Services – “What to expect in a visit”
The basis for every successful treatment is a clear and exact diagnosis. Therefore, it is essential that I perform a thorough examination in order to be able to establish the correct dental treatment.
Before I commence with an examination, it is important to ensure there is a good safe working environment. Ideally this is a stable or similar area. Make sure there are no objects lying around that could injure the horse. It is also advisable to have sufficient room above the horses head.
What you tell me about your horse’s history can give me a very good insight into potential problems.
Questions will be asked as to what type of discipline the horse is used for and what the competition schedule is. It is not wise to have dental treatment a week before an important competition. Are there problems with riding on the bit? Or does the horse resist the bit?
During the examination of the head the principle concern is the symmetry between the left and right sides.
Any swelling is examined and evaluated in relation to the set of teeth.
The mandibular bumps on the underside of the lower jaw are a NORMAL symptom in a three/four year old horse.
I also test for TMJ sensitivity.
The incisors are evaluated. They should fit together properly and the tables should form a neat horizontal line when the teeth are viewed at eye level.
The canines appear in male animals between 4 – 5 years of age. Quite often I see plaque on these teeth which needs to be removed, accompanied by inflammation of the gums.
The point and sides of the tongue are examined for injuries.
The space in front of the first upper and lower molars is inspected for wolf teeth. Any possible blind wolf teeth can be detected by running the thumb along the edge of the hard palate.
With the aid of a gag each molar is felt with the finger tips. Sharp points, raised molars, rear hooks, loose molars and other such defects are detected in this manner.
The molars of both the left and right halves of the jaw are checked for symmetry and the angle of the tables is checked.
At the end of the examination, the owner is shown any abnormalities in the mouth of the horse. I often encourage owners to feel for themselves.
This is a routine float carried out on horses that have received regular dental attention. The float involves removing the rough sharp enamel points and re-balancing the mouth.
This includes working on malocclusions that can occur such as Hooks, Ramps, Waves, Steps, ETR. All of the above require extra time and attention and may require the corrective work in stages over a period of weeks/months depending on the severity.
This is a float designed to introduce weanlings/yearlings to dentistry. The float involves gaining the youngster’s confidence so that it is a positive experience. At this age all that is required are the sharp edges removing.
This involves the front side of the first upper and lower molars being smoothly rounded. If the rider pulls on the reins, the inside corners of the mouth come against these smoothly rounded molars. In this way there will be reduced injury to the inside corners of the mouth.
This is required if the canines have grown too long and could damage the tongue.
In most incisor defects it is usually only necessary to reduce one or two incisors. When there is an overbite or an underbite all the incisors may be taken back.
The restriction applies of not removing too much of the crown in one session because the incisor root canal maybe opened. This may lead to infection of the root canal accompanied by the possible loss of the tooth as a result.
This, several sessions are sometimes necessary to complete a full correction.
The wolf teeth and blind wolf teeth are often removed in horses because they can cause bit discomfort.
After every examination a dental record chart for the horse is filled in. For reasons of identification this must have the name and address of the owner and an identity for the horse concerned.
All defects that are observed are recorded, treatment carried out and any medication used.
Some defects cannot be corrected in one treatment and a well filled in chart is practically indispensable for further treatments of such animals.
Newly born foals are examined for any possible inherited defects such as an overbite. If there are indications for such, it is best to look at them again at around 3 months.
A regular dental check is best commenced BEFORE a young horse is bitted.
The most active period in the mouth of the horse is between 2 ½ yrs and 4 ½ yrs. During this period a horse loses 24 milk teeth which are replaced with 36 to 44 permanent teeth.
Often the wolf teeth are removed at the first dental examination.
I advise that you have your horses teeth checked by an equine dental technician every 6 months.