Equine Dentistry: Current Techniques & Future Considerations

Dr. Carina Cooper and Dr. Jodie Santarossa provide an anatomy review of the equine mouth and discuss why it is important to have regular dental check ups performed as part of your horse's wellness routine. Equine Dentistry has progressed from simply removing sharp points and hooks to looking at the overall balance in the mouth. This type of dentistry is referred to as occlusal equilibration; in other words, ensuring that the top and bottom teeth meet in a balanced way to provide the optimum jaw range of motion and biomechanics. This occlusal alignment allows for adequate chewing of food and functional jaw motion which is also important in ridden horses as it affects their proprioception. Join us as we scratch the surface on this emerging field of specialty and even start to explore the stomatognathic system.