EQUINE DENISTRY  David Sauter, DVM Probably one of the more neglected areas of a good preventative health program for horses is dental care. The most common question that comes up is why do our horses need special dental care since wild horses seem to do just fine without it? There are several reasons. One reason is to promote good dental health. This will improve the longevity of the horse and increase the feed efficiency of the horse - since the teeth are responsible for mastication, which is the firststage of digestion. After all, we are quite aware of the importance of our own dental care and that of our children. If we never brushed our teeth or went to the dentist, just imagine the problems that would develop.

Second is that wild horses with dental problems will not thrive as well and may even die. A third reason is that wild horses generally never have to carry a bit in their mouth or wear any tack on their heads. This equipment can result in pain if there are sharp enamel points, rostral hooks, or wolf teeth present. And they do not have to travel with their heads in a special position, like the nice vertical position dressage riders expect - try that with rostral hooks and see how your tempomandibular joints feel after a few minutes. Finally, horses in their natural habitat wear their teeth much faster, spending much more time foraging sparse areas. Consequently the teeth are less likely to wear unevenly or to become overgrown.        Dental health in horses involves much more than just floating teeth. Before getting into specifics, let’s review a “bit” of anatomy. The mouth consists of soft tissue and teeth. The soft tissue includes the lips, bars, gums, palate, and openings of the salivary glands. All normal horses have a least 36 teeth and can have up to 44. The teeth can be divided into left & right sets as well as upper & lower. The incisors are easy. There is a central, intermediate, and corner incisor in both left & right upper and lower quadrants, that makes a total of 12 teeth. Next are the canines. All the males and some of the females have canines. The female’s canines, if present, are smaller. There’s only one canine for each quadrant, so that makes either 0 or 4 more teeth. Next are the infamous wolf teeth, which are not canine teeth. They are actually the first premolar. Often the upper wolf teeth will be present and rarely the lower. If the bit pulls the gum against the wolf tooth, it can be a source of irritation. Next in line are the rest of the premolars. There are three in each quadrant, making for 12 more teeth. Last but not least are the molars. Again, there are three molars in each quadrant, making for another 12 teeth. The incisors and the all the premolars except the wolf teeth have a deciduous or “baby” set and a permanent set. The baby teeth in the horse are called caps.           The typical dental examination begins with questions to the owner. Have there been any problems with head tossing, resisting a turn, fighting the bit, or any sudden change in performance? Has there been any weight loss, any sign of discomfort while chewing, or quidding (dropping food back out of the mouth)? The outside of the mouth is then examined. The jaws and nasal bones are checked for symmetry and swelling. The cheek can be pressed against the premolar and molar teeth from the outside to check for tenderness and for sharp points or irregularity. Now its time to look in the mouth. The incisors are checked for their presence and alignment. If there is a parrot or sow mouth, this will affect the ability of the horse to grasp food and will lead to irregular wear of all the teeth. The occlusal surfaces (the biting side) of the incisors should come together fairly level. If there is a tilt, frown shape, smile shape, or irregular alignment, they will need leveling. Canines are generally clipped short and filed smooth so they are not in the way. Wolf teeth are generally removed, unless it is an older horse that has not had any problems with the bit. The cheek teeth (the premolars and molars) are then examined for sharp enamel points, irregular occlusal contact (e.g. step mouth, wave mouth, rims, ramps), retained caps, broken or loose teeth, and for the presence of hooks off the front of the first cheek teeth and the off the back of the last cheek teeth.            Very often the veterinarian will sedate the horse with intravenous drugs. To complete a thorough dental exam and perform the necessary dental procedures, many rather frightening instruments are used. Some of the procedures are noisy and often painful. Both in terms of safety and kindness to the horse, sedation often is very helpful. Many veterinarians will use a full mouth speculum, which is worn like a bridle and it keeps the mouth open while the teeth are examined and floated. There are many types of floats and extraction devices. Power tools are becoming more popular as well.         When should dental examinations and routine floating be performed? Some veterinarians recommend starting with weanlings at around 6 months or so. Examination at this early age will help identify any problems such as parrot mouth, which will necessitate more frequent dental care. Generally at this age there are few problems and the procedure is fairly quick. The experience of having their mouths examined and with dental instruments will hopefully make such work easier in the future. Certainly all horses should be examined and floated before going into training. Common problems encountered at this age include retained caps, sharp enamel points and wolf teeth that need extraction. Bit seats can be created for increased comfort. This involves rounding off the front edge of the premolars, then if any of the gum is pulled against these teeth by the bit, it will be nice and smooth.         For the average adult horse, yearly dental work is recommended. Horses with special problems or needs may need work more often. It is not uncommon to run into an older horse that has never been floated that ends up having a fairly good mouth. However, frequently the neglected older horse has many problems, even if they do not show any outward signs. Some of these horses have developed ways of chewing that keep them going and they probably have pretty good pain tolerance too. Someday their irregular wearing of the teeth may lead to a very serious problem that they will be unable to cope with (e.g. abscessed tooth, hooks growing into the opposite gum, etc.). If a great deal of work and realignment is done on a horse, the veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics and pain killers for a few days until the horse readjusts to the dramatic change.            One final note. Dental records are helpful to keep on your records. Even if it is only a list of when the horse was floated and comments on any major work or problems. It helps you to keep track, its handy for the veterinarian to refer to, and it is very useful for a prospective buyer.