Transcript:

[0:00]

Hi everyone, welcome back to Mad Barn Academy. If this is your first time tuning in, then welcome — we hope to earn your subscription today. I’m Dr. Fan Row, one of the veterinary nutritionists here at Mad Barn, and our topic of discussion for today is equine dental health, and specifically why you should consider an annual dental exam as part of your routine preventative care for your horse.

[0:25]

So, let’s get started. Just like vaccines and deworming, the dental exam should be part of your preventative care routine for your horse. Maintaining good dental health is imperative for your horse’s overall health, well-being, and performance. For one, digestion starts in the mouth — without good dental health, your horse will struggle with inefficient chewing, decreased digestive efficiency, and potentially poor weight maintenance.

[1:00]

Additionally, dental disease can cause pain due to cheek and tongue trauma, untreated tooth fractures, or exposure of the nerve roots in the tooth. This can affect your horse’s quality of life and performance, causing discomfort with chewing, bitting, bridling, and maintaining weight.

[1:22]

Let’s dive a little deeper into the anatomy of the mouth so we can better understand what can go wrong. All horses have a minimum of 36 teeth, though some horses can have up to 44. There are 12 incisors — the front teeth used to bite grass, grab hay, or grab feed — and 24 cheek teeth in the back of the mouth, a general term for both premolars and molars.

[2:01]

Some horses will have canines, most common in males, and they can have up to four. Some horses will also have wolf teeth — small vestigial premolars located just in front of the cheek teeth. You may be familiar with the term “wolf teeth” because many horses have these removed before entering training.

[2:28]

Foals are generally born without teeth, though sometimes with small buds of incisors poking through the gums. During their young life, baby teeth will erupt and later be replaced by adult teeth. By about five years of age, a horse will have its full set of adult dentition.

[2:56]

What makes horses unique in their dental care? Horses have what’s called hypsodont teeth, meaning they have a long reserve crown and their teeth continuously erupt — or grow — throughout their lifetime. This differs from humans, whose teeth grow to a set length and stop. Hypsodont teeth are found in species that chew with a grinding motion and eat gritty material, which causes more dental wear. Continuous growth compensates for this wear.

[4:23]

Maintenance of normal tooth alignment requires that the entire grinding surface — also called the occlusal surface — be worn evenly. This requires adequate lateral excursion of the mandible, which simply means the lower jaw must be able to move side to side appropriately so the horse can grind food properly. Uneven wear can result in sharp enamel points and malocclusion (misalignment of the teeth). Sharp points can poke into the cheeks or tongue, causing ulcerations and wounds. Malocclusion also worsens inefficient chewing, which in turn leads to more misalignment — a vicious cycle unless corrected.

[5:43]

Here are some examples of common dental issues seen in horses during exams. One of the most common is sharp enamel points — sharp areas along the outer edges of the teeth, especially in the upper arcade, which can ulcerate the inside of the cheeks. Another issue is the formation of hooks or ramps — overgrowths of enamel either on the first premolar of the upper arcade or the last molar of the lower arcade, caused by uneven wear in those locations.

[6:43]

Step mouth occurs when a tooth has no opposing partner — for example, if a lower tooth is missing, the opposing upper tooth will grow unchecked, creating an overgrowth that interferes with grinding and lateral jaw movement. Wave mouth is similar but more extensive, creating a pronounced wave pattern across the arcade from severe uneven wear. Ideally, the teeth should oppose each other in parallel lines, but wave mouth disrupts this and affects grinding motion.

[8:08]

Other issues, not shown here, include diagonal bite or shear mouth — when teeth wear at a diagonal rather than meeting evenly — and diastema, which are gaps between teeth. These gaps can trap feed, leading to gum inflammation and infection around the tooth roots.

[8:43]

So how often should horses have their mouths checked? Well, it’s going to depend on the age of the horse and whether that horse has a history of any previous dental issues. Young horses should be examined about every six months because their teeth are erupting rapidly, making it common for them to develop sharp points and early malocclusion. They can also retain caps — which are the ends of baby teeth that get stuck on the adult teeth. Retained caps can cause problems, so it’s best to identify and remove them to allow the adult teeth to come in and wear normally.

[9:29]

Adult horses are generally examined about once a year. Once a horse reaches senior age, more frequent monitoring and dental exams may be warranted. Senior horses can develop their own dental diseases, such as “smooth mouth,” where excessive wear over time smooths out the molars so they no longer have the textured grinding surface. It’s also not uncommon for seniors to lose teeth as they lose some of the reserve crown.

[10:13]

If abnormalities are found during an exam, your vet will proceed with floating the teeth. If a more serious issue is identified — such as a fractured tooth — your vet will discuss a plan for the next steps. Floating refers to filing down the enamel to reestablish good alignment and reduce sharp points that can cause trauma. Traditionally, this was done with hand rasps, which required a lot of elbow grease. Today, most vets use power float equipment — a diamond-coated grinding disc on a motorized arm — which makes the job faster, more thorough, and easier on both the veterinarian and the horse.

[11:51]

Power float equipment can come in different setups. One example is a vest or backpack that carries the battery, with the vet using the dental float arm and grinding disc to target problem areas. Another setup has the float attached to a drill with a rechargeable battery pack.

[12:35]

Here’s what to expect when your vet comes for a dental exam or float. First, they’ll perform a visual exam and manual palpation of the mouth. This requires sedation and the use of a dental speculum to safely hold the mouth open. Without sedation or a speculum, a thorough and safe exam isn’t possible. The mouth will be rinsed to remove feed material, then your vet will look and feel for sharp points and other abnormalities. If needed, the horse will be floated, and your vet will recommend when to recheck — typically in 6–12 months.

[14:00]

If a major issue is found — such as a fractured tooth — it may require a follow-up visit or referral to a hospital with the appropriate equipment. This brings us to why you should use your vet for dental work. Your vet knows your horse, has training to safely perform dental exams and procedures like floating or tooth extraction, and is licensed to diagnose and treat medical issues. They can also legally administer sedation and prescribe medications. If complications arise, they are equipped to handle emergencies.

[15:17]

There are many non-veterinarians who perform dental work for horses, but it’s important to check your state or provincial laws, as using a non-veterinarian may be illegal in your area.

[15:33]

Here are today’s references, and thank you so much for listening. Don’t forget to like and subscribe, and check out the other videos on our channel — we post new content all the time on a variety of topics. You can also find links in the video description to additional resources on dental exams, floating, and common dental issues encountered by horse owners. For extra information, you can check out those blog articles. Okay, you guys — thanks so much, until next time.