Your vet wants to take radiographs of your horse’s mouth. What? you wonder, My horse is 15 years old, and he’s never even had his teeth done! What could possibly be wrong?
Lots of things! Just because he looks great and seems to chew just fine, it doesn’t mean there’s nothing wrong. In fact, if you’ve never had your horse’s mouth examined, there’s a good chance that dental disease could threaten his long-term health. And unlike the old days, when your vet didn’t have much more to offer than filing off sharp edges or removing rotten teeth, advances in equine dentistry mean there are lots of treatments available these days that can maintain your horse’s dental health well into his golden years.
In this article, I’m going to help you understand why examination of your horse’s teeth is so important—beginning the day he’s born! You’ll learn what your vet is looking for as your horse ages, and why it’s critical to identify potential problems early. Finally, you’ll learn about the treatments that are available if your vet does find something wrong.
The Dental Exam
Do you remember the days when dentistry was just for older
