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THIS IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF ARTICLES ON EQUINE DENTISTRY. WE HOPE YOU FIND THESE ARTICLES INFORMATIVE AND THOUGHT PROVOKING. AFTER READING, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT THE CLINIC FOR ANSWERS, TO HAVE YOUR HORSE ASSESSED OR TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR DENTAL WORK.

Introduction to the Benefits of Accurate assessment and Equilibration of Equine Dental Arcades

The practice of equine dentistry and all associated treatments pertaining to the oral cavity have been performed for many years. There is documentation to suggest that people have been studying equine dentition well before the start of the A.D.

The horse is classified as a herbivore and by definition an animal who subsists exclusively on a plant diet. By design they are foragers meaning they prefer to graze small amounts of grass or hay constantly although they have adapted well to domestication and scheduled meals.
The digestive process starts at the mouth. The lips are used to pick up loose grass and forage material. The incisor teeth are used to cut long pasture grass or cut up larger forms of food such as apples or carrots. Once the food is in the mouth it is moved with the tongue back to the cheek teeth, the premolars and molars, where it is ground into smaller pieces. This is called mastication. This chewing motion exposes more surface area of the food and mixes the few digestive enzymes and saliva with the food bolus. Saliva, a viscous material made up mostly of mucous, a serous secretion, bicarbonate and a few enzymes, is secreted by the parotid, polystomatic sublingual and mandibular salivary glands. These help to buffer and lubricate food so it passes down through the esophagus smoothly.
Problems with the teeth or oral cavity can affect the ability of the horse to chew or swallow properly. Quidding, the inability to chew food into a bolus small enough to swallow is seen as incompletely chewed food dropping out the mouth. Other signs of problems are large particles in the feces, weight loss, swellings of the head, discharge out the nostrils, draining tracts and/or offensive smells coming out the mouth.
It is largely accepted that the horse benefits in many ways from today’s practice of good dental exams and equilibrations as part of a regular maintenance schedule, i.e. at least every 12 months.
Areas that should be visualized, palpated and assessed:
1) Symmetry of the head
2) Musculature of the head
3) Incisors (front teeth)
4) Canines if present (located just in front of where the bit sits)
5) The bars, i.e. area above and below the bitting area
6) The cheek teeth (back teeth sometimes referred to as molars) utilizing a full mouth speculum and a good light source
o If you can’t easily visualize each tooth it is not possible to perform an accurate    assessment of the oral cavity
Performing an accurate oral exam- what is needed
1) A safe environment
   o preferably a stable/barn with good level footing
2) A well trained/mannered horse
o A horse that can be approached easily and given shots
3) Sedation for the horse so an accurate oral exam can be performed
o To assess the oral cavity accurately the horse needs to be relatively still
4) A good light source
   o If you can’t visualize every tooth in the oral cavity then you can’t assess it accurately
5) Full mouth speculum
o A device to hold the horses mouth open
6) A mirror and explorer may be necessary to assist in assessment of periodontal disease, cavities and compromised pulps (nerves)
Once the masticatory (chewing) system has been assessed a treatment plan can be made that best suits your horse and its dentition. It is important that all factors are taken into account where possible, i.e. age, job description, condition of the animal etc.
Establishing proper balance is very important to your horse. The ultimate goal is to have your horse’s dentition as functional as possible to maximize mastication (chewing) of food and comfort with the addition of hardware to the mouth (bridle bit). Anything that compromises this system will in turn compromise your horse’s wellbeing.
Goals to achieve maximum masticatory function:
1) Incisors to be balanced to the temporomandibular joint (jaw joint behind the eye)
2) Mandible (lower jaw) to have the ability to move in all directions unimpeded while achieving maximum occlusion
o Laterally (to the side), rostral (forward) and caudal (backward)
          []Reduction of hooks, waves, steps and ramps that block these movements.
3) Maintaining the maximum surface area on the chewing surface to maximize efficiency
4) Removal of sharp enamel points protuberant to soft tissue that may coarse ulceration of the oral cavity
It is important to note that experience, sound knowledge of dentition, biomechanics and surrounding structures are necessary to achieve maximum comfort and function of the equine masticatory system. It is easy to achieve sound academic knowledge of this system but experience is something you can not learn from the internet or book, buy or manufacture. For your horses sake endeavor to ask pertinent questions and make sure your chosen equine dental practitioner has the experience necessary to take care of your horse.

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