Dentistry
Did you know?
An adult horse has 44 teeth and the molars reach almost as far back as the eyes.
Horse Dentistry:
Dentistry is an essential part of good horse husbandry that is often overlooked.
However even the best kept horses can quickly develop problems with their teeth.
Like rabbits, their teeth grow all the time but as they are then worn down at the same rate, it gives the impression that nothing inside is changing. However, this is not the full story as teeth rarely wear down to leave a smooth and even surface. This is due to the jaws being different widths meaning the back molars develop sharp edges that need rasping down. Random events such as cracking a tooth by biting onto a stone, or being kicked and loosing a tooth can also result in major problems that can can go undetected for months before becoming evident.
Why do we need to rasp teeth?
In the wild, the horse would be grazing on a variety of course, dry and poor quality forage, constantly raising and lowering it's head whilst watching for predators. This results in the lower jaw sliding forwards, backwards and sideways. Consequently the molars are naturally ground down in a figure of 8 motion. This is what evolution intended.
Domestication has resulted in horses eating unnatural feed, from hay nets hung above the ground and then standing with their heads over the stable doors.
The result is a one-dimensional pattern of wear that usually causes horizontal ridges to form across the teeth. The ridges of the upper teeth can then interlock with those in the lower jaw and prevent the horse from being able to comfortably tuck in its chin to “come into an outline”.
The lower jaw is narrower than the upper jaw so this also results in the formation of sharp edges all along the outer edge of the upper molars and inner edge of the lower molars. These spikes can then cause ulcerations inside the cheeks and along the tongue.
The teeth are erupting all the time from the gum, by 2-3mm per year. Due to the abrasive action of the opposing tooth grinding the course food, the teeth are constantly being worn down at the same speed.
Poor dental health can result in:
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Reluctance to accept the contact when ridden
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Weight loss
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Choking
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Gum disease
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Loose teeth
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Tooth root abscesses
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Halitosis (bad breath)
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Sinusitis (stinky nasal discharge)
When to have your first dental examination?
From 12 months of age in some cases. An early dental examination at 12 months of age is advisable if you anticipate needing to remove wolf teeth. Your vet will discuss with you if this is a necessary procedure but to remove them when they are young is often a much simpler process.
Gentle rasping from 2 years if done sympathetically, will help to educate the horse that rasping is not an unpleasant procedure.
Caps (the unwanted baby molars) start shedding around 2.5 years old. These can become stuck or twisted causing significant pain if not dislodged fully.
How often should you rasp teeth?
Take your dentists advice. Usually we would recommend at least every 12 months, but occasionally it is prudent to rasp them earlier.