Dental Restoration

Preventing Unnecessary Tooth Loss with Equine Periodontal Instrumentation

The first step in Equine Dental Restoration is having your horse’s teeth equilibrated (floated) regularly. Only then can additional dental restoration techniques be effective in helping your horse live a longer, more productive life. Dental caries & periodontal disease may occur in different stages, resulting in determining the best approach and application for your horse’s overall dental health. In some cases the best procedure could be extraction if decay is too advanced and the tooth is loose or beyond repair. Dr. Allen will advise you about the best treatment for each individual case following equilibration.

Tartar Removal

Tartar (calculus) is a yellowish build-up of organic and inorganic substance that can accumulate on your horse’s teeth. Commonly this is found on the canines and incisors but can accumulate on the cheek teeth as well. The procedure for removing tartar from the surface of the teeth is with the use of “air abrasion”, dental picks and other instruments. The reason tartar accumulation is present on some horses’ teeth and not on others is due to an individual metabolism or chemical make-up. Some horses have recurring tartar following cleaning, but periodically removing tartar may help prevent more severe problems.

Additional Sedation

As usual, while your horse is

receiving periodontal work

additional sedation

may be required.

Periodontal Pocket Repair

Periodontal pockets are a separation of gums from teeth. Most commonly these are found in the upper cheek teeth but can occur anywhere in the horse’s mouth. This separation results in mechanical and toxic bacterial damage eventually causing loss of the tooth. The procedure for remedying this problem is irrigating and debriding, thus eliminating the toxic elements that result in decay and tooth loss. Perio pocket repair requires cleaning and debridding the pocket using compressed nitrogen, water and aluminum oxide powder with disinfectants.

Dental Caries

Repairing of dental cavities (caries) and periodontal pockets can delay or prevent tooth loss, fracturing and cupping. Problems most commonly appear in the upper cheek teeth although they can occur anywhere within the horse’s mouth. The bonding agents used in filling a horse’s teeth are reported to last several years. Restoration techniques are also applied to teeth that have been chipped and broken. Teeth are filled with light-cured epoxy, same as in human dentistry.