From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2011-09-15 16:27:54 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: dental cleaning
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
We actually currently have one of those rare ones whoa re prone to tarter now. She's from a well regarded private breeder, and I got curious yesterday with the conversation on why she does this. (Her gums are perfect, BTW.) so I looked more closely. It may, of course, be any of the genetic and bacterial representation things already mentioned, but I noticed something else. She has very pronounced cingula. (The singular of "cingula" is "cingulum" for those who want to look it up.) Now, the cingula might be useful in protecting gums and they can make a tooth stronger but they can give a ledge where gunk attaches. It's like a surrounding and projecting ledge of tooth (sometimes referred to as a " projecting belt" near the gums) and many species have them with the degree of cingula varying among individuals. WHERE cingula occur varies with species, because the dietary stresses differ. People tend to have them on the lingual (tongue) side of anterior teeth, but some other animals have them in other locations. Hers are buccal (cheek side) on her molars (the teeth at the back of the mouth). The rest of her teeth are perfect, but where the large cingula are she gets build-up quite fast. In her case I think we'll have her get a scraping to be safest for her own sake.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
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