Equine Dentistry - Mt Barker Veterinary Hospital

Equine dentistry is a crucial component of horse ownership, enabling your horse to live comfortably, optimise nutrition, and perform at their highest potential.

Horses spend an average of 10 hours a day eating and erupt anywhere from 2-6 millimetres of tooth per year! We recommend that your horses' teeth be examined routinely every 6 to 12 months, or sooner if any issues arise. It is advisable for your horse to have their first dental exam prior to being broken in.

Horses with dental issues may exhibit clear signs such as pain or irritation, or they may not show any noticeable symptoms. Common indicators that your horse might be experiencing dental pain or disease include dropping feed while eating, quidding food, an unpleasant odour from the mouth or nostrils, and/or weight loss. Resistance to the bit, avoiding contact with the bit, and head tossing may also suggest that your horse requires dental care.

What is involved in a routine dental examination procedure at Mt Barker Veterinary Hospital?

Firstly, we will perform a health check and administer sedation to your horse. Their head will be supported by either a head stand or a dental halter which is suspended from above. This sedation is necessary to maximise comfort and safety during the procedure, it also provides effective pain relief and enables the mouth to be opened as wide as necessary for proper treatment of the back molars.
The chewing muscles, bones of the skull, salivary glands and lymph nodes are all assessed from the outside along with the range of jaw movement. The bones overlying the hollow cavities in the skull (sinuses) are tapped, and the resultant sound assessed for any signs of infection etc.
The nostrils are checked for discharge.
The mouth is rinsed clean of any food.
A dental light is used to illuminate the oral cavity and a detailed assessment made of each tooth, the gums, cheeks and tongue looking for any abnormalities that might need treatment.
Any abnormalities are then corrected using our power-float. When used correctly, the power-float is the superior tool to treat teeth and avoid causing damage to the teeth.
The horses' mouth is then rinsed to remove any teeth residue and debris.

Hooks are sharp points that can develop on your horses molar and pre-molar teeth. These often cause ulceration and pain for your horse. Ramps are often found in conjunction with hooks. Ramps are overgrown teeth at the back of the mouth. Hooks and ramps restrict the horses ability to chew, cause pain and will continue to grow longer if left untreated. When left untreated it can also lead to further problems including malocclusion of the mouth.

A malocclusion is a malalignment between the upper and lower jaw of the horse. There can be a number of types of alignments including but not limited to: wave mouth, parrot mouth, shear mouth, step mouth, sour mouth etc. If detected early enough, these may be able to be corrected and/or managed with regular dental care. However, if left untreated, it will likely lead to further dental problems for your horse.

Wolf teeth are the remnants of the first premolars that have now become obsolete with the evolution of the horse. The most common first premolars seen in the horse are in the upper jaw, and they are shaped similarly to small canine teeth. This is why they are often described as wolf teeth. These sharp teeth, if present, are in the area of the mouth where the bit fits. Wolf teeth may cause the horse some discomfort when pressure is placed on the bit. Therefore, these teeth are usually removed in young riding horses.

EORTH refers to when there is resporption of the bone and tissue surrounding the roots of a horse's incisors (front teeth) and canine teeth. It is a painful condition and often dental extractions may be recommended.

In some cases, it may be recommended that your horse requires dental extractions. We are well-equipped with x-ray facilities and specialist dental equipment and, along with Dr James' expertise, we are now able to perform minimally invasive extractions.