Annual dental examination is

necessary for your horse’s comfort and

performance.

Your horse’s first dental exam and float should be performed by one year of age. Soft baby teeth develop sharp points that lacerate the cheeks and gums. Wolf teeth, if present, should be removed prior to bridling. Dental exams should be performed every six months until 5 years of age to remove any loose caps and file any sharp points that have developed due to losing teeth. Once your horse has all his permanent teeth, examinations once a year should be sufficient.

Oral examination requires sedation and a full mouth speculum. Sedation allows your horse to relax during the procedure so that the doctor can completely evaluate and correct any dental issues. Unlike other dental speculums, the full-mouth speculum, distributes pressure evenly across all the incisors to reduce strain on the TMJ. The horse’s head is suspended in a padded swing and supported by a licensed technician to reduce stress on the neck and poll.

Veterinarians at CEH use P o w e r fl o a t a n d D r e m e l technology to perform a gentle and thorough dental in a shorter period of time than manual flotation. The rotary burr on the Powerfloat will not lacerate the cheeks or tongue like traditional hand floats can.

Dental Examination & Power Dentistry

Columbia Equine Hospital

Full Oral Examination under sedation with

odontoplasty, bit seat and incisor alignment

Drs. Clabaugh and Zuver27841 SE Orient Drive

Gresham, Oregon 97080503-663-1515

$150 Maintenance dental$190 Extended dental

Price includes: Oral exam & 1st sedation!

Excludes extractionsNo set up fee if hauled-in to CEH or >2 horses

Dentals are performed in the hospital or on the farm. An overhead beam and an electrical supply are required. A set-up fee of $25 will be charged for on the farm appointments for less than 3 horses.

Columbia Equine Hospital staffs a Board Certified Equine Dentist for complicated extractions and oral surgery.

Oral ulcerations are a source of pain and performance limitation.

Severe oral erosions and ulceration due to sharp enamel points along cheeks.

Common Dental ProblemsIncisor Problems

Cheek Teeth Issues

Overbite

Trauma - Tooth Fracture

Trauma -Non-vital pulp exposure

Slant mouth

Wolf teeth

Cranial Hook

Wave Mouth

Step Mouth

Check ulceration

Signs of Dental Disease: Abnormal chewing action

Quidding/dropping feed

Weight loss

Bridling problems or head shy

Bit evasion & resistance

Unbalanced or one-sided when ridden

Facial swellings

Odorous breath

Unilateral nasal discharge

Long fibers, oats or corn in manure

Impaction colic

Don’t wait until

your horse is in pain!

Tooth wear is dependent on many factors:

Age and breed of the horse

Dental Conformation

Loose or missing teeth

Diet:

Hay vs. pasture

Pellet vs. whole grains

Abnormal chewing due to:

trauma

abscesses/tumors

arthritis of TMJ