The gold standard of dental care for the adult performance horse.

The research discusses common dental issues found in adult performance horses, and explains the author’s approach to diagnosing these conditions through historical data, oral examination and use of nerve blocks for diagnostic purposes.

Mature Performance Horse Dental Problems

The article identifies several dental problems common in mature performing horses:

• Wolf teeth: These are small, sharp teeth that can cause discomfort. If left untreated, they can interfere with the horse’s bit interaction and ultimately affect performance.
• Hooks, overbite, overjet, underjet, and wry bite: These are dental misalignments that can affect eating habits and bit interaction. If left untreated, they can lead to poor digestion, weight loss, and diminished performance.
• Equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH): This is a painful condition that involves resorption of a tooth and excessive cementum build-up. It can cause significant discomfort while eating and affect the horse’s performance.
• Infundibular caries: These are dental cavities that form in the dental pulp and can lead to infection or abscesses if they extend deep into the tooth.
• Secondary oral problems: These can stem from primary dental problems and lead to further issues including sores in the mouth, plaque build-up and overall discomfort.

Methods of Diagnosis

• History taking: Information about the horse’s eating habits, performance, and behavior changes, as well as any past dental care, helps to identify any potential dental problems.
• Oral examination: A thorough oral examination is performed using special dental instruments to check for any dental abnormalities.
• Diagnostic nerve blocks: If necessary, the author employs diagnostic nerve blocks. This method helps confirm a diagnosis by temporarily blocking pain in specific areas of the horse’s mouth, and observing any changes in behavior or performance.

This research highlights the importance of regular dental health checks in performance horses to ensure optimal health and performance.