“A plain old float just isn’t good enough anymore,” explained Mary DeLorey, DVM, owner of Northwest Equine Dentistry in Washington, during the 51st Annual AAEP Convention, in Seattle, Wash., Dec. 3-7, 2005. A demand for more comprehensive dental care has fueled advances in diagnostic tools, treatments, equipment, and research.

“Owners are increasingly demanding higher-quality dental care for their horses,” DeLorey said. “To meet that demand, veterinarians are going to have to invest time and money into the proper equipment and the expertise to use that equipment.”

Improvements in health care have allowed horses to live into their 30s and beyond. The problem, DeLorey said, is that horses’ teeth are only designed to last into their 20s under ideal conditions.

Beyond the Float
Properly equilibrating a horse’s teeth goes beyond just removing the rough edges and leveling the rows of teeth. In the past, horses’ teeth were not commonly addressed by the veterinarian until adulthood.  DeLorey said veterinarians should perform an oral examination within the first few days after a foal is born, checking for severe misalignments (overbites or underbites) that could making nursing difficult. Horses should receive a comprehensive dental exam again before the age of 2 and at least yearly thereafter