All horses should receive a complete dental exam, at least yearly, starting from their first year of life. By the time most horse owners recognize that a horse is having trouble eating or is losing weight, that horse’s teeth may be severely abnormal.  

Proper dental care from the beginning of the horse’s life can help eliminate problems before they start. Do not attempt to perform dental procedures on your horse. Seek an experienced equine dentist or equine veterinarian to undertake these necessary horse care issues. 

Equine dentists or equine veterinarians that perform dentistry (‘equine dentists’ will be used for the rest of the article) look for different situations in the horse’s mouth at different stages of the horse’s life. The following table lists situations that are most common at these stages.  

* Hooks = abrupt elevation at rostral or back edge of tooth, involves entire tooth surface  

** Ramps = area where dental arcade slopes and exposed crown is taller at one end of tooth than other  

*** Beaks = enamel point on back or rostral edge of arcade

These are signs that a horse is having problems with his teeth:  

• long, unchewed particles of hay in manure; 

• changes in eating or drinking habits; 

• irregular movement of lower jaw; 

• bumps or enlargement on jaw/side of face;  

• abnormal tongue carriage; 

• sharp points on front of first lower or upper molars;  

• oral pain; 

• head shy; 

• quidding – dropping partially chewed food from mouth;  

• weight loss; 

• halitosis (bad breath); 

• abnormal slurping sound during chewing; 

• food pocketing between teeth; 

• loosening and loss of teeth; 

• lacerations of cheek and tongue; 

• ‘hamster-like’ cheek swelling; 

• very slow chewing; 

• inappetence; 

• holding head in abnormal position during eating; 

• using one side of the mouth for chewing; 

• reluctance to eat hay; 

• spending more time eating; 

• abnormal head carriage; 

• resistant to bit; 

• headshaking during work; 

• foul smelling chronic nasal discharge from one nostril; 

• excess salivation (drooling or foaming); 

• bleeding from mouth; 

• swelling or distortion of lips;  

• tooth displacement. 

Selecting an equine dentist or equine veterinarian that specializes in dentistry  

An equine dentist does not have to be certified; therefore, there is no universal standard of quality.  

Check to see if the equine dentist is a member of the International Association of Equine Dentistry, an organization of non-veterinary equine dental practitioners that has set certain standards.  

Check to see if a veterinarian is a member of the American Veterinary Dental Society or has a fellowship in the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry. Additionally, the veterinarian could have taken continuing education classes in dentistry offered by the American Association of Equine Practitioners. Word of mouth, or referral, is another good way to find an equine dentist or veterinarian.  

Resources

Allen T., September, 2004 Changes in Horse Dentistry. The Horse 98.  

Easely J., 1998 Dental care and instrumentation. Veterinary Clinics of North America Equine Practice 14(2): 309-332.  

Dixon P.M. and Dacre I., 2005 A review of equine dental disorders. The Veterinary Journal 169: 165-187.  

Moore J., August, 1992 Tooth Triumphs and Troubles. Equus 178: 40-44, 77-81.  

Scrutchfield W.L. and Shumacher J., 1993 Examination of the oral cavity and routine dental care. Veterinary Clinics of North America Equine Practice 9(1): 123-131.  

Thomas H.S., October, 2004 Getting to the root of it. Stable Management 26-29.  

Tremaine H., 1997 Dental care in horses. In Practice 19(4): 186-199.   

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