When horse owners think about providing for their horse's needs, dental care probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. However, equine dental problems can lead to unacceptable behavior, oral abscess and even nutritional issues.
Insuring healthy horse teeth
The most common equine dental problems are the result of the wear and tear on teeth, but fractured teeth, exposed pulp cavities, periodontal disease and abscesses are common equine dental problems.
Because horse teeth grow between three and four millimeters per year to compensate for the wear and tear of daily grinding to process their food, their teeth can develop sharp edges. Without proper care, the sharp enamel can dig into the cheek or cause pain when a bit is in their mouth.
What a horse eats as well as whether they're eating from the ground or a feedbox will affect how the teeth wear. The performance required of the horse, such as a broodmare or a performance horse, also plays a role in the condition of the teeth.
Dr. Ben Schroeder at Cedar County Veterinary Services in Hartington, Neb., recommends that horse owners seek dental care for their animals by the time they're one year old.
"When a horse is young, their teeth are still soft and still gaining calcium," Schroeder said. "Because the teeth are softer at that age, they can become sharp in a shorter time. At that age, dental care is extremely vital to preparing a young horse to begin its training."
Schroeder, who has seen demand for equine dental services nearly triple in recent years, utilizes a PowerFloat, an electric tool used to grind sharp edges. While he still uses a hand float and rasp for finish work, Schroeder said the PowerFloat allows him to be more accurate and thorough in bringing horse teeth to the proper shape and angle.
"It's a rotary grinding wheel and it takes some experience to know how to use it effectively," he said. "You don't want to take off too much of the enamel or file it to the wrong angle. Some equine dentists use two or three sizes of PowerFloats to get to certain areas of the horse's mouth. I use the grinder to remove the biggest part of the sharp enamel and the manual tools to smooth out any rough edges."
Because horse's teeth don't contain nerve roots, filing the teeth causes no pain. However, many horses aren't receptive to having the floating tools in their mouth. For that reason, the animals receive a mild sedative prior to beginning the dental work. Schroeder also uses a metal speculum that slides into the horse's mouth and makes their teeth accessible.
"You couldn't properly float a horse's teeth without the speculum," he said. "We start our dental work with mild sedation and then insert the speculum."
The speculum allows for examination of the horse's entire oral cavity. The speculum distributes pressure to the mouth equally on both sides of the horse's jaw. The thorough examination assists in identifying missing, loose or fractured teeth and any evidence of gum disease.
Additional equine dental care tools include extraction tools, dental halters, mirrors and picks. Special wolf tooth kits are also used.
Hooks and loose teeth can cause dental problems for a horse. Hooks occur when molars don't match up properly and teeth wear inappropriately. The "hooks" can cause pain every time the horse attempts to chew. The abnormal protrusion is removed to resolve the problem.
Loose teeth are most common in more mature horses after teeth have fully grown out of the gum because of their age.
Wolf teeth are premolars which don't serve any useful function. They can sometimes be a source of discomfort in a young horse because they are located in the same place where the bit of a bridle rests. The wolf teeth can emerge anywhere between six months of age and a couple of years. A horse may have anywhere from zero to four wolf teeth. It's rare for them to have more than one or two.
The most common equine dental problems are the result of the wear and tear on teeth.
"The behaviors that most often result from dental issues are a horse that throws its head all the time when you're riding," Schroeder said. "You may also see a horse that is just angry about something. If you open their mouth, you can usually discover the source of the problem pretty quickly."
Fractured teeth, teeth with exposed pulp cavities, periodontal disease and abscesses are other common equine dental problems.
More information about equine dental care or call the Nebraska office at 402-254-3577 and the Vermillion, S.D., office at 605-658-1658.
Content By Loretta Sorensen, Midwest Producer Midwest Producer