Dentistry
The phrase 'no foot, no horse' also rings true in the case of teeth. Without teeth a horse cannot chew fibre, the staple part of their diet.
Annual dental checks are an important part of every equine's regular health care. The most routine dental healthcare involves reducing sharp points. These sharp points are most commonly found on the outer edge (next to the cheeks) of the upper molars and pre-molars and on the inside edge (closest to the tongue) on the lower molars and premolars. The grinding surface where the upper teeth and lower teeth meet is designed to be uneven and sharp to grind up food. Inadvertent reduction of this grinding surface leads to teeth that are unable to grind food and a horse that cannot maintain weight. It is only the outer edges, which can cause ulcers on the inside of the cheeks and the tongue which we reduce.
The picture shows a view of the right upper molars and premolars. There are small overgrowths on the outer edge near the cheek which, if left untreated will grow and cause rubbing on the cheeks and therefore pain. Also note the uneven grinding surface of the teeth, essential for grinding food.
All of our equine team are equipped with specialist dental equipment to be able to examine your horse's mouth and provide routine dental care on-yard. We also have powerfloating equipment for those patients with major dental abnormalities such as big spikes at the back of the mouth or those that require advanced treatment.
As vets, we are permitted to perform advanced techniques that only vets are allowed to perform. Such procedures include tooth extractions, diastema management (including widening) for horses that are found quidding and we are able to x-ray the horse's head in cases of tooth root infections.
