Dental examinations are extremely important to pick up on any underlying painful conditions in your horse’s mouth. Do not rely on behavioural changes as an indicator for oral discomfort as often no change is reported.
This post reminds us that any time after a dental procedure, a tooth can be broken. This canine tooth shown in the photos, fractured likely due to him catching his tooth under something. This happened only a few months after his annual dental check.
If our client had not observed his demeanor change, then he could have had this painful condition for a further 8 months.
The canine tooth is actually a very large tooth, however the clinical crown (the bit we can see), is only a small portion of the size of the canine tooth under the gum line. They are also ‘Cashew Nut’ shaped, which makes extraction more difficult. The bone on the outside surface of the tooth needs to be removed to enable the tooth to be removed without leaving the root inside.
Many clients incorrectly believe that mares do not get canine. They do; however, they are more common in male horses.
See you all in June for our annual Dental Special month where we put a big focus on oral health.