This defect is defined as overshot or undershot, with no occlusal contact between the upper and lower central incisors. Which term describes it?

• A. Parrot Mouth
• B. Monks Jaw
• C. Duckbill Bite
• D. Crow Jaw

Answer: (A)

In horses, occlusion refers to how the upper and lower jaws meet. When the upper incisors sit ahead of the lower ones (overshot) or the lower sit ahead of the upper (undershot), and the central incisors don’t touch at all, you’re looking at a specific biting defect. This pattern is described as parrot mouth. The name captures the distinctive front-teeth misalignment where there’s no proper incisor contact, signaling a significant mismatch in jaw length or position.

Other terms describe different shapes or patterns of the bite that aren’t defined primarily by a lack of central incisor contact, so they don’t fit this exact description as cleanly.