Your Horse’s Dental Checkup
Do you remember to get an annual dental exam for your horse? A dental check by your veterinarian involves floating the process of filing a horses teeth to correct irregularities in the occlusal biting surfaces as well as inspecting the teeth for any indication of a variety of other potential problems. In addition to examining the teeth for abnormalities that might cause chewing andor bitting issues your vet will also be looking for signs of fractured or loose teeth as well as signs of ulceration on the cheek mucosa the tongue or the gums gingiva. Your vet will also check your horses breath to determine if there is odour indicative of problems such as rotting food trapped in the cheek teeth arcades or prurient or infected gum tissue. As horses get older dental problems are more likely to occur but younger horses may also be troubled with dentition issues for which timely treatment is essential to ensure their continued welfare.
Hooks waves and steps are all terms used by veterinarians to describe molar arcade abnormalities created by uneven wear on the occlusal surfaces of the teeth. Horses have hypsodont teeth which means they are highcrowned with enamel extending past the gumline. Their teeth keep growing throughout the horses life to accommodate the wear and tear of eating coarse forage.
Uneven wear on equine teeth due to diet and unnoticed dental issues can result in the development of waves or steps. Sharp points or hooks can also develop on the cheek molars on either the buccal cheek side of the molar or the lingual tongue side. These abnormalities impede the horses ability to chew and may result in quidding dropping mouthfuls of partially chewed food ulceration of the mucosa weight loss bitting issues and pain in the temporomandibular joint TMJ. Regular dental floating by a veterinarian is critical for maintaining the biting surfaces of teeth in all horses.
You might not even be aware that your horse has bad breath until your veterinarian informs you of it when examining his teeth during the dental exam. Breath that smells like decaying material could be related to food and forage particles trapped between teeth.
The molars in the horses cheek arcades should fit together very snuggly preventing any grain or forage from becoming trapped. However if the horse has had previous tooth loss or has other irregularities
