http://www.horsevetdentist.com.au/

Horse Vet Dentist, Emerald (2025)

02/08/2025

🦷 Incisor Woes: Gum Recession, Food Trapping & Periodontal Disease

In our latest incisor series instalment, we’re diving into a topic that’s often overlooked — gum recession and food trapping in the front teeth.

These issues can set the stage for periodontal disease, a painful condition that can lead to loose / mobile teeth and loss of function if not caught early.

Did you know that periodontal disease is also incredibly common in people?

✅ Globally, 45–50% of adults are estimated to have some form of periodontal disease, with 11–15% suffering from severe periodontitis (Global Burden of Disease Study, 2017).
✅ In Australia, about 30% of adults aged 15+ have moderate to severe gum disease, rising to 53% in those over 55 (AIHW, 2019).

So what about our horses? Let’s take a look at how these same processes can affect their incisors 🐴…

Yes: horses can get periodontal disease (gum disease) in their front teeth – not just the back ones

It’s not as common a presentation, but when it does happen, it can cause real discomfort / pain, loss of the support structures around the tooth causing mobility to teeth and even lead to tooth root infections or pulp exposure (where the sensitive living part of the tooth is exposed 😬).

💡 What to look out for:
• Bad breath (yes, horses can have that!)
• Red or swollen gums
• Loose front teeth
• Food stuck between teeth
• Reluctance to graze, bite treats, or accept the bit

Why does this happen ? We know that we can get food stuck between our teeth commonly when eating food like corn on the cob, we can floss/pick this food material out.
But horses are unable to do so.. however, there’s more than food getting trapped and several underlying causes can predispose horses to developing PD disease of their front teeth.

They are..
1. Malocclusions : displaced or crooked teeth , missing teeth that lead to gaps (diastema) that cause food to get trapped and lodge between teeth.
2. Gum recession as horses age and teeth become smaller and narrow - in older horses the gaps between teeth can be common and grass, hay and chaff can get lodged into the gaps creating a vicious cycle of gingivitis, further gum recession, bacteria extending deep into the ligament around the tooth and then loss of the ligament and bon surround the tooth which cause tooth mobility.
3. Inappropriate grazing - barley grass seeds here in Australia can be deadly for all grazing animals not just horses. The barbed seed can get lodged into the gums around teeth.
4. EOTRH - this distressing syndrome needs its own post so we will discuss this shortly. We can often confuse PD disease with this syndrome when in fact the food trapping can be present in combination with this horrible disease.

Being proactive as an owner can make a huge difference to monitoring for this disease. “Lifting the lip” is a great tip and fun training by rewarding with treats, you’ll be amazed what information you can gleam from the incisors! May be even offering a carrot can allow you to see the from teeth and gums more clearly.

We’ve shown you how the “perfect bite” looks…now have a practice this weekend and post some fun images of how your horse’s front teeth look - TAKE CARE THEY MAY BITE ACCIDENTALLY SO DON’T GET A FINGER CAUGHT!

🎁 Prizes to be Won!
We’re giving away some lovely prizes at the end of our equine dental series — including insulated coffee cups, water bottles, Equest wormers and pens!
To be in the running, simply share these posts, comment, or get involved in the conversation.
By spreading the word about equine dentition and staying informed, we can make a real difference to our horses’ health and wellbeing.

🔍 Did You Know?
At our dental clinic, we always assess the incisors under sedation, remove impacted feed that may be present , assess the depth of gum recession and take dental x-rays to check for hidden bone loss, periodontal pockets, or root damage that can’t be seen on the surface.

✅ The good news? With proper care — including deep cleaning, targeted treatment, and occasionally removal of severely damaged teeth — horses can go back to munching hay happily and pain-free. 🐴🌾

We can’t wait to see your horse’s front teeth — and don’t worry, you’ll be meeting our own horses, Iggy and Smokey, along the way too!
Let’s have a bit of fun with it — and good luck in the prize draw at the end of the series !! 🎉🐴

26/07/2025

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📣 Just back from Bain Fallon 2025! 🐴🦷

It’s been a huge week, so we may be a little delayed sending out our next post on incisor pathology — but for good reason…

We’ve just returned from the Bain Fallon Equine Veterinary Conference — the largest equine vet gathering in the Southern Hemisphere! 🌏 Four epic days of learning, connecting, and sharing knowledge with colleagues and friends from across Australia and beyond.

A special highlight was catching up with Chris Pearce and Nicole du Toit from the Equine Dental Clinic UK — pioneers in advanced equine dentistry, particularly infundibular restorations and endodontics 🦷💡. These techniques are now being offered right here in Australia and our very own Horse Vet Dentist is providing this service too, thanks to training in Germany and the UK over the last 8 years!!

This year’s conference focus was Dentistry, Cardiology, and Reproduction, and the event was extremely well attended. 👏 Congratulations to all the speakers, organisers, and industry partners who made it such a success!

🔗 Learn more:
• Equine Dental Clinic UK
• Equine Veterinarians Australia (EVA)

25/07/2025

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🦷 More Front Tooth Troubles — What Else Can Go Wrong?

