Ask The Vet: Equine Dentistry - July 07

Question: A cavity in the lower canine was discovered during a routine floating in my 22-year-old gelding. The vet recommended two options: extraction or filing the tooth even with the gum. The horse is in excellent condition, and I want to make sure the decision will have the best outcome for future use. The cost between the two procedures is a factor as well. How do I make sure of the extent of the decay and what would you recommend?

Question: My 23-year-old Arabian gelding is having a hard time keeping his weight. In fact, it seems as if he's losing weight even with all that I am feeding. I give him Purina Equine Senior, corn oil and beet pulp twice a day. The vet has checked his teeth, and she says that there is just not much left to float anymore. Is there something that could be going wrong with him internally? He acts as if he is starving to death every time I go out to make him his meals. I just am at a loss; I want him to be happy and healthy, because 23 isn't too terribly old, is it?

Question: I just bought a 12-year-old mule. She's wonderful except I notice that on the sides of her muzzle, the bulge is larger than on horses. I had our veterinarian examine her and he said that her teeth are slanted on the sides. He also said that she would need a lot of "grinding down". Are mule’s mouths different than horses? Do they have any side affects to sedation vs. a horse?

Question: I have a coming 21-year-old TK/TB mare. She has had regular dental care all of her life. Initially, this was from my vet, but I have used an equine dentist since about 1995. Due to moving several times, it has not been the same equine dentist. Sometimes it was a vet who was also a dentist and sometimes a dentist working in conjunction with a vet.

I have had this mare since birth and you have always been able to see just the edge of her tongue on the left side of her mouth. During last year's dental, I was told that her TMJ was so sore that she almost reared up when it was touched. The dentist also said her mouth was very out of balance. After the dental care, she began hanging her tongue completely out of her mouth to the left side when she is being ridden. You can only see slightly more when she is not being ridden. There is no tension and it does not appear to be an evasion, as the more relaxed she feels the further the tongue hangs out. The dentist re-examined her and found no real cause. The vet examined her as well. The vet advised that since her teeth were somewhat grown to the inside prior to being balanced and that the bit seat had possibly widened with age, it would now be easier for the tongue to hang through. I questioned the possibility of there being tension previously and now that that was gone she had relaxed almost too much or maybe there was some nerve damage. The vet agreed it could possibly be either or both.

I no longer show so the tongue hanging out really isn't an issue. (I competed in dressage and still ride in that style.) As I previously stated, it seems the more relaxed she is, the more it drops out. She is sound and still moves very well. She is pretty relaxed under saddle and has a soft mouth. I was initially concerned she might bite her tongue severely but as the vet pointed out, where the tongue is hanging out there are no teeth. She goes in an eggbutt French snaffle with a flash. This is what she has worn from the beginning. I tried a snaller bit but no change. I do not crank the noseband. It's snug but still space for a finger or two. She doesn't hold her mouth open.

She is coming due for her dental this year, but I saw this opportunity and thought I would ask if you might have any ideas or suggestions as to what this might be or what to specifically look for.

Question: I am looking to purchase a horse that has an overbite. What procedure can be done to correct the problem and how expensive would it be?

Question: I have a 3-year-old who's side baby tooth seems to have been ripped out, but is still attached to the gum. It is approximately two inches long, maybe a little longer. The strange part is that she's not displaying any discomfort and the actual wound from where the tooth came has healed nicely. We never even noticed as there was never any swelling. Should the vet or the equine dentist be called to remove the hanging tooth/gum? Or should we just leave it alone and wait until the gum releases by itself?

Question: I have an 8-year-old mare. Being a new horse owner, I am not too familiar with the amount of dental care a horse needs on a regular basis, monthly/annually.

Also, do you know of any specialty feed that helps strengthen the horse’s teeth or reduce cavities? Or is this even something to be concerned about?

Question: I give my horse a grain and mash mix due to allergies everyday. She recieves:
1) 4-cups All in One
2) 4-cups wet grain(consist of oats, corn & molasses)
3)4oz ground flax seed for her coat
4) 12-cups Nutra/Safe Choice
5) 1 apple
6) 2-3 carrots with her med-1 scoop=600mg Hydroxyzine
7) 4 cups wheat bran
8) 1 1/2 tsp grounded fresh garlic.

How will all this sweetness take its toll on her teeth?

Question: My 5-year-old Belgian mare's upper, outer incisors have not yet errupted. I would like to know your thoughts on this. Do you think there is a chance they ever will?

