The Importance of Regular Teeth Cleanings for Your Horse
A healthy mouth plays an important role in your horse's health. Poorly maintained teeth can lead to pain, infections, difficulty eating, and weight loss. Regular dental care and teeth cleaning reduce the risk of common dental issues, including periodontal (gum) disease.
How Periodontal Disease Can Affect Your Pet
Periodontal disease occurs when the bacteria in plaque and tartar irritate and inflame the gums. Decomposing food trapped between the cheek teeth also plays a role in gum disease in horses, according to Animals. As the food rots, it inflames the gums and may trigger bacterial infections in the gum tissue.
Inflammation and infection of the gum tissue can cause deep spaces around the teeth, known as pockets. Pockets occur when the gums begin to pull away from the teeth. The pockets trap food, worsening periodontal disease.
The gums hold the teeth in place and protect the jawbone. Although gum disease initially causes mild symptoms, like swollen or red gums, severe gum disease can destroy gum tissues. Teeth may loosen or fall out when the gums no longer anchor them. Periodontal disease is the primary cause of tooth loss in horses, according to dvm360.
Your horse may be more likely to develop periodontal disease if it has overlapping teeth or a diastema, a gap between teeth. Overlapping teeth trap small portions of feed and plaque, while diastemas allow feed to accumulate between teeth. Unfortunately, trapped food isn't always easily visible, particularly if a gap between teeth is small. If your horse doesn't receive regular dental care and professional cleanings, trapped food could eventually cause gum disease.
Periodontal disease can affect horses of any age, but is more common in older horses.
Signs of periodontal disease include:
- Bad Breath
- Red Gums
- Swollen Gums
- Dropping Food When Eating
- Slow Eating
- Disinterest in Food
- Bloody Mucus
- Receding Gums
- Pus
- Loose or Missing Teeth
- Weight Loss
- Reluctance to Accept a Bit
- Irritability and Other Behavioral Changes
Preventing Periodontal Disease with Teeth Cleaning and Dental Care
Scheduling regular cleanings and dental exams for your horse is a simple way to protect its teeth. Cleanings remove plaque, tartar, and pieces of trapped feed from above and below the gum line. If your horse already has periodontal disease, your veterinarian will remove bacteria and food debris from the pockets around teeth. Cleaning the pockets helps the gums heal and reattach to the teeth.
Your veterinarian may recommend treating a diastema to prevent food buildup. This can be accomplished by:
- Widening the diastema to allow food to pass between teeth easily
- Closing the diastema with a synthetic filling material
- Reshaping uneven teeth to prevent food buildup
As you can imagine, horses don't always cooperate with dental exams and treatments. Sedating your horse improves your pet's comfort and ensures your veterinarian can perform a thorough examination.
Floating may also be performed during a dental visit. The treatment corrects misaligned teeth and files down sharp points or hooks on the cheek teeth that form due to uneven wear. The points and hooks can damage the gums, cheeks, and tongue, causing ulcers or infections. Floating creates a smooth surface that makes chewing easier and more comfortable.
Yearly dental cleanings can help your horse avoid discomfort, gum disease, and other dental issues. In some cases, horses may need more frequent treatments.
Is it time for your horse's dental cleaning? Get in touch with our office to schedule a convenient dental visit with the veterinarian.
Sources:
NCBI: Animals: Bacterial Periodontitis in Horses: An Epidemiological Study in Southern Italy, 5/30/2023
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10251870/
Dvm360: Periodontal Disease in Horses: What Causes It—and How to Fix It, 3/17/2020
https://www.dvm360.com/view/periodontal-disease-in-horses-what-causes-it-and-how-to-fix-it
Texas A&M University Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science: Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: Equine Dental Care, 2/11/2021
https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/equine-dental-care/
Kentucky Equine Research: Basic Dental Care for Horses, 12/1/2021
https://ker.com/equinews/basic-dental-care-for-horses/
National Equine Dental Practitioners: Periodontal Disease in Horses, 6/26/2017
