By: Matthew M. Brendal
Basic Teeth Information This article covers the basics of horse teeth. I will cover the fundamentals of teeth growth, care and life cycle with a list of common dental problems. The most common equine dental procedure is floating teeth. When an equine dentist floats teeth he is balancing the teeth by removing the any sharp edges or abnormalities that would interfere with proper chewing of food. Floating is accomplished by using either a small rasp type tool or power tools. Horses teeth have no nerve ending in their teeth so the procedure is painless they just feel the pressure of the tools used in the procedure. Since the upper sets of premolars and molars are almost 1/3 wider than the bottom set uneven wear is very common. That is the main reason for the yearly check up, to float the teeth. Hooks/humps/waves/sharp edges on the upper set of premolars and molars are the common reason teeth are floated. Wolf teeth are commonly removed in horses because they interfere with the seating of any bit placed in their mouth. Wolf teeth should not be confused with canine teeth, which are solitary teeth just after the incisors. Wolf teeth are the first premolars. Wolf teeth are 2 to 3 times more likely to be in a male than female; not all horses will have wolf teeth. The front teeth may have an overbite/under bite or abnormal angles. The equine dentist may remove dental material to get back to the proper bite. Any rotten smells originating from the mouth probably indicate a cavity or gum disease, a problem that requires the attention of an equine dentist. If at anytime you notice blood coming from the mouth, irrigate with fresh water and try to locate origin. If bleeding does not stop in approximately 10 minutes contact your veterinarian. Sometimes baby teeth (also know as caps) do not fallout and may cause an abscess. Mature teeth should start to appear at about 2 years of age and continue replacing baby teeth until about of 5 years of age. Teeth may also be used to determine the approximate age of a horse. Unlike human teeth, horses teeth continually erupt at a steady pace to stay somewhat at the same height as the teeth are worn by constant chewing. There are certain milestones some teeth display to give an indication of age. These milestones could be number of teeth, shape and other small details. Eventually if a horse lives long enough they will lose all their teeth. In the wild when the horse lost all of it’s teeth it had very limited options for natural forage. When the domesticated horses lose their teeth they are given specially formulated diets and should maintain a completely healthy lifestyle, if properly managed. Normal Sequence of Equine Dental Eruption
Deciduous (Baby Teeth)
1st incisors (centrals) Birth to 1 week 2nd incisors (intermediates) 4-6 weeks 3rd incisors (corners) 6-9 months 1st premolars (cheek teeth) Birth to 2 weeks 2nd premolars (cheek teeth) Birth to 2 weeks 3rd premolars (cheek teeth) Birth to 2 weeks Permanent (Adult Teeth)
1st molars (4th cheek teeth) 9-12 months 2nd molars (5th cheek teeth) 2 years 1st incisors (centrals) 2 1/2 years 2nd premolars (1st cheek teeth) 2 1/2 years 3rd premolars (2nd cheek teeth) 3 years 2nd incisors (intermediates) 3 1/2 years 3rd molars (6th cheek teeth) 3 1/2 to 4 years 4th premolars (3rd cheek teeth) 4 years 3rd incisors (corners) 4 1/2 years canines (bridle) 4-5 years Identifying Potential Dental Problems Losing feed while eating or excessive slobber. Decrease in body condition/weight with no change in feeding program/becomes hard keeper when he/she was always easy to keep weight. Large amount of undigested feed/forage materials in manure. Rotten odor in mouth or nostrils/traces of blood in mouth. Swelling along outer jaw or inside mouth. Fighting the bit or stiff in neck. Reduced performance output while bridled/acting defiant when normally very cooperative. Loss of body condition or rapid weight loss.
