Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

What about the incisors? They are also constantly erupting, and they will start off almost verti- cal to one another. If you look in the mouth of a young horse, the teeth will be nice and vertical, but as they age, they grow out, which is part of normal aging. Typically, if we see problems with the incisors, it’s the result of something back in the molars and premolars. It could be that the horse is chew- ing on one side of the mouth more than other. Thus, when you look at the incisors on the side that the horse is not chewing on, you’ll notice that he’s not wearing a particular incisor as much as the others. In a case such as this, we actually cut off the end of that incisor. Incisors can become damaged and fractured from chewing on fence or stalls, which is a common vice of stabled horses, and is called cribbing. I’ve heard that horses have what are called “wolf teeth.” Can you tell me about these? The wolf teeth on a horse are actu- ally the first premolars, which unlike the other premolars have a single tooth root. Wolf teeth are common- ly removed before the horse starts being trained at around the age of 1 or 2 years. People still debate it, but the com- mon belief in the United States is that it interferes with the bit and could be a source of pain and dis- comfort in the future. In other coun- tries, such as Great Britain, they typ- ically leave the wolf teeth alone. It’s a simple procedure where we sedate and elevate around that tooth, right through the periodontal ligament. Often, if a horse is 2 years old and the wolf teeth are already present, and there is no inflammation, we may not need the anesthetic because the horse doesn’t react at all to what I’m doing in his mouth. Surprising, right? Do you see many instances where a tooth problem has caused a sinus cavity problem? Yes, it’s actually very common. We’ll find an apical tooth root abscess, say on the fourth cheek tooth for example, and a lot of times you’ll be able to discern a foul order coming from the horse’s nose, and a nasal discharge as a result of the sinus infection. We cannot make this diagnosis without radiographs of course, so you can look for a fluid line to verify sinus infection. Often times you will Equine Dentistry DENTAL TRIBUNE | May 201112A f DT page 11A This equine mouth speculum may look like a medieval torture device, but it’s the only way to get a good look at a horse’s teeth. Needless to say, the horse is given a mild sedative before the speculum is inserted. These tools will be recognizable to a dentist, except that these equine versions range around 18 to 20 inches in length. More equine dentisty tools. Dr. Tanner demonstrates ‘floating’ a horse’s teeth, which entails filing down the pointed edges that are not worn down via eating. Dr. Tanner holds an equine dental bur, which is the size of a power tool. This 16-year-old Thoroughbred brood mare does what is called ‘cribbing.’ This is a behavior where the horse incessantly chews on wood. The horse has worn the maxillary incisors down to where they are nubs and there is con- siderable gum recession. It looks as if the horse has probably demineralized the tooth root and there’s even an open cavity, so Dr. Tanner may have to extract it. g DT page 14A