Q&A Veterinary matters
Our experts
Georgie Hodson BVM BVS MRCVS is an equine vet at Haven Vet Group.
Michele Greco DVM PhD PgCertVetRad MScVetRepo Cert AVP (ESO) Cert AVP (ESST) MRCVS is an Advanced Practitioner at Nantwich Equine Vets.
Photos: Lucy Merrell, Jon Stroud, Da Silva Emmanuelle/Shutterstock.com
The whole tooth
What actually happens during a horse’s dental examination?
Oliver Michaels
Georgie Hodson answers: First your vet or qualified equine dental technician (EDT) will ask questions about your horse’s general health, dental history, eating habits and any concerns you have.
They’ll check your horse’s head for any abnormalities such as swellings or asymmetry, then have a look at his incisors and slide the jaw from side to side to check for normal movement.
A dental speculum or gag will be put on your horse to hold his mouth open and his mouth will be flushed with water to remove any leftover food. Your vet will then use a head torch and mirror to look inside his mouth, as well as their hands and a dental probe to fully examine the mouth by feel. They’ll be looking for problems such as missing or fractured teeth, cavities, overgrown or sharp areas, ulceration and gingivitis (sore gums).