Question: My 21-year-old Thoroughbred gelding with Cushing's Disease has blisters on his gums and tooth decay on the tops of three of his upper incisors. The area is black and food was collecting in a deep hole, so the dentist drilled the area smooth and flat in an effort to slow down the decay. The teeth are intact and the vet feels the blisters are fistula from the diseased teeth and that he has periodontal disease. I wipe his teeth and gums down with a Listerine soaked gauze every day per the vet. What else can be done to help slow down or prevent the decay? The teeth are still slowly growing in, but I am afraid the decay will progress faster and he will eventually lose the teeth. He is on Permax for the Cushing's and receives excellent medical and dental care. The vet has seen this before with molars, but not incisors.

Question: My 5-year-old Quarter horse's teeth were overdue for a float, as he had been rolling his tongue and stretching out his neck, as well as bulling on the bit. His teeth were done just a month ago, but he still stands there, stretching out his neck and flopping his tongue around! Is there still a problem, or is he just a goof?

Question: My neighbor purchased an 18-year-old gelding and cannot bridle him (he throws his head up and keeps his lips tightly shut). It took me a bit to look inside his mouth and he had a broken wolf tooth on the left and his bridle teeth seemed large. My question is: I know the wolf teeth should have been removed (and should be now) but is it better to remove the bridle teeth as well?

Question: I went to look at a registered AQHA gelding - he is 12. He is an awesome kid’s horse.. I have been teaching lessons for over 20 years and I am in need of a new lesson horse, and this horse had done it all. But, when I looked in his mouth - he had NO front teeth!!! He doesn't look thin and he eats grass fine. I put him in a pasture and watched him carefully. He ate grass just fine and looks like he NEVER had front teeth. The owner has had him for over four years and NEVER noticed it? Can a horse live without front teeth? How will he do in his later years without any front teeth?

Question: My daughter has a 17-year-old Quarter horse that developed a sinus infection due to infection involving the last three cheek teeth on the left side of his mouth. He has chronic unilateral nasal discharge, most of the time without any odor. Before the infection was identified the horse had a left frontomaxillary sinusotomy performed with hopes of addressing the cause of the nasal discharge. Two years later after an MRI, it was discovered that the tooth infection was the cause. The university we took this horse to opted not to remove these teeth, but rather to take a "wait and see" position, monitoring the sinus problem. They determined that he has severe periapical lysis of the three upper molars. I now notice that while eating this horse makes some grinding, knocking sound while chewing. After all these procedures on his teeth, needless to say this horse gets very upset if anyone tries to look in his mouth..My questions are, will these infected teeth fall out on their own?..during the last exam, the vet said the tissue around the teeth in question was breaking down...How long should we go between oral exams? Can root canals be done on horse? I know expulsion is risky.... Is there anything I should be doing to insure his comfort and continued health? His prognosis was listed as fair, but he is in very good flesh. Thank you so much for reading my questions...

Question: When should I be concerned about the wolf teeth in my horses and when should their teeth be floated? They are both 2-years-old.

Question: When do you know it is time to get your horses' teeth floated?

Question: I'm a Dental Hygienist, R.D.H.,B.S.D.H. in Virginia. You are living my dream so I just had to contact you. After 20 years of experience in my part of dentistry, without being a veterinarian, do you have any advice for the new field of equine dentistry that I could be of help? It's my passion. I know that I will make a difference to this field of medicine.

Question: I have an 8-Year-Old Tenessee Walking horse gelding I purchased as a 2-year-old stallion. At the time of purchase, I noted a very bad alignment of the front teeth on his lower arcade. This was discovered through research that he had his jaw broken as a weanling. To date, he has had only routine floats/cap removals, etc. However, he has too many teeth in his mouth! All appear tight with no foul odor from his mouth. He prehends great and his weight is fine ... he's getting plenty of food.

My question is, at some point do some of these extra teeth or baby teeth need to be removed?

Question: My 21-year-old mini-Shetland mare keeps gathering uneaten grass between her cheek and upper teeth. However, this is on one side only. Since she is very unhappy about it and scratches her cheek, I have to remove remains of grass by hand. Is there any way this problem can be dealt with?

Question: My Quarter Horse gelding, Dusty, is 29-years-old. He lost two molars over the past five years, one fell out on its own and the vet pulled the other because it was too loose to save/keep. The molars were located on opposite sides of the mouth, one from top and other from bottom. Other teeth are also loose, but not to the point of having to pull them.

His primary diet is soaked alfalfa-oat pellets, supplemented by alfalfa hay (soaked), oat hay, and free choice orchard grass hay, with probiotics, watery rice bran mash with added electrolytes and Platinum Performance general vitamins. (I purchased Dusty immediately after he foundered. He recovered, now sound, and on a low carbohydrate diet)

Dusty develops hooks on non-opposed teeth and has a slight wave mouth. The vet checks his teeth twice a year and required "major" extended dental work when first purchased with two minor floatings since five years ago.

1. Do you recommend floating by hand or power tools for elderly horses with loose teeth? (Note: Vet says, for an "old guy", he's quite resistant to anesthesia and vet ends up dosing him as if for a younger horse; but Dusty cooperative during dental work).

2. Any recommendations regarding diet to ensure he's extracting as much nutrients as he can out of his diet?

Question: With all the confusion about power floating, how does one know which is best for their horse?

Is the old fashion way of floating a horse's teeth with a rasp by a veterinaian, no longer considered good dentistry? Is a power float necessary to maintain good dental health for my horses? My veterinarian feels that a rasp is all that is needed to float teeth in most cases. Do you agree? I want to be a responsible horse owner and do what is best for my horses.

Question: The barn I board my horse just started using a new equine dentist. We had been using a different person until this past June. It seems that most of the horses required quite a bit of work by the new dentist. I thought that was a bit strange since the original dentist had come 6 months prior. That being the case, how do I know the dentist that is caring for my horses teeth is doing the right job?

Question: Our 9-year-old gelding has blind wolf teeth confirmed on digital x-ray (they are almost undetectable to the touch). He comfortably carries a nathe snaffle hung low (hung just at the corners of his mouth with no wrinkles). His dressage work is coming along well now, since we treated points on the rear molars and figured out where he could carry a bit. Can you comment on the removal procedure and how to determine if it is advisable?

Question: We have all of our horses teeth floated, etc. twice a year and any issues that arise as needed. Our Equine Dentist feels it best not to perform work on our 28-year-old mare. However, we both agree she is in need of work (she eats very slowly, etc.) He says that floating teeth on a horse that old does more harm than good. Although our vet is willing to float the teeth of the older horse. I trust both individuals as they have been good for our horses. However, now I'm leary to have any work performed on her just because it may cause my mare harm. What is your opinion of floating teeth on the older horse? More harm than good? Or is it necessary for overall good health?

Question: My 23-year-old gelding has had fairly regular dental care (every 12 – 18 months) for the past 12 years since I have owned him. As he has aged, he had some ramps and waves needing correction, and no notation of abnormalities except for a malformed incisor, which did not seem to affect his bite. He has not had any problems keeping weight, losing food out of his mouth or quidding. Since I moved to a new state, I have had difficulty finding a regular dental practitioner.

November of 2006 I had a local certified dental technician (working out of a local equine vet practice) provide care and she did not feel that his molars needed any work and the only thing she did was to grind his incisors, which she shaped so they were somewhat rounded rather than meeting on a flat plane, a technique I had never seen before and questioned her about. She stated there were two schools of thought, rounding and not rounding. The horse also had a chronic malformed undergrown front incisor, which became loose during the work and which she extracted (there was very little root on the tooth). One month after this dental work, the barn where I kept him, got a new batch of hay, which was coarser than the previous hay (although still an orchard/fescue mix) and my horse started having very loose “cow pile” stools, often projectile and less “pleasant” smelling. He did not have other symptoms of illness, no fever, not depressed and seemed normal in all other ways. He was with his same pasture mates and no other changes in his diet were made that could be identified as causative agents.

My regular vet did not feel that the hay was the cause and did a superficial exam of his teeth (he did not agree with the way the incisors were rounded) and we did many diagnostic tests to rule out infection and other possible causes – all with negative results. The blood work done in January showed anemia (27/10), which he felt was from aging (I put him on Red Cell a couple of months later at the vet’s suggestion). We also did a round of Panacur PowerPack, probiotics, and took him off the highly sulfured well water, all with no change in his condition. While examining his manure, I discovered a five-inch strand of undigested hay (yes, I actually measured it!). Up to that point, I had only ever noticed occasional strands of undigested hay of approximately two inches. I discussed the manure findings with my same regular vet and had him out to see the horse again and examine his teeth. He again did what I considered a superficial exam by feeling the horse’s molars from the outside, did not open his mouth or use a speculum.

Since moving the horse to my own property five months later and having him on finer hay and some pasture (he has Cushing’s so has limited grazing), his manure is normal with an occasional two-inch strand of undigested hay. His blood count from March was 31/11. Now I noticed that he has developed a slight underbite.

My questions are: Is grinding and rounding of the incisors an acceptable technique, especially when no work was done on the molars?

What would cause the development of an underbite and how much can it contribute to problems chewing?

Given that the horse had no underbite before, is it something that would or could be corrected?

What future dental work should I expect to need to be done? Thank you for your time in reading this long history and I appreciate any insights you can provide.

