Older horse gaps between front teeth

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Lucky788

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As title, wonder if I can ask for experiences with older horses and wear on their teeth.
Since moving yards (it's been 2months) my horse keeps getting food stuck between the gap of his front teeth which then packs up behind his lip at the front. I'm cleaning them out twice a week but it stinks!
He is happy enough, equine dentist (fully qualified who has seen him for the last 6 years) is not concerned said it will just be a case of keeping them clean, previously I just had to clean the gap out every few weeks.
If he's on shorter grass there is no issue with it and he didn't have this at any previous yard yet gap has been there for the last few years. It's only grass never hay or feed caught up.
Vet is out end of the month for jabs so will ask there advice too but it certainly isn't causing him any issues and he is letting me get it out with a toothbrush.

Any advice or tips greatly appreciated. :)
 
We have one, I just clear it every so often and vet suggested squirting some mouthwash at it every so often as he had a bit of gingivitis and it smells less now ;). He's had it a couple of years now and it has slowly gotten bigger so the grass gets less jammed in!
 
They're called diastemas. They're worse when the gaps are smaller and the food packs in, rather than slipping through. The strands of hay are longer, it's easier for the horse to take it to the back of the mouth, where as grass tends to take more work to get back. Clean them out as best you can to help keep the gum healthy. If they're really smelly, get your vet or EDT to flush them clean properly and as them if you can have a giant syringe so you can do the same.
 
Diastema is just the technical term for a gap between teeth in mammals. They're more rare in the molars due to the way they're used. The molar teeth don't tend to move as much as the incisors do when horses get older.
As the teeth start to move forward, the root angle changes and that's when the gaps then begin to form.

I spend far too much time ask my vet loads of questions and googling vet journals afterwards... :o
 
My 21yr old has got EOTRH. I do apologise that I cant remember the full name of the condition but it is shortened to this. He has had his lower incisors removed and could really do with the uppers removed but between the vet and I we have decided to keep them in as he seems perfectly happy for now and if any issues arise we will deal with it at the time. Anyway, his upper teeth look very long due to the receding gums and he also gets grass balled up between the front of his teeth and his lip. I have to clean them out every 3 days or so with a metal toothpick and syringe very diluted hibiscub (if the gums are looking a bit inflamed) or I normally use warm water and blast it through the teeth. I've also found the grass has started to collect at the back of the front teeth as well. This is easier for me to check as he cant bite down on me now so I can have a good look but bear it in mind just in case it looks clean at the front and there might be food etc collecting at the back.
 
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