Dental Health: Part 2

Along with his colleague, Laura Blanton, DVM, and their sponsor, Boehringer Ingelheim, John Tolley, DVM presented the following text at the Bakersfield Veterinary Hospital Client Seminar held on  March 15, 2012.  Each year, BVH hosts a seminar to focus on an aspect of equine health care.  This year’s topics were “Routine Dental Care is Essential to Your Horse’s Health” and "Care and Feeding of the Older Horse.”

Part 1

COMMON DENTAL PROBLEMS
Horses may suffer from many dental problems. The most common include:

• Sharp enamel points forming on cheek teeth, causing lacerations of cheeks and tongue
  
• Retained caps (deciduous teeth that are not shed)
  
• Discomfort caused by bit contact with the wolf teeth
  
• Hooks forming on the upper and lower cheek teeth
  
• Long and/or sharp canine (bridle) teeth interfering with the insertion or removal of the bit
  
• Lost and/or broken teeth
  
• Abnormal or uneven bite planes
  
• Excessively worn teeth
  
• Abnormally long teeth
  
• Infected teeth and/or gums
  
• Misalignment/poor apposition (can be due to congenital defects or injury)
  
• Periodontal (gum) disease
  

RECOGNIZING DENTAL PROBLEMS
Horses with dental problems may show obvious signs, such as pain or irritation, or they may show no noticeable signs at all. That is due to the fact that some horses simply adapt to their discomfort. For this reason, periodic dental examinations are essential. Indicators of dental problems include:

• Loss of feed from mouth while eating, difficulty with chewing, or excessive salivation
  
• Loss of body condition
  
• Large or undigested feed particles (long stems or whole grain) in manure
  
• Head tilting or tossing, bit chewing, tongue lolling, fighting the bit, or resisting bridling
  
• Poor performance, such as lugging on the bridle, failing to turn or stop, even bucking
  
• Foul odor from mouth or nostrils, or traces of blood from the mouth
  
• Nasal discharge or swelling of the face, jaw, or mouth tissues
  

Oral exams should be an essential part of an annual physical examination by a veterinarian. Every dental exam provides the opportunity to perform routine preventative dental maintenance. The end result is a healthier, more comfortable horse.

MORE SERIOUS DENTAL AILMENTS
Serious dental conditions can develop, such as infections of the teeth and gums, extremely long hooks or overgrowths on the cheek teeth, and lost or fractured teeth. These conditions may require advanced dental care and/or extraction by a qualified veterinarian. Your equine practitioner can recommend the best treatment or refer your horse to a dental specialist if indicated.

Click photos for larger views and caption.

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