1. Will my horse need to be sedated during a dental exam?
Some horses find the process of having their mouth opened and instruments placed in the oral cavity to be stressful.
For a complete oral examination and good quality corrective care, most horses benefit from a mild sedative to relieve any stress or unnecessary movement on the patient's part.
When the horse is sedated, it allows us to do a better job in a safer way

2. Dental Equipment Dental floats Extractors Periosteal elevator Forceps
Wolf tooth
Premolars (cap)
Molars
Periosteal elevator
Forceps
Electric dremmel

3. Clean and Sanitary
All dental instruments, the speculum (device that holds the horse’s mouth open), buckets, etc are all cleaned and washed with an antimicrobial disinfectant (Nolvasan) between each and every horse. No exceptions!

4. Diagnostic Imaging
Dentist should have access to diagnostic imaging equipment such as x-rays, preferably digital x-rays.
This allows us to uncover and manage a host of equine dental abnormalities.

5. What is the difference between traditional floating and power floating?
Traditionally, horses have had their sharp enamel points and dental crown elongations reduced with hand-held rasps (floats).
These manual dental instruments have improved in quality over the past 20 years but still require a reasonable amount of manual dexterity, physical strength and "elbow grease.”
High quality dental tools powered by electricity or compressed air have become readily available and affordable over the past 10 years. These instruments reduce the physical effort that is required, and with expertise and caution, allow for more complete and efficient dental care.

6. Common Dental Procedures
Dental Equilibration - “Floating” to remove enamel points
Extract wolf teeth.
Reduce hooks
Reduce ramps
Correct unopposed teeth
Correct overgrown teeth

7. Dental Equilibration Removal of sharp enamel points
Buccal surface – maxillary arcade
Lingual surface – mandibular arcade
Most common procedure performed on adult (7 – 15 years of age) horses

8. Equine Dentistry: “Floating” Technique
Develop a sequential approach:
Outside of upper arcade
Inside of lower arcade
Seat float with short strokes.
Lengthen strokes as float cuts into teeth.
Maintain float handle parallel to occlusal surface.

9. The finished product

10. Retained Deciduous Premolars- Caps

11. Wolf Tooth Extraction Indication:
Vestigial, serve no purpose and may cause problems
Head tossing
Irritation secondary to bit trauma
Beginning training

12. Wolf Tooth Extraction Procedure: Sedation Local anesthesia
Loosen with periosteal elevator
Extract with small forceps
May require rongeurs to remove broken root from below gum line

13. Wolf Tooth Extraction Do not leave broken tooth root under gingiva.
Choke the elevator to prevent laceration of the palatine artery.
Should the palatine artery be lacerated-fold a towel, place into mouth, and tape shut for 30 minutes.

14. Other Dental Procedures
Incisor reduction
Canine reduction
Molar reduction
“Bit seat”

15. Incisor reduction Correction of incisor misalignment Hand float
Dremel tool
Motorized rasp
Improve molar contact

16. Canine Reduction Erupts between 4 – 6 years of age
Reason for reducing canines
Disarm a horse with dental weapons
Prevents entrapping tongue between bit and tooth
Prevents ulceration of tongue
Prevents damage to canine by horse, bit, etc..
Prevents trauma to dentist
Pulp in young horses with 5-mm of crown
Reduce to level or just below occlusal surface of 06

17. Molar/Premolar Reduction
Reduction of excess clinical crown
Step mouth
Severe ramps and hooks
Wave mouth
Shear mouth

18. “Bit Seat” Rounding of the rostral edge of 106/206 and 306/406
Smooth surface for cheek to rest with bit pressure

19. Hooks/Ramps Excessive crown is greater in the vertical axis
Result of mal-alignment of the mandibular and maxillary arcades
Function of domestication

20. Step Mouth Individual super-erupted tooth Usually un-apposed
Missing apposing tooth

21. Wave Complex
A series of super erupted teeth apposed by a series of excessively worn teeth
Age related
Wearing of the infundibular enamel

22. Recommendations Geriatric (15 + years)
Foals and juveniles (0 – 7 years)
Semiannual exam
Tooth eruption
Congenital defects
Soft enamel
Adults (7 – 15 years)
Annual exam
Odontophytes
Dental attrition
Geriatric (15 + years)
Semiannual exam
Periodontal disease

23. Do donkeys and mules require different dental care than do horses?
All equine species have the same type dentition.
We see the same types of pathology and wear patterns in donkeys, mules, zebras and horses.
Under current domestication practices, all require regular dental care.

24. A.A.E.P The official Guide for Determining the Age of the Horse. American Association of Equine Practitioners. Golden, Colorado.
Blackwell Equine Manual for Veterinary Technicians. Blackwell Publishing. Ames, Iowa

25. Sources
James M. Casey, D.V.M., M.S.

26. Equine Dentistry
Charles T. McCauley, DVM, Dip ABVP Dip ACVS
Assistant Professor of Equine Surgery,
School of Veterinary Medicine
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA