About Equine Dentistry

When we grain our horses the feed needs to be completely digested for the horse to get the total nutrition needed. If a horse is not chewing properly then the feed is not utilized to its fullest potential. This could also lead to complications such as colic and weight loss, just to name a couple.

Most horses appear to have a normal healthy mouth, but in fact there are abnormalities that are unseen. Your horse may also have sharp points or hooks on the pre-molar and molar teeth; which are the teeth used to chew grain and forage. If the molars have sharp points that are left unattended then the horse could develop ulcers on the cheeks. These defects can cause severe pain and attitude changes in your horse. You may see tossing of the head, dropping of grain and head tilting. Your horse may refuse to complete a simple task due to the tremendous amount of pain that it may be experiencing. These are only a few complications that your equine could be experiencing.

Dental Problem Symptoms

* Weight loss, even if the horse still has an appetite

* Dropping feed

* Failure to gain weight

* Whole grains and stems present in feces

* Head tilting

* Not wanting to eat

(these are just a few symptoms)

Behavior and Performance Signs

* Pushing on the bit

*Running backwards

* Head tossing

* Fighting the bit

* Rearing

* Refusing the bit

* Frequent mount opening

* Reluctant to bend at the poll or bend at the neck

*Reluctant to turn to one side

The basic goals of equine dentistry are to provide a proper chewing surface, increase the life of the tooth and eliminate pain.