Cleaning the equines teeth - Nightmare!

[The_Connemara_Queen]

Hi guys,
I've recently just purchased a new mare (eeekk!) and she is just in the process of having her 'MOT'. She had the EDT the other day and she said that she has some gaps between her teeth in both her front teeth and a few each side on the teeth on the back...Shes only 6! So, obviously she is getting food stuck in between them. The EDT said she is coming back in 8 months to check how the gaps are doing, to see if they are getting closer together as she is only young. If they don't, then she will have to get sent away to either have a filling or the gaps made larger (I really hope not; not liking thinking about the vet bill on THAT!). She told me to use my finger nail to get the food inbetween her front teeth out, but with me having no finger nails she said to use a wet cotton bud; which is working but is there not like anything I can use to get right inbetween them?! Also, she said to try and get the food out inbetween her back teeth with the hosepipe; is there anything else I could buy which would be even better to push food out of her back teeth? I'd love to buy one of the Equine Dental gag things..but with saddle, back etc costs its not really an option. Does anyone have any things they seem to use to help there horses with these problems? Toothbrush? Little flossing brush? Any syringes for the back teeth? Thanks x

 

[Goldenstar]

I do the diastemas between fatties front teeth with a soft tooth brush or I should say I did because they have resolved themselves .
I would be getting a vet with dentist training to take a look at the back ones .
They really need cleaning out and the horse will need sedation for this and the horse will need antibiotics if they are in any way infected .
Diastemas between molars when they occur in young horses can resolve as the horse ages however should they need significant treatment it will need a vet as the horse needs sedation and it's an invasive procedure .
Diastemas can make horses very very unhappy because of the discomfort and there's some evidence when infected they can cause stomach ulcers .
I squirt another of my horses who has an nightmare mouth with mint listerine daily during winter when he's stabled he likes it and it's not at all difficult to do , I dilute the listerine three parts water to one listerine .
The hosepipe thing never worked for us it made him unhappy and head shy I get the diatemas cleaned out four times a year they are getting better as he ages he has a lot of work done on them over the years .
You need to practise smelling his mouth before the listerine of course if they are getting yuky you can get a faint whiff of it .
I think you ought to speak to your vet and get a suitably qualified vet to take a look they can do more as they are legally able to do stuff a EDT ought not .

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We had a mare that we had to use mouthwash with a syringe for about 2 yrs in her ear?y teens. She lived to be a very old lady with no further tooth problems.
It is ma y years ago and the vet brought a human dentist to advise.

 

[Micky]

Nail brushes work well for the teeth you can reach but as for the back ones, I'll let everyone else comment! I also use human dental tooth ones with plastic handle and metal curved end for my horses front tooth that needs pic,in gout, but then he is an angel and let's me do it without jerking, 8 yrs on and still lets me...