Regular dental care is important to keep your horse happy, healthy, and pain free. For many of you, an oral exam under sedation and “powerfloat” is already part of your regular routine. Regular dental care helps to catch any abnormalities quickly and ensure your companion stays healthy and competing at their best.
There are many signs that your horse might need its teeth checked. Weight loss, dropping food, quidding, head tossing, bit resistance, and bad breath are just a few, but many horses show absolutely no signs at all.
That is why we like to check their teeth each year, even if everything seems fine. Problems in the mouth can impact your horse’s overall health and your veterinarian is the best person to address both oral and systemic issues.
A proper oral exam should be performed with a full mouth speculum. This allows for a more thorough examination and makes the entire procedure faster and easier for your horse. Sedation reduces any stress and discomfort for your horse, ensures a thorough exam and improves the dental float. Following sedation, your horse will recover within a few hours and will be back to eating normally without even missing a meal.
Many horse owners worry that a “powerfloat” damages the teeth or is too hard on your horse. With proper training and experience, use of the motorized float is safe for your horse’s teeth.
Whether your vet is removing sharp points or reducing more severe problems like hooks, the powerfloat allows for focus on the problem areas without damaging any surrounding structures.
During a dental exam, your vet should assess the whole mouth including the teeth, gums and tongue. Floating teeth is a careful balance of removing just enough tooth to provide a mouth free from painful points and maintaining the normal angles of the teeth and jaws that help your horse chew their feed efficiently. Common dental issues your vet will look for include:
– damage to the teeth (cracks, fractures, wiggly or missing teeth);
– sharp edges (what we call points or hooks depending on location);
– problems with the chewing surface that may prevent normal chewing motion (ramps, steps, cupping or excessive transverse ridges);
– inflammation, sores or pockets in the gums, lips, tongue, cheeks; and
– presence or absence of wolf teeth, which may cause issues with the bit
It is also important to note the difference between horses young and old. Young horses have a constantly changing mouth with new teeth coming in and the “baby” teeth (caps) falling out. These new teeth are sharp and should be checked at least yearly. This is especially important with young horses in training.
Remember that horse’s teeth continuously erupt (hence the need for floating) until they run out of tooth. This can lead to cupping and loss of chewing surface. Floating can help ensure that the remaining teeth are chewing efficiently without removing too much tooth.
Next time your veterinarian is out ask to have a feel and a look in your horse’s mouth – you never know what you might find.
Submitted by Mary Walker, Heartland Animal Hospital and Veterinary Services
