East Midlands
Mark Buckley - Member of the EGTI
American Trained / Teeth Floating / Dental Hygiene / Fully Insured
Treatment
MARKS APPROACH AND ASSESSMENT OF
YOUR HORSE'S MOUTH
"On arrival to the yard, a full head and mouth examination will take place and findings will be discussed with the owner.
As we all know the only horse to talk was 'Mr Ed' and unfortunately I have not seen one since! So its important to know your horse and observe their ways and if they start to do things out of the ordinary whilst being ridden or eating, think of getting their teeth checked as a possible cause, even if they are not due - just because we can't see them,
doesn't mean they are ok!
A horses grinding range of motion during chewing is down, out, up and in. This motion in turn causes sharp edges and points to appear at the buccal (outside) of the upper cheek teeth and lingual (tongue) side of the lower teeth. Removing these is the main procedure undertaken which in turn will reduce the risk of your horses cheeks and tongue becoming lacerated causing severe discomfort.
The occlusal surface of the cheek teeth should be rough but not interlocking. It is important to respect the rough ooclusal ridging created by the relationship of the upper and lower cheek teeth as this is where the grinding of food takes place.
The canines will also be dressed and made rounded and smooth enhancing tongue movement, preventing tongue injuries and biting problems.
BENEFITS OF REGULAR DENTAL CARE
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Better overall health
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Reducing your feed bill
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Better performance
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Lowers the (but not eliminate) risks of colic
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Proper and regular prophlaxsis (dental treatment) aids air flow during exercise
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Ability to utilise all the nutrients from food
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Happier horse
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Happier owner
(PLEASE NOTE THIS LIST IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE)
Tartar builds up around the canines and can become very painful to the soft gingival tissue at the base of the tooth, if the tissue is disturbed periodental issues often follow.
With regular check ups this can be removed.
The incisors will be checked and treated accordingly as to not interfere with the anterior and posterior movement (APM) which is very important to the horse as he lowers his head, this movement allows the incisors to line up enabling the horse to incise grass correctly and efficiently. Chewing and swallowing of grass and forage is done better when the head is lowered.
After each visit you will be given a dental chart recording the treatment under taken, I find this very useful to remember past treatments on individual horses and useful for owners to refer to for case information and call back dates.
Over the years of dealing with a variety of horses, I have learnt different approach methods and find treating horses in a calm and quiet manner results in an enjoyable and stress free experience for horse and owner.
All my work is done with hand floats and I do not
use power tools.
Remember it is in horses nature and instinct to keep eating, no matter how much discomfort they are in, because in the wild once they show weakness, they become a target.
Therefore please remember regular dental check ups are important to catch any problems before they become one; less stress for your best friend, means less stress for you.
