Examination of teeth in sheep health management

Effectively functioning teeth are essential for sheep health and optimum production. Examination of the teeth of sheep is an important part of any clinical investigation and can be used to estimate age up to four years and to identify dental disorders. Examination of the incisor teeth is straightforward; however, a thorough evaluation of the pre-molar and molar teeth is difficult and may result in abnormalities of these teeth going unnoticed. Dental abnormalities often result in decreased production and can be important on both an individual sheep and a flock basis. Associated clinical signs include abnormal appearance of the incisors, weight loss, cud-staining and swelling or malocclusion of the jaw. The aetiology of many dental abnormalities is not well understood, which can make prevention difficult.