Cheek teeth Cheek teeth Cheek teeth or post-canines comprise the molar and premolar teeth in mammals. Cheek teeth are multicuspidate (having many folds or tubercles). Mammals have multicuspidate molars (three in placentals, four in marsupials, in each jaw quadrant) and premolars situated between canines and molars whose shape and number varies considerably among particular groups. Cheek teeth are sometimes separated from the incisors by a gap called a diastema. Cheek teeth in reptiles are much simpler as compared to mammals. Apart from helping grind the food to properly reduce the size of substrates for stomach enzymes, their minor role is in giving
Horse teeth do normally only have one or two, and these may be only partially erupted. Between 13 and 32% of horses, split equally between male and female, also have wolf teeth, which are not related to canine teeth, but are vestigial premolars. Wolf teeth are more common on the upper jaw, and can present a problem for horses in work, as they can interfere with the bit. They may also make it difficult during equine dentistry work to rasp the second premolar, and are frequently removed. Horses are diphyodontous, erupting a set of first deciduous teeth (also known as milk, temporary,