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Links A New Approach To Equine Dentistry - The field of equine dentistry has undergone dramatic transformation in recent years. The days of a quick float just using a few tools are disappearing and are being replaced by skilled practitioners with special training and sophisticated instrumentation. We now know that much more than a simple float is needed in many cases to preserve the dental health, digestive health and comfort of our horses. Read More... (Added: 1-Jul-2000 Hits: 671 Rating: 8.75 Votes: 4) Rate It Dealing with 'Wolf Teeth' - The wolf teeth appear on the upper jaw of both males and females as pre-molars. As the term indicates, these small pointed teeth reside immediately in front of the upper molars. As a bit is pulled up a horse's mouth, it slides backwards along the bars and bangs upon these rather sensitive teeth causing discomfort and distraction. When wolf teeth are present, many horses are said to fight the bit. They sling their heads around, trying to escape from bit contact. They may also mouth or chew on the bit - all efforts which could be described as trying to reject bit pressure. While these actions are also common in horses who haven't been trained properly to accept the bit, the presence of wolf teeth is often times overlooked as the major obstruction to the performance of a horse in a bridle. Read More... (Added: 20-Jul-2000 Hits: 441 Rating: 8.22 Votes: 9) Rate It Dentistry for the Performance Horse - It is obvious to most horse owners, trainers and breeders that attention to proper dental maintenance is important to the overall health of all horses. A horse's teeth erupt continuously throughout its life, and, a minimum of once a year need maintenance filing, - known as floating, in order to maintain a normal biting and grinding surface. Failure to maintain a normal bite results in poor digestion and tooth decay. Read More... (Added: 4-Jul-2000 Hits: 442 Rating: 2.67 Votes: 3) Rate It Equine Dental Conditions - Equine dentistry has seen more changes in the past few years than probably any other field of study; there is no "routine float." Our goal in floating teeth is to eliminate pain, make the horse more comfortable in chewing, to maintain or restore good occlusion and to preserve the natural chewing motions that allow the horse to efficiently break down and digest forage. It is not uncommon to examine an older horse's mouth to find that he has never had a dental exam before, and the procedures to preserve his ability to chew become salvage procedures. This can be prevented by having your veterinarian perform a complete dental exam when the semi-annual physical exam rolls around, and regular dental prophylaxis. Read More... (Added: 2-Jul-2000 Hits: 601 Rating: 6.83 Votes: 6) Rate It