Dentistry

Our knowledge of equine dentistry has gone through some dramatic improvements through the last 5 years. Prior to this time, most veterinarians & horse owners thought floating teeth was the entirety of horse dentistry. We now know that floating is a fundamental aspect of dentistry but not the whole picture, any more so than we believe that brushing ones teeth is the sum total of human dentistry. One concept of dentistry which holds true for both horse & man is that prevention or correcting minor problems is much easier to deal with than is large-scale correction.

Clues of dental discomfort or pain sometimes obviously originate in the mouth, other times not.

1. large pieces of forage and undigested grain in manure
2. excessive spillage of grain, difficulty chewing
3. weight loss & poor coat
4. decreased athletic performance & communication with the rider
5. drooling
6. head tilts, head tossing, or bucking
7. bad breath
8. difficult chewing
9. bit chewing, fighting the bit
10. tongue lolling
11. tail wringing

If your Reining horse resists stopping, your Barrel horse doesn't complete a turn, or your Hunter resists the introduction & signals of the bit, your horse may have correctable oral pain.

Ron Friedman, DVM
Diplomate American College of Theriogenologists
Friedman Veterinary Service LLC / The Oregon Equine Reproduction Center
PO Box 695, Lake Oswego, Oregon 97034
Phone: (503) 675-0757 Fax: (503) 635-6637 Email: rfdvm97034@yahoo.com .