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Performance Dentistry:
Goal: Pain Free Mouth! No
Distractions!
A mental laps can mean the difference
between winning and loosing. Many competitive horses receive
dental work every 6 months to ensure nothing in their mouth will cause
this distraction.
Wolf Teeth Extraction: These teeth are
vestigial cheek teeth that are commonly present in front of the 1st
upper cheek teeth. They are infrequently also present on the lower
bars. Tradition encourages the extraction of these teeth to
prevent interference with the bit.
Canine Teeth Reduction: The canine teeth are
fighting teeth in male horses. (You may see small canine teeth in
some mares.) They erupt in the 4 year old and grow long and sharp
as the colt matures. These teeth serve no useful function in
domestic horses and are routinely shortened, rounded and smoothed to
prevent injury to the tongue, other horses, and the horse's groom.
You may also see significant tartar buildup on these teeth which can
cause periodontal disease.
Reducing Lateral Ridges: The "cingula" are
normal ridges on the cheek side of the upper molars in young adult
horses. The Enamel Points of the upper molars are extents of these
ridges. The cingula are reduced to make the contact between the
cheeks and upper molars as smooth as possible.
Bit Seats:
The front
edges of the 1st cheek teeth are rounded and smoothed to prevent the bit
from pinching cheek tissue against these teeth
Smoothing all rough edges: The final step in a
performance dental is to check all tooth surfaces to ensure no sharp
edges remain. This is done by palpating the teeth with a finger.
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