Routine Dentistry

Horses need regular preventive dental maintenance every six months to one year. Unlike people, horses' teeth have a continual eruption, meaning that they continue to "grow" in size over time with an eruption rate of two-three mm per year. The teeth come into contact with one another, upper to lower, and "wear" or grind with time.  This keeps them from becoming excessively long, but does lead to improper wear and sharp points. Malocclusions, or improper position of the teeth, can lead to many health issues and behavioral problems.

Identifying dental problems as early as possible is important. There are several factors that come into play at a young age that might increase treatment needed, or make a remedy even possible: loss of food while eating; eats hay before his grain; grain in water bucket; difficulty chewing or excess salivation; loss of body condition; large undigested food particles in manure larger than one quarter inch; head tilting or tossing; bit chewing; tongue lolling; tries to rear while bridling; fighting the bit or resisting the bridal; bucking or failing to stop or turn; foul odor from the mouth or nostrils; traces of blood in the mouth; or nasal discharge or swelling of the face. Other horses may not show noticeable signs, because they just simply adapt to their discomfort.

A horse relies on their teeth throughout life to chew food particles and maintain a certain level of health.  Their teeth will discontinue erupting around the age of 20-24 years and at that time the teeth will continue to "wear" until there is nothing left but the gumline.  It is important to examine the teeth on a yearly basis, correcting any underlying problems so as to maintain the teeth in the best condition as possible.

"Floating" of teeth is essentially the act of reducing any sharp enamel points or pre-molar hooks that have developed over time.  The act of "floating" as well as the full mouth examination are performed under standing sedation.  A full mouth speculum is placed into your horse's mouth to aid in the examination.  Sharp hooks or points are reduced by either manual floating or by the use of powered equipment.  There is minimal pain and discomfort involved with the procedure, which generally takes between 15-30 minutes to complete.  Any other problems with the oral cavity are addressed and corrected at this time.