Page 43 - NMHBA Spring 2021

Dentistry, also typically referred
to as “floating,” is a supremely important aspect of horse husbandry that is often overlooked.
gums as the horse chews or when pressure is applied to the mouth via the bit. Many young racehorses will present with the complaint that they are “blowing the turn,” throwing their head, or running through the bit, and more often than not, when their mouth is checked, caps will be identified. Wolf teeth are often pulled when young horses enter training for
fear that their interference with the bit within the interdental space, or bars of the mouth, will cause behavior issues during training. These vestigial teeth serve no real purpose to the horse, and their short, shallow roots make their removal a typically uncomplicated procedure. The difficulty with these teeth arises when the tooth is present but unerupted from the gums. When this occurs, the teeth are referred to as blind, and a more invasive technique is required for removal. Blind wolf teeth often cause the horse more discomfort than their appropriately erupted counterparts. The presence of caps and the eruption of permanent teeth allows for the need to check teeth at least twice a year between the ages of 2 and 5. In the horse, all permanent teeth have erupted and are “in-wear” by 5
years of age, when a horse is said to have “a full mouth” because all the teeth they will ever have are present.
Horses over the age of 15 also benefit from having their teeth checked at least twice a year. After 15, horses begin to have age related changes to their mouth. Wave mouth begins to develop as a consequence of the
varied technical age of the teeth themselves. The teeth do not erupt simultaneously, and therefore will expire at uneven intervals as well. While the tooth is constantly erupting, eventually the lifespan of the tooth is met, and it can no longer grow. When this point is reached, the grinding and wear on the tooth becomes greater than the growth and will begin to wear down and the tooth becomes shorter. It is also common to encounter fractured teeth which can be painful, and if the tooth root becomes infected a secondary sinus infection can result due to the close association of molar roots to the sinus cavity. It is important to realize that older horses are not the only ones susceptible to fracturing
a tooth, and any unilateral nasal discharge should be evaluated by a veterinarian as it
is likely a tooth is involved. Dental work becomes a precarious situation for horses
over 20 years of age. These horses often need dental attention, but floating with a hand or power float can loosen the already weak tooth roots and cause more harm than good.
The changes made throughout history to the way we feed horses and the types
of foodstuffs they eat has necessitated changes to the way we care for our horse’s mouths. The horse was designed to graze throughout the day and this grazing helped keep the tooth growth in check. Grain meals require far less chewing power than grazing or even hay meals, and the
increase in the incidence of feeding grain has also created an increase in the necessity of floating to keep sharp points in check. Horses between 5 and 15 should have their oral cavity examined yearly, but it is not uncommon to find horses in this age bracket who do not require floating every year.
Dentistry is an incredibly important
and necessary part of equine husbandry
and management. While it may seem like
a simple act to grind down sharp enamel points, in reality there is much more than
this to floating. Sedation is required to have adequate access to the back of the mouth
and to have a less stressful experience for the horse. Additionally, a precise understanding of equine dental anatomy is needed to appropriately assess any situation in the horse’s mouth. Do not trust dental work to just anyone, as there can be serious, long-term consequences to poor technique and missed diagnoses. Whether it’s pulling baby teeth or floating sharp points on a pasture pet, routine dental examinations and procedures make a happier, healthier horse.
Sedation is required to have adequate access to the back of the mouth and to have a less stressful experience for the horse.
While it is true that older horses require special attention to their teeth, they aren’t the only ones who need their mouths addressed. Young horses also benefit from more frequent dental work.
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