Texas - Oklahoma - Louisiana
Equine Dentistry

Dr. J.D. Norris of Equine Dentistry writes a monthly column in Cowboy Times magazine. Here is the June 2008  column:

This month we need to review a subject that often comes up in our dental work.  We hear the statement "my grandfather never had anything done like this to his horses". Well, there were several reasons why very little was done to horses in the way of dentistry in the past.  The primary reason is the way horses were handled.  Horses were turned out to pasture and had their heads down grazing approximately 16 to 18 hours a day.  With their heads down to eat, the body mechanics are such that the teeth match and wear normally.  Because of this, the main dental procedure needed back then was just knocking off sharp points, or "floating".  Other benefits to the horse being turned out to pasture to roam and graze were that the body had a natural stretch, the digestive system functioned as it should and the feet wore naturally.

Another reason we have to do more dental work on horses today as compared to many years ago is because of the way we feed them.  Most horses with bad dental problems are stalled most of the time.  They get a flake of hay and a helping of grain twice a day, which is primarily fed in elevated feeders.  The effect of feeding horses with their heads elevated in an unnatural position is that the teeth do not match, and so they wear in an abnormal manner.  This causes dental problems such as hooks, beaks, transverse ridges, excessive molar and/or incisor growth, etc.  Feeding this way also causes food to go through the gut in large waves instead of a small constant flow as nature intended.  The horse also has to deal with boredom in between feedings, which can often be as long as 10 or 11 hours.  This can cause grinding of teeth, cribbing, etc., which also causes abnormal dental wear and can even cause stomach ulcers. 

Also, more dentistry is being done today because we are becoming more aware of the effect teeth are having on body mechanisms, plus we are advancing in technology and equipment available for use in equine dentistry, and the medications available for sedation are improving, which allows us to better do the work.  If you have any questions about this article, please contact me at jdnorrisdvm@hotmail.com.