Dr. Kelly Wentz
TennesseeEquine Hospital
615-591-1232
Your horse’s dental health and care is essential to its wellbeing. Routine dental exams and procedures should be done at least once a year to maintain the best quality of health for your horse’s mouth. Proper dental care aids in utilizing feed more efficiently, keeping the horse comfortable and reducing problems carrying the bit. Dental examinations can be performed by your veterinarian in the field or in the clinic. Basic exams involve a mild sedation in order to use a dental speculum in the horse’s mouth to look at all of the teeth.
The horse’s upper molars are spaced wider than the lower molars, thus the outside edge of the upper molars hang over the side, and the inside edge of the lower molars hang to the inside. As the horse chews in a side-to-side motion, those edges that overhang become very sharp. The sharp sides of the molars need to be “floated” in order to maintain an adequate chewing surface. Those sharp points can cause problems such as rubbing against the cheek surface causing sores or difficulty in carrying the bit.
Floating the teeth is rasping or filing the sharp enamel points. Hand tools or power tools are used to accomplish this. Other dental issues can be addressed by the veterinarian at the same time:
· Retained caps (baby teeth that have not shed)
· Loose teeth
· Retained wolf teeth
· Hooks on premolars and molars
· Infected teeth
Schedule a dental examination and routine floating for your horse with your local veterinarian. The average horse needs to be checked once a year, but there are some signs to look for to call sooner:
· Dropping feed
· Holding head sideways while chewing
· Fighting the bit or awkward head carriage
· Fowl odor coming from the mouth
· Swelling on the face
Photos: Dr. Bob McCullough. Dr. Matthew DeLisle and a student are floating the teeth on some mini’s. In order to reach them properly he had to sit on the floor.
Dental Care for Your Horse, from TN Equine
TennesseeEquine Hospital
615-591-1232
Your horse’s dental health and care is essential to its wellbeing. Routine dental exams and procedures should be done at least once a year to maintain the best quality of health for your horse’s mouth. Proper dental care aids in utilizing feed more efficiently, keeping the horse comfortable and reducing problems carrying the bit. Dental examinations can be performed by your veterinarian in the field or in the clinic. Basic exams involve a mild sedation in order to use a dental speculum in the horse’s mouth to look at all of the teeth.
The horse’s upper molars are spaced wider than the lower molars, thus the outside edge of the upper molars hang over the side, and the inside edge of the lower molars hang to the inside. As the horse chews in a side-to-side motion, those edges that overhang become very sharp. The sharp sides of the molars need to be “floated” in order to maintain an adequate chewing surface. Those sharp points can cause problems such as rubbing against the cheek surface causing sores or difficulty in carrying the bit.
Floating the teeth is rasping or filing the sharp enamel points. Hand tools or power tools are used to accomplish this. Other dental issues can be addressed by the veterinarian at the same time:
· Retained caps (baby teeth that have not shed)
· Loose teeth
· Retained wolf teeth
· Hooks on premolars and molars
· Infected teeth
Schedule a dental examination and routine floating for your horse with your local veterinarian. The average horse needs to be checked once a year, but there are some signs to look for to call sooner:
· Dropping feed
· Holding head sideways while chewing
· Fighting the bit or awkward head carriage
· Fowl odor coming from the mouth
· Swelling on the face
Photos: Dr. Bob McCullough. Dr. Matthew DeLisle and a student are floating the teeth on some mini’s. In order to reach them properly he had to sit on the floor.
Dental Care for Your Horse, from TN Equine
