Klappentext

Out of all congenital maxillary and mandibular misalignments, overjet is the most frequently occurring congenital malocclusion in horses. The aim of this study was to develop a method for evaluating longitudinal changes in skull bone relations in Warmblood foals with and without overjet, and to estimate the prevalence of overjet in the investigated horse population. The crucial diagnostic tool used in human orthodontics to investigate overjet behavior is cephalometric analysis. We adopted human cephalometric methods for evaluating overjet development in foals. The present study is the first age-dependent cephalometric study performed in horses. It confirms that foals born with normal incisor alignment, can develop overjet within the first year of life. Furthermore, this is the first report to describe spontaneous regression of overjet within the first 12 months of life. The measurement ratio technique used in the study proved to be useful for predicting overjet resolution in foals under 12 months. Our findings could help clinicians and horse owners to make more informed decisions about the optimal time to perform surgical intervention