This work on the rows of cheek teeth is where some of the large variation in fees charged comes in. If the horse has been blessed with the inheritance of nice, straight arcades =(rows of teeth), then the amount of effort and therefore the fee will be much less than if we find big problems requiring much grinding of offending teeth. This is why the first-time (for thorough dental care) horse will very often be considerably more costly than a "re-do" (a horse that has been done properly within the last few months.)

      Yes, they do need help every few months (6 to 12) because the incisors and the molars continually erupt throughout the life of the horse, and the diet is very abrasive, (grass and hay contain silica, tough stuff) so that points and major malocclusions tend to recur continually. The more frequently the corrections are made, the easier it is to do. The occlusal surfaces of the teeth (the grinding surface) will always meet halfway between the space we create between them and their opposing mates, within the first few months after the corrections are made.

     Especially common in geriatric cases, any obviously loose, infected teeth are extracted now also. This has been a procedure which many of us have thought necessary to refer to a university or to a major surgical facility. In fact, we now know that most of these teeth can be easily extracted right then and there very expediently, with the resultant savings of several hundred dollars for the client. (I charge $20 to $50 for these common geriatric extractions.) If the horse is just running out of teeth, as is the case with many "geriatrics" (this age of horse may not be considered old in a few years, when we are more consistently taking decent care of their teeth) because we have not been recommending or providing adequate care, the best procedure may be to prevent molar occlusion, so that the pain and irreparable systemic damage of tooth-on-bone is avoided, and then recommend a complete, pelleted ration, or a mash made from one.

     After the cheek teeth have been balanced, and the molar occlusion (how well do the molars occlude, so that they may effectively grind food) re-evaluated, then the incisors are corrected as to alignment and length. If the incisors are too long, as is often the case in stalled vs. pastured horses, they must be reduced. If they are uneven, then we must align them in order to prevent uneven pressure and wear on them AND on the cheek teeth behind them.  (See Incisor Reduction.  Why? under articles by Dr. Allen)