Topic: 3204J

By: Anna Fields

Equine Dentistry

Reason for Dentist care• Abnormal wear

• Eliminate hooks & points

• Create “bit seat”

• Pull wolf teeth

• Remove caps

• Broken tooth

• Abscessed tooth

http://www.crossroadsequinedentistry.com/what.htm

Signs that Horse is in Need of Dentistry Work

• Drops feed out of mouth

• Sensitive around mouth area

• Swelling or heat around jaw

• Losing weight

• Resistant to the bit

• Abnormal teeth wear

http://www.amscheqdentistry.com/articles/

Teeth Problems• Parrot Mouth OR Over-

shot jaw– Upper jaw over laps lower

jaw

• Monkey Mouth OR

Under-shot jaw– Lower jaw over laps

upper jaw

http://www.perfequinedentistry.com/photo_gallery.htm

http://www.hanne.com/teeth-photos.htm

Cribbing Wear

• Horses that crib often wear their incisors abnormally

http://www.hanne.com/teeth-photos.htm

Note the angled Note the angled wear of this horses wear of this horses central incisorscentral incisors

Abnormal Molar Wear

• Wave Mouth • Step Mouth

http://www.crossroadsequinedentistry.com/what.htm http://www.hanne.com/teeth-photos.htm

Abnormal Incisor Wear

• Due to the upper incisor being damaged, the lower incisor has no grinding surface.

• Result is uneven

wear

http://www.hanne.com/teeth-photos.htm

Hooks

• Hooks can occur on the upper corner incisors, 1st premolars, and 3rd molars– Created when

opposing tooth does not wear down front or back edges of tooth

http://www.vet.ksu.edu/media/dentstry/sld009.htm

Points• Points can occur on any of the premolars or

molars– Created due to the lower jaw being slightly

narrower than the upper jaw– Points occur on outside edge of upper jaw and

inside edge of lower jaw due to unequal grinding

Points have caused sores in this horses cheek

http://www.crossroadsequinedentistry.com/what.htm

Floating Teeth• Filing or Grinding of the

teeth

– Making grinding tables smooth

– Filing off points and hooks

– Making a “bit seat”

http://www.crossroadsequinedentistry.com/what.htm

Both hand held & electronic floats pictured above

http://www.crossroadsequinedentistry.com/what.htm

Speculum

http://www.advancedequinedentistry.com/photogallery.htm

Used to hold horse’s mouth open during floating or other dentistry procedure

http://www.crossroadsequinedentistry.com/what.htm

Floating Teeth• A horse’s teeth should be

floated at least once a year

• Horse’s teeth should be checked every 6 months by a vet or equine dentist

We use the horse’s mouth as a way to communicate with them.

In order to have good communication a horse’s mouth must be pain free.

A happy mouth makes happy horses and happy riders!A happy mouth makes happy horses and happy riders!