Why is Dentistry Necessary?
Horses have hypsodont dentition.
This
means that they have teeth that are a certain size, they do not grow (which is a common misunderstanding), and as the horse grazes and wears away the occlusal (grinding) surface of each tooth, the tooth erupts out of the socket to compensate for the clinical crown (tooth above the gum) being lost to attrition (wear).
However these teeth all vary in terms of size, reserve crown and density. These variations can and more often than not do lead to your horse having uneven and restricted mastication (eating) patterns. The irregular and incorrect eating patterns then result in malocclusions (abnormalities) forming within your horse’s mouth. They of course vary in with regard to severity, from simple sharp enamel (hardest part of the tooth) cingulae (edges of the teeth) to severe waves along and rotated angles of the occlusal (grinding) surface.
All of these malocclusions, regardless of severity, will restrict your horse in terms of eating ability as well as performance.
This makes the need for regular dental evaluations and care of utmost importance!
