Equine Dental FAQ


Equine Dental Care

The teeth of horses are always pushing up through their jaw and are under constant pressure due to grazing. Horses can live a better life with regular veterinary dental work. Healthy teeth allow your horse to keep weight on more easily, chew food without trouble, and have a comfortable time wearing a bit. At Winner's Circle Equine Veterinary Service in Ocala, our veterinarian is fully trained in equine dental work and can keep your horse's mouth in good health.

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What Are the Typical Causes of Equine Dental Issues?

The domestication of the horse has fundamentally changed how a horse's teeth wear down. What hasn't changed with domestication is the pattern in which a horse's teeth emerge and work. Horses spend less time grazing and spend longer periods between meals. Hard feeds and feeding hay high off the floor results in a horse eating at unnatural angles. These angles cause uneven wear and tear which create hooks and waves in the molars. 

Once a hook or wave forms in the teeth, it won't resolve on its own and creates issues with the horse's ability to eat and comfortably wear a bit. Hooks can poke into the cheek and cause sores that rarely heal on their own. Waves prevent the upper and lower molars from connecting and allowing the horse to grind their food for swallowing. These issues can make horses difficult to ride due to pain in their mouth. Dental issues can also cause your horse to weight because they cannot extract nutrition and calories from their food. 

How Can a Vet Help?

When you suspect your horse is experiencing a dental problem, it is time to schedule a dental appointment with our equine veterinarian. Our vet can locate the source of your horse’s dental problems and take the proper steps to correct them. Removing hooks, waves, and smoothing the teeth into a flat grinding surface can restore the full function of your horse’s mouth. After your horse’s dental problems have been addressed, he or she will become easier to handle and ride. Your horse will also have an easier time maintaining a healthy weight.

Equine Veterinarian in Ocala

At Winner's Circle Equine Veterinary Service, our equine veterinarian has years of experience providing dental care to horses in Ocala and the surrounding areas. For more information on our veterinary services or to schedule an appointment, call us at (706) 202-5476.