Question: I have a 21-year-old American Saddlebred mare that is routinely vetted twice a year, given appropriate vaccines, dewormed regularly, her teeth are checked during routine vet checks and floated when recommended by the vet. Since I acquired this mare in 1998, I have had three different vets float her teeth. I usually use the same vet all the time, but occassionally another fills in. All have said her teeth are in excellent condition. However, when she first came to me, I noticed that she quided relatively frequently. I mentioned this to each vet and over the years, even after she has been properly floated by three different vets, she continues to quid with the same frequency. I might see anywhere from 3 to 8 chewed quids of hay each day, depending on the season as she eats less hay when grass is in. She also drops feed from her mouth (pellets and senior with supplements) when she is eating and has done so from the first time I fed her. What, other than needing floating, that all three vets may have missed, could be causing my mare to drop feed and quid? This has got me stumped. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Question: My yearling colt has alot of unchewed grain in his manure. He is thin in spite of being dewormed regularly and has all the pasture and grass hay he needs. He is not fed with other horses, and he doesn't bolt his grain. In fact, he takes a very long time to eat his meal (3 pounds of Omolene 300, twice a day). He is a very laid-back colt, not high strung. Can he have a dental problem? He just turned a year old in May.

Question: I have a 2 1/2 year old Shetland pony who is shedding teeth. I recently found a front tooth and a little later a molar. She still has "bumps" on both sides of her jaw (lower jaw on the outside). When are they supposed to go down?

Question: Most of the vets in my area use the power dental tools and have stopped the traditional floating of teeth. However, I remember reading research articles that suggested the power tools could seriously damage teeth, killing the roots. The article suggested this would happen unless water was sprayed on the teeth as they were being filed. None of our local vets use water but just say they work quickly so I should not be concerned.
I'd love to have an answer as to the safety of the power tools.

Question: My horse is a 15-year-old Morgan/pony gelding who I've had his whole life. His teeth have been regularly maintained by his veterinarian. This year, we noticed that he had a lot of tartar on his teeth. He has lived in a different environment for the last year and also had a change in diet. Since I've only owned one other horse that never had this problem I wonder if it's common or something to be concerned about.

Question: As my warmblood gelding gets older, he is more inclined to develop large deposits of tartar on/around his canines that my veterinarian has to cut off with dental tools. What can be done to prevent this build-up?

Question: I have a 4-year-old Morgan cross mare that has yet to have her wolf teeth pulled and my vet has told me they are large and shouldn't interfere with the bit. Should I go ahead and have them removed now or do I leave them in and wait to see if they interfere with the bit later down the road?

Question: I have a 4-month-old colt with a pronounced over-bite or parrot mouth. What is the best way to treat this? I've heard about a procedure called the Riedinger procedure. Is this a successful treatment?

Question: While bridling my 8-year-old gelding, I noticed something that I believe was strange. When looking in his mouth from the front, you can see a little of his gums from behind his top front teeth. He doesn't drop feed when he eats since we recently had his teeth floated. He doesn't seem to be in any kind of pain. It looks basically like extra gum behind his upper front teeth.

I have seen him, on occassion, nibble trees and such and have since made sure he has access to mineral blocks and electrolytes top dressed on his feed.
Any ideas on what this could be? When I had his teeth examined and floated, the vet didn't notice anything unusual, but I'm not sure if it was there then or not.

Question: My mare saw a veterinarian specialized in dentistry when she was 3-years-old and I was concerned her "bumps" on her jaw were huge. He took out a wolf tooth and floated her and said they were fine. I had an equine dentist come when she was 3-1/2 and he took caps off and said they may never totally resolve, but that she was fine. She is 4-years-old now and I don't know what to think.

Question: I had two chiropractors tell me my horse was out in his right TMJ, and that it might be causing dental issues. My dentist isn't concerned but the chiro/vet did say he was only chewing on one side. His teeth were just checked last week and were smooth, but that wasn't the focus of the exam. Also, he did have a fractured tooth, one of the upper cheek teeth. Should I be concerned?

Question: A holistic equine dentist has come for my horse's annual visit for the past two years. I am very satisfied with his treatment; however, I have been told that he will have to sedate my horse at some point in order to perform some necessary procedure. My horse is a 12-year-old Tennessee Walking horse. Is this true? Thank you for your unbiased opinion.

Question: I have changed my horse to a french link bit, which he works well in. However, he has started to bear his teeth while working and I have no idea why and would like to know the reason he has a flash bridle.

Question: When is the right age to begin floating a horse's teeth? What is the first sign that a horse needs their teeth floated?

Question: I have a 5-year-old gelding who we believe suffered a trauma to his inner lower lip, which left a scar on both sides. He is a bit fearful of anyone trying to enter his mouth from the right side. I had his mouth examined during the prepurchase exam and the veterinarian sedated him and used a speculum. He has ulcers on his cheeks and his teeth are extremely sharp. Since he had this trauma, and is clearly afraid to be handled in the mouth, I assume I will need to sedate him for floating. Should I have him hand floated or power floated and should it be done by a regular vet or the "equine dentist" they use at the barn?