Equine Dentistry

In some cases your horse may require more extensive dental work.

This may be necessary if teeth have developed excessive overgrowths, for example if teeth are missing or positioned incorrectly, if there is poor natural conformation of the mouth, or if regular dental care has not been provided previously.

In these cases motorised equipment is always used, as it allows overgrowths to be reduced much more quickly than with manual instruments, thus minimising the stress to the horse and decreasing the time required for the mouth to be held open.

Sedation is always necessary when motorised tools are being used as there is far more chance of causing damage to the teeth or soft tissue structures should the horse move his head. Overgrown teeth can often be fully reduced in one treatment, however in some cases 2 or more treatments 3 to 6 months apart may be necessary to avoid risk of pulp exposure and extreme damage to the teeth.

We own both mains operated and battery operated power tool units, and can therefore provide corrective dental work both at the clinic and at your yard or field.

Before a horse’s dental problems can be treated, they must be correctly diagnosed.

Some painful, serious dental conditions are difficult to diagnose during routine dental examinations and if your horse has ongoing problems, further diagnostic imaging is indicated.

Dental Imaging Facilities

Our excellent dental imaging facilities ensure accurate diagnosis and we are constantly updating our equipment and expertise in order to offer the best options for treatment of dental disease on site.

We offer a range of dental diagnostics, from free routine dental checks at the time of routine vaccination, to oral endoscopy, dental radiography and sinoscopy.

Portable Dental Endoscope

The portable dental endoscope allows real-time images of every part of your horse’s mouth to be viewed on screen during the examination and images can be archived for future reference.

This unit is particularly valuable in the diagnosis of valve diastemata, dental caries and fractured teeth.

These lesions can result in tooth root infection, gum disease and recession and periodontal disease that if untreated can result in sinusitis or infection in the jaw bone. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent future problems.

Digital Radiography Machine

Our digital radiography machine produces quality images to aid accurate diagnosis of dental conditions. It is used most often for assessment of diastemata, fractures of teeth and bone, and assessment of potentially infected tooth roots and sinuses.

Sinoscopy involves direct imaging of the inside of the sinuses (air filled structures of the head) by inserting a flexible endoscopic camera through a small hole drilled through the skull.

This is usually performed under standing sedation at the clinic, and can be very useful when diagnosing conditions such as sinusitis. It can also enable imaging of the roots of the upper cheek teeth, thus aiding diagnosis of tooth root infections.

In addition, sinuses can be flushed out if they are filled with purulent material, which can relieve symptoms and allow more accurate radiographic images to be obtained.

Our excellent dental imaging facilities ensure accurate diagnosis and we are constantly updating our equipment and expertise in order to offer the best options for treatment of dental disease on site.

Fractured or infected teeth may necessitate extraction and where possible we remove diseased teeth through the mouth, under standing sedation and local nerve blocks.

This is a time consuming, delicate procedure but carries a reduced risk of post-operative complications compared to other extraction techniques and avoids the risks associated with general anaesthesia.

When oral extraction is not possible, we have the facilities and access to experts in the field, who can perform extraction via a surgical approach and both endoscopic and radiographic imaging are used to ensure all dental tissues are removed, reducing the risk of complications. The patient remains at the practice for the surgery and post-operative care, reducing travelling and making visiting easier.

Diastemata is the name given to gaps that can form between the teeth.

In some cases these gaps trap food, causing gum disease and severe pain.

If left untreated then the gum disease can spread, and cause infection of the periodontal structures that attach the tooth to the gum and alveolar bone; in some cases infection of the bone or sinuses may also occur.

Diagnosis of Diastemata & Periodontal Disease

Provisional diagnosis can be made by a combination of clinical signs such as quidding (dropping balls of partly chewed food from the mouth), weight loss or halitosis (smelly breath), and careful palpation of the teeth especially at gum level. Use of a dental mirror and bright light, or our dental endoscope will give further information pertaining to the location of the diastemata and extent of gum disease.

Radiographs are often employed in order to assess the bony structures of the head and any tooth root involvement, and to give an indication of whether the condition is likely to get better with time. This is especially important in younger horses.

Treatment of Periodontal Disease

Our Periodontal Unit allows us to treat and manage this serious condition. The food and diseased tissue can be removed using pressuring water and air abrasion and where necessary gaps can be widened to prevent food becoming trapped. This is often performed in combination with dental correction as overgrowths are often seen with this sort of dental disease. Pockets in the gum can then be filled with antibiotic and impression material to allow healing to occur. In some cases dental extraction may be indicated, for example if the affected teeth are loose or there is evidence of tooth root infection.

The specialised periodontal unit can also be used to prepare fractured incisor teeth for filling. Filling the exposed pulp cavity prevents infection getting into the tooth root and killing the tooth.