Loose Teeth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen a horse\u2019s teeth are not in good working condition it can affect\neverything from the way he chews and digests his food to his comfort level with\nthe bit and ability to maintain weight. A horse\u2019s natural inclination to hide\ndiscomfort will often mean that the problem goes unnoticed until it is quite\nadvanced. Watching your horse eating may help identify some signs of oral\ndiscomfort, including dropping partially chewed hay wads, chewing with his\ntongue out of his mouth, difficulty maintaining weight on a normal feed amount,\nor excess salivation and odor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The incisors (front \u201ccheek\u201d teeth) and the premolars\/molars (back cheek\nteeth) are a horse\u2019s primary grinding teeth. They are worn down by a horse’s\nup-and-down and side-to-side chewing motion while he is eating. When a tooth is\nmissing or broken, the opposing teeth have nothing to wear against, and the\nsharp points that are formed at the edges of those teeth will continue to grow\nand eventually cause painful lacerations in your horse\u2019s gums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over time, horses develop a condition called equine odontoclastic tooth\nresorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH). This is a condition that affects\nincisors and, less frequently, canine teeth. This progressive condition causes\npain during eating, resorptive lesions on the incisors and molars, halitosis,\nand changes in behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In older horses, the back teeth can also have problems. A common problem\nis large hooks that form in the premolars or molars due to lack of wear. These\nhooks are not only painful for the horse but can snag on other teeth and break\nthem. These problems are usually corrected by floating the teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Floating involves removing the sharp enamel points and smoothing the\ngrooves of the teeth so that the teeth fit together correctly. This procedure\nis performed under sedation to allow for a thorough examination, diagnosis, and\ntreatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While horses have very tough gums and jaws, it is important to take the\ntime to keep them in good dental health with regular exams and floats. This\nwill help minimize the risks of serious problems in the future and maximize the\nperformance and longevity of your horse\u2019s teeth, mouth, and jaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Impacted Teeth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAs horses chew their food, they move the upper and lower jaws from side\nto side in a figure 8 motion. This movement can cause the sharp points that\ndevelop along the outside of the cheek teeth to rub against the cheeks and\ntongue, causing ulcers. It can also cause the diastemata (space) to form\nbetween the normal teeth rows where food gets stuck and rots resulting in\nperiodontal disease. The chewing process can become so difficult that the horse\neats slower and loses weight. It can even lead to colic as the partially chewed\nfood is not digested properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of these problems can be prevented by making dental care a regular\npart of your horse\u2019s routine wellness care program. Having your veterinarian\nfloat your horse\u2019s teeth every year will remove the sharp edges that develop\nand prevent the tooth from wearing correctly. It will also help prevent the\nformation of hooks and ramps on the chewing surfaces, which can cause\ninflammation and infection of the gum tissue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A good equine dentist should be able to float your horse\u2019s teeth under\nsedation. They will use a metal speculum to hold the mouth open and then use\nmotorized dental instruments with carbide float blades to reduce sharp points,\nwaves, hooks, etc. This procedure is usually done on a standing patient, which\nmeans the horse will remain standing while your veterinarian floats their teeth\nand takes digital radiographs if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is important that horses with a history of oral diseases or\nabnormalities have a complete examination under sedation and with the aid of\nradiographs before any dental work is performed. This will give the\nveterinarian a chance to evaluate the progress of treatment as well as spot any\ndeveloping issues that may need to be addressed sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anytime a horse shows signs of discomfort in the mouth, such as acting\nout or poor performance, scheduling an exam is a good idea. Often these\nbehavioral changes can be a sign of oral pain, and if left\nundiagnosed\/untreated these problems can worsen, causing poor mastication,\ninfections, colic, and even a loss of weight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Many horses will require a light dose of sedation to allow for detailed, precise work with the dental rasp. Modern, motorized equipment is quiet, safe, and very accurate in competent hands. Routine equine dental care […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29420"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29420"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29423,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29420\/revisions\/29423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}