Page 50 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

members of the British Association of Equine Dental Technicians (BAEDT) have passed an

examination set by the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) and the British
VetBooks.ir Veterinary Dental Association (BVDA). A list of these dental technicians can be found on the
following web sites:

• British Association of Equine Dental Technicians (www.baedt.com)

• British Equine Veterinary Association (www.beva.org.uk)

BEVA also runs both basic and advanced training courses for vets and many practices now

undertake equine dentistry to a high standard. Alternatively, your vet may be able to
recommend an experienced local EDT with the above qualifications.

Common dental problems

Some of the most common dental problems are described below.

SHARP POINTS CAUSING ULCERATION

The upper jaw of the horse is slightly wider than the lower jaw, and so the upper and lower

teeth are not completely in alignment. The horse grinds the food with a mainly side-to-side
motion of the jaw and over a period of time, sharp enamel points normally develop on the

outer edge of the upper cheek teeth and the inner edge of the lower cheek teeth. These can be
razor-sharp and cause lacerations and ulcers on the insides of the cheeks and the edge of the
tongue (Figures 2.6 and 2.7). They can be a source of great discomfort. A tightly applied

noseband in this situation compounds the horse’s misery.

Figure 2.6 The development of sharp edges on the horse’s teeth; as the top jaw is wider than the lower jaw, sharp edges may
develop on the outside edge of the upper molars and the inside edge of the lower molars