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.

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

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

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!

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.

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.

Common Dental Procedures

• Dental Equilibration - “Floating” to remove enamel points

• Extract wolf teeth.• Reduce hooks• Reduce ramps• Correct unopposed

teeth• Correct overgrown

teeth

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

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.

The finished product

Retained Deciduous Premolars- Caps

Wolf Tooth Extraction

Indication:• Vestigial, serve no

purpose and may cause problems

• Head tossing• Irritation secondary to

bit trauma• Beginning training

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

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.

Other Dental Procedures

• Incisor reduction• Canine reduction• Molar reduction• “Bit seat”

Incisor reduction• Correction of incisor

misalignment• Hand float• Dremel tool• Motorized raspImprove molar contact

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

Molar/Premolar Reduction

• Reduction of excess clinical crown

• Step mouth• Severe ramps and hooks• Wave mouth• Shear mouth

“Bit Seat”

Rounding of the rostral edge of 106/206 and 306/406

Smooth surface for cheek to rest with bit pressure

Hooks/Ramps

• Excessive crown is greater in the vertical axis

o Hooks – 106/206o Ramps – 311/411

• Result of mal-alignment of the mandibular and maxillary arcades

• Function of domestication

Step Mouth

• Individual super-erupted tooth

• Usually un-apposedo Missing apposing tooth

Wave Complex

• A series of super erupted teeth apposed by a series of excessively worn teeth

o Age relatedo Wearing of the

infundibular enamel

Recommendations

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

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.

• A.A.E.P 1996. The official Guide for Determining the Age of the Horse. American Association of Equine Practitioners. Golden, Colorado.

• Blackwell. 2009. Equine Manual for Veterinary Technicians. Blackwell Publishing. Ames, Iowa

James M. Casey, D.V.M., M.S.www.equinehorsevet.com

Sources

• 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