Equine Dental Disease

Equine periodontal disease, or equine dental disease, is the most common cause of tooth loss in horses. Domestication, highly processed grain diets, confinement and minimal exposure to grazing has caused an increase of periodontal disease in horses over the last few hundred years. Equine dental disease is easily prevented by regular dental checkups and by understanding the signs of tooth wear.

  1. Dental Anatomy

    • Horses have 36 to 44 permanent teeth including six upper and lower incisors, three or four premolars, and three molar teeth in the upper and lower jaw. A horse's teeth are long to allow for the constant grinding of feed and are primarily composed of a reserve crown buried deep below the gum line. Unlike in humans, a horse's teeth continue to grow through old age until worn down by the constant grinding of top and bottom molars.

    Causes

    • The most common cause of dental disease is misalignment of the teeth (malocclusion). If horses are unable to consistently grind down their teeth as the reserve crown grows, malocclusion can become a serious issue and cause impaction in the gums. Often infection can be caused by impacted feed or plaque on the teeth. As a horse grows older, their reserve crown can become exhausted, preventing the horse from chewing properly.

    Symptoms

    • Dental disease in horses can develop slowly with no outward symptoms until complications occur such as gingivitis (infection of the gums), infection of the tooth roots and infection of the sinuses. Signs to look for: Quidding (dropping partially chewed food), heliotoses (bad breath), weight loss, resisting bits, head shaking, biting, excessive salivation, behavioral problems and changes in fecal consistency.

    Treatment

    • A veterinarian should be called if a horse is exhibiting signs of dental disease. In the case of malocclusion, a file or chisel is used to file down any long or sharp teeth. If the teeth are impacted or seriously diseased, the veterinarian will pull them. According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the use of a hand scaler (file), dental probe, 0.1 percent chlorhexidine solution and an elongated water pick is used to remove food and debris from between teeth.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Equine dental disease is easily preventable. Veterinarians should perform dental examinations twice a year, as well as whenever a horse is exhibiting symptoms of dental disease. Louisiana State University states that, "Up to 10 percent of equine veterinary practice time in the US involves dental related conditions." Horses of all ages should be examined regularly.