Full Mouth Horse Dentistry

Reasons for dentistry:

• Horses have hypsodont teeth which means that their teeth develop from a tooth bud to a set length and then grow no more. Unlike human teeth they have a large amount of reserve crown which is housed within the bones of the upper and lower jaws.
  These teeth belonged to a 4 yr old and show the reserve crown that will last a life time.
• Sharp enamel points on the inner edges of the lower check teeth and outer edges of the upper check teeth result in dis-comfort, especially in a bridled horse and lead to lacerations and abscesses along the cheeks and tongue.
• The teeth are designed to erupt at the same rate as they are worn. Problems arise from teeth that have no opposition as they hyper-erupt and become dominant so upsetting the balance within the mouth, causing dis-ruption to function and discomfort. These problems left unchecked, can cause some horrific consequences, even in relatively young horses. This photo was taken from an 8 year old miniature!
• Shedding Caps: Young horses shed 24 deciduous or baby teeth and erupt 28-32 permanent teeth between the ages of 2 1/2 and 5 years of age (just when we are trying to back/harness and educate them). If baby teeth are retained they cause great pain, chewing difficulties and consequent weight loss, be-havioural problems, reduced airflow and even lameness. It is not uncommon to find horses with retained incisors years after they have should have shed. Unfortunately these horses are usually labelled as ‘problem’ horses
• …

Why choose full mouth dentistry?

Only full mouth dentistry is going to return the horses mouth to the natural state that it was designed to be in. A balanced mouth not only affects the way the horse eats and gains nutrients from the food that it eats, but also affects the horse’s tem-perament, its life expectancy and the way it can move and perform for you which will in turn affect the muscle development and overall appearance. So, it is health, comfort and performance that improve with full mouth dentistry and with that the value of the horse, the owner’s enjoyment and competition results. I aim to restore full function and comfort to the temporo-mandibular joint, TMJ (where the lower jaw joins onto and articulates from the skull).

All the teeth are attended to during a routine full mouth dental treatment That includes the incisors at the front of the mouth as well as those hard to reach ones right at the back of the mouth.

Usually the existing problems will require more than a stroke or two from a hand float/rasp. Also it is important to continue with the maintenance plan I prescribe otherwise the problems will re-turn.

Unlike humans when a horse closes its mouth pressures are shared between the incisors, cheek teeth and TMJs. If you shut your mouth hopefully your lower inci-sors will sit behind your upper ones. Not so with a horse. They are in contact at the same time as their cheek teeth. This means that any problem incisors will have a direct affect on how the cheek teeth can function and visa versa. Put simply; all the teeth need to be treated.

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