1. Topic: 3204J By: Anna Fields
Equine Dentistry
Topic: 3204J
By: Anna Fields

2. Reason for Dentist care
Abnormal wear
Eliminate hooks & points
Create “bit seat”
Pull wolf teeth
Remove caps
Broken tooth
Abscessed tooth

3. Signs that Horse is in Need of Dentistry Work
Drops feed out of mouth
Sensitive around mouth area
Swelling or heat around jaw
Losing weight
Resistant to the bit
Abnormal teeth wear

4. Teeth Problems Parrot Mouth OR Over-shot jaw Monkey Mouth OR
Upper jaw over laps lower jaw
Monkey Mouth OR
Under-shot jaw
Lower jaw over laps upper jaw

5. Cribbing Wear Horses that crib often wear their incisors abnormally
Note the angled wear of this horses central incisors

6. Abnormal Molar Wear Wave Mouth Step Mouth

7. Abnormal Incisor Wear
Due to the upper incisor being damaged, the lower incisor has no grinding surface.
Result is uneven
wear

8. Hooks
Hooks can occur on the upper corner incisors, 1st premolars, and 3rd molars
Created when opposing tooth does not wear down front or back edges of tooth

9. Points Points can occur on any of the premolars or molars
Created due to the lower jaw being slightly narrower than the upper jaw
Points occur on outside edge of upper jaw and inside edge of lower jaw due to unequal grinding
Points have caused sores in this horses cheek

10. Floating Teeth Both hand held & electronic floats pictured above
Filing or Grinding of the teeth
Making grinding tables smooth
Filing off points and hooks
Making a “bit seat”
Both hand held & electronic floats pictured above

11. Speculum
Used to hold horse’s mouth open during floating or other dentistry procedure

12. Floating Teeth A horse’s teeth should be floated at least once a year
Horse’s teeth should be checked every 6 months by a vet or equine dentist

13. We use the horse’s mouth as a way to communicate with them.
In order to have good communication a horse’s mouth must be pain free.
A happy mouth makes happy horses and happy riders!