neck to the post of the stall, in an upward 

 inclination, and by keeping the mouth open with a strong 

 speculum consisting of an oblong loop of iron placed within 

 the interdental space. The ordinary horse speculum is too 

 frail to withstand the forcible jaw of an ox. 



The superior arcades are floated with the hand in the 

 same position as in the horse, but in the inferior ones it is 

 kept in the interdental space and not between the tongue 

 and teeth. The float is directed from within outward to 

 follow the direction of the arcades. 



Enamel points are less harmful in the ox owing to the 

 toughness of the buccal mucosa, yet buccal wounds from 

 sharp teeth are not uncommon in animals past the age of 

 three years. 



WOLF TEETH. 



Synonyms^ — Remnant teeth. Supernumerary teeth. Sup- 

 plementary teeth. Eye teeth. 



Definition — The wolf teeth may be defined as retrogres- 

 sive teeth representing the premolars of the prehistoric 



