Equine Dentistry

There is a wide variety of problems that can occur in the mouth apart from the ones mentioned under molar problems and incisor problems. Here are a few listed by keywords and a brief description.

Tumours
There are a variety of tumours that can be found in the mouth of the horse and it can originate from different tissues. Some are benign, others malignant.

Some examples are: Melanomas, Squamous cell carcinomas.

Supernumerary teeth
Too many teeth in the mouth is usually caused by the teeth buds splitting in by trauma in the foetal development. It can also be genetic.

Missing teeth
As described in the section of molar and incisor problems, missing teeth can be caused by and/or will lead to dental and periodontal disease in the horse. The loss of a tooth can be caused by trauma, it can be genetic or it might be due to periodontal disease.

Wolf tooth problems
Apart from the problem the wolf teeth can cause for using being sharp when soft tissue is pressed against it, there are also other problems they can cause. If they are present, but haven't erupted yet (blind), they can cause painful swellings (unerupted) on the bars and/or they can be situated in an abnormal place, all causing bitting problems due to pain. Fractures also occur, but this seldom makes any trouble as the fragements in time will be absorbed.

Canine tooth problems
Tartar, especially around the canines and the incisors' gumline. This should be removed to avoid gum infections. Canines can also get fractured.

Decay and endodontic disease - caries
Decay as we see it in humans rarely occur in the horse. This is probably due to the anatomy of the horses tooth and its ability to produce secondary dentin to fill in cavities.

Periodontal disease
Disease in the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth crown and reserve crown is called periodontal disease. It is caused by infection and inflammation, often because for some reason feed has been allowed to pack into a pocket around the tooth or next to a tooth because of misalignment, missing teeth etc. Periodontal disease can lead to a large number of problems with infections, pain, sinusitis, chewing problems and tooth loss

Ulcers
Because the equine teeth forms such sharp edges and points, the soft tissues in the mouth

Sinusitis
The anatomy of the head makes the connection between the molars and the sinuses quite intimate. An infected root and sinusitis has...........The signs of sinus infection can be swelling and pain of the face, nasal discharge (normally just from one nostril) and ..................It is usually treated with antibiotics, but if this is unsuccessful more serous measures will be made. Making a hole in the sinus from the outside of the scull (trephan...) and flushing the sinuses with saline water is one solution, but if the rooth infection can't be cured in any of these ways, tooth extractions may be a necessity.

Problems in the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) -
Prolapse, arthritis, arthrosis, inflammation and pain
This is a very underestimated problem in the horse and it is very painful. It can cause problems with chewing and being ridden and general behaviour alterations due to the pain. It can be caused by misalignments of the teeth pushing the joint to an unnatural position, it can be caused by a mouth speculum being kept on for too long or in a wrong way, it can be caused by misfitted tack or a rough rider/driver.................. Constant Arthritis can lead to degenerative changes in the joint (artrosis)

Tartar
The buildup of tartar around the teeth by the gumline is a potential problem as it can provide conditions for bacterial growth. In the horse this is mainly a problem around the canine tooth.

Other
Other painful dental or oral disorders or systemic disorders manifesting in the mouth. Infections, wounds, inflammation, tumours etc.

Fractures to skull bones
Oral trauma from bit being pulled too hard or reins being stepped on can cause a part of the jaw bone to be chipped off, this usually won't grow back in place but will instead be sequestered and lie in the same spot to get inflammed and painful, and hard pull on the bit or step on the reins can also seriously damage the tongue. A sequestrum like this should be removed surgically.

Fractures to teeth
Horses falling over, being kicked or banging their heads against something can fracture teeth easily. Clipping of canine teeth and cutting molars can also cause fracture with later infections to the root and surrounding tissues. Wolf teeth being broken off during extraction is something that is not unusal, but it rarely causes any problems as the remains will dissolve and be taken care of by the body.

Tongue injuries
In some sports, especially harness racing, it is very common to use a tongue tie around the horse's tongue to prevent it from sliding back during racing and preventing airflow. Forgetting to remove a tongue tie after racing may seriously damage the tongue. The horse can also inflict trauma on itself in the mouth ie by getting the tongue in the way of the teeth causing wounds, ulcers or in the worst case I have seen a tounge being bitten off completetly.

Pain in the chewing (masticatory) muscles
There are very powerful muscles that makes it possible for the horse to move its lower jaw sideways and to close the mouth (chew). There are conditons that can make these muscles very sore. Myositis is a condition of inflammation of muscles.