Equine Dentistry

No. Your horse’s teeth continually erupt for upwards of 20 to 30 years. It is important to your horse’s overall health and comfort to have its teeth floated on a regular basis.

If your horse is expected to wear a bit, then it is recommended to have the wolf teeth removed. The wolf teeth are located just behind the second premolar and can cause your horse pain when a bit is in its mouth. The wolf teeth can interfere with the intended purpose of the bit.

A horse’s teeth are floated to remove sharp points that develop on the surface of your horse’s teeth due to uneven chewing patterns. These sharp points can develop into a multitude of problems for your horse. The most common problems are; the inability to properly chew which leads to poor nutrition, painful ulcers (infections) that can form on the inner mouth walls, and bit discomfort.

No. Wolf teeth are not always present. If a horse has wolf teeth they appear just behind the second premolars in the upper jaw and very rarely in the lower jaw. A horse may have as few as one wolf tooth, or as many as four.

It is recommended to have these teeth pulled before a horse is 2 years old, as the root system is not fully developed. If your horse is expected to wear a bit they can cause pain or interfere with the bit if they are left intact.

A horse’s wolf teeth are its first set of premolars and if not removed can cause the horse a considerable amount of pain when a bit is in its mouth. It is best if these teeth are pulled before a horse is 2 years old as the root system is not fully developed. Statistics shows as many as 32% of all horses are born with wolf teeth. This includes both males and females.

The canine teeth are a horse’s “fighting teeth” and are generally only present in male horses. These teeth generally erupt between the ages of four and five and typically do not need to be removed. These teeth can range in size from very small to large. If they are large, or are very long, they may interfere with bridling. These teeth, unlike the molar and incisors, do not continue to grow throughout the horse’s lifetime, so once they are filed down they should no longer present a bridling problem.

Yes. Your horse will be given a sedative prior to getting it’s teeth floated. While the horse will be sedated, it will still be able to stand on all fours.

Just like humans, horses will differ in the amount of time it takes for a sedative to wear off. Typically a horse will feel normal again in about an hour’s time. It is important to not give your horse grain or hay until the sedative has completely worn off as it can affect the horse’s ability to swallow.