Importance of routine equine dentistry

[LMuirEDT]

Not blowing my own trumpet

but had a very good case for routine equine dentistry and thought I would share it with you.

A client of mine has a horse who has a few issues. He's generally good but lately he's been a bit funny leading round and threatened to rear when ridden a couple of times. He's a big chap and knows it so she just put it down to him trying it on. She doesn't ride him much, a quick walk round the block a couple of times a week so he can be quite excited to get out (he's 17.2hh, KWPN, 10yrs so could be doing a lot more!). Anyway he was due his annual check up and last year he was a star. This time he was really funny with us, backing up and threatening to rear again. Turns out he had fractured one of his molar teeth and the broken part was still there but v wobbly and sticking into his gum. To her he showed no obvious signs of teeth problems and was eating feed/hay/water all normally and 90% of the time was fine to handle. She only asked me to do him as she knew he was due and was amazed when I said what I'd found.

All ended fine. He got sedated by vet to have a proper check and the loose piece of tooth came out fine and now he's completely back to normal.

We would never have identified the problem though if she hadn't had a routine dental check up for her horse.

 

[Janah]

Had almost exactly the same thing with my boy two years ago. he had a fractured tooth that half of which was displaced and digging in his gum. Eating drinking etc normally. I knew nothing about it until he had his annual check up! Vet and EDT took offending piece out. About 9 months later removed other half of tooth.

He know has a check up every 6 months as the opposing tooth has nothing to grind on and could become overlong.

Jane