IMPORTANCE OF DENTISTRY

At least once a year (as part of your horse’s annual health check), a thorough dental examination should be performed. This is particularly important for the winter months and for our older equine patients.

Dental disease can be very painful. Early detection and treatment of dental problems is vitally important in maintaining good oral health- we all know that prevention is better than cure! This will also enable is to advise with regards to feed types that will best suit your horse.

Common dental problems that we encounter when horses are struggling include:

• Diastemata: these are gaps between the teeth where food can get trapped resulting in painful gum disease. This is the most common cause of quidding during the winter months.
• Loose teeth: longer forage like hay requires more chewing therefore teeth which are slightly mobile can become problematic with these changes in feedstuffs.
• Sharp points: these sharp points can cause ulceration of the gums and mucosa resulting in pain when eating or when ridden.
• EOTRH (Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis): this is a disease of the incisors resulting in severe pain. Horses can use their lips to graze during the summer months however struggle to pull hay out of haynets with these painful teeth.

If you have any concerns regarding your horse’s dental health or would like to arrange an examination with one of our vets, please give the practice a ring to book an appointment.