Like most other disciplines within veterinary medicine, recognition of disease begins with familiarization of what normal looks like. Proper occlusion is important for several reasons in veterinary medicine for not only cosmetic reasons, but also for function and comfort. Probably the most important aspect of veterinary orthodontics and occlusion is functionality of a bite. If the bite is not functional, or is lacking, prehension of food and normal mastication may be altered. Comfort is also important in that our role, as veterinarians, is to help treat or prevent disease and ease suffering whenever possible. Some malocclusions may potentiate disease conditions such as periodontal disease, lead to chronic infections such as oro-nasal fistulas, orresult in uncomfortable situations when chewing food or simply at rest. "Proper" occlusion depends on breed standards and what may be normal for one breed could be considered abnormal for another. For example the occlusion of a boxer can be considerablydifferent than that allowed for a Doberman pincer.
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