The incisors (front teeth) do more than just snip grass — they can tell a story about your horse’s health, behaviour, and development. Today we’re diving into three common problems seen in horses of all ages 👇

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🍼 1. Retained Deciduous Incisors (Caps)

Just like children, young horses shed their baby teeth — but sometimes those deciduous incisors don’t fall out on time.
When they hang around too long, they can:
• Disrupt the eruption of the adult permanent incisors
• Cause pain or pressure
• Lead to abnormal wear or alignment issues

These “caps” can look loose, cracked, or even split. In some cases, they sit so tightly over the new tooth that they go unnoticed — until problems start.

These problems need addressing and may require extraction of the retained incisors. This involves:
• Sedation
• Local anaesthetic
• Sometimes radiographs to assess the extent of the retained reserve crown
• And careful extraction by a veterinarian

📸 We’ll show you some examples below of what can happen when caps overstay their welcome!

⸻

🧮 2. Abnormal Incisor Wear Patterns

Not all wear is natural. Sometimes, front teeth develop uneven patterns such as:
• 🔀 Stepped incisors — where one or more teeth are too long or too short
🟡 Why does this happen? It may be due to a missing opposing tooth or failure of proper eruption. X-rays are often needed to investigate.
• ⛰ Sloped wear (slant bite) — often due to uneven chewing caused by pain in the cheek teeth, TMJ pathology, or past trauma.
⚠️ Some slant bites are normal variation. Cutting them flat unnecessarily can expose the sensitive pulp and even kill the tooth.
• ⚙️ Irregular angles — caused by uneven chewing forces, retained teeth, or missing opposing incisors

These patterns don’t just affect appearance — they may lead to:
• Difficulty grazing or grasping feed
• Excessive pressure on periodontal tissues
• Secondary problems with cheek tooth function and jaw comfort

👉 Abnormal wear often points to a deeper issue — your equine dental vet can help uncover the root cause.

⸻

🧼 3. Crib-Biting and Wind-Sucking

We all know “that” horse who grabs the fence rail with its teeth or gulps air in the stable.
These stereotypic behaviours aren’t just frustrating to watch — they can cause serious incisor damage:
• Flattened or notched incisors
• Shortened clinical crowns
• Risk of pulp exposure in severe cases

These behaviours may reflect:
• Boredom or confinement
• Gastric discomfort (such as ulcers)
• Long-standing stress or trauma — these are known as vices

🧠 Cribbing doesn’t always mean “bad behaviour” — it’s often a coping mechanism. Don’t blame your horse — look deeper.

⸻A little footnote…..

📌 Evidence-based insight into vices:
Crib-biting and wind-sucking are stereotypic behaviours linked to management practices, stress, and gastric ulcers rather than being mere habits or “bad behaviour.” Studies show that horses with restricted forage access or limited social interaction are more likely to develop these behaviours, and crib-biters have a significantly higher incidence of gastric ulceration. While various physical deterrents exist, addressing underlying causes—such as improving diet, turnout, and enrichment—is far more effective.

References:
1. Nicol CJ et al. (2002). The effects of diet and weaning method on the development of stereotypic behaviours in young horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
2. McGreevy PD & Nicol CJ (1998). Physiological and behavioural consequences associated with short-term prevention of crib-biting in horses. Physiology & Behavior.
3. McGreevy PD et al. (2001). Crib-biting and gastric inflammation in Thoroughbred horses. Equine Vet Journal.

🔜 Up Next: We’ll take a closer look at two often-overlooked but important incisor problems — periodontal disease and pulp exposure, where the sensitive inner tooth is laid bare.

These issues can cause pain, weight loss, infection, and tooth loss if left untreated. We’ll show you what to watch for and how your vet dentist can help.

22/07/2025

Incisor Fractures in Horses

When Things Go Wrong — Incisor Problems & Problem Behaviours

So far in our dental series, we’ve explored how incisors develop, erupt, and change with age. Now it’s time to take a closer look at what happens when things go wrong — whether from injury, disease, or even behavioural habits.

Your horse’s front teeth are under constant pressure — not just from grazing, but also from play, paddock accidents, hard feed, and even how they cope with stress.

Over the next few posts, we’ll explore a range of common incisor problems and behaviours, including:

• 🩻 Fractures
Trauma from kicks, rearing, or collisions can break or chip incisors — sometimes exposing the sensitive pulp inside.

• 🦷 Retained Caps
Delayed shedding of baby incisors can cause inflammation and occasionally misalignment of erupting permanent teeth

• 🔄 Abnormal Wear
Sloped, stepped, or uneven incisor arcades may affect chewing and lead to secondary issues in the cheek teeth.

• 🧼 Crib-Biting & Wind-Sucking (Vices)
These repetitive behaviours can wear down or damage the incisors — and may be a sign of underlying stress or gastric discomfort.

• ⚠️ Periodontal Disease & Pulp Exposure
Gum recession, food trapping, and exposed pulp tissue can occur even in the incisors — not just the back teeth!

• 🧓 EOTRH (Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis)
This painful condition of older horses often starts with subtle changes in the incisors. We’ll dive deep into this later.

👉 Got a horse that’s always chewing fences or biting its stable door?
👉 Noticed blood, swelling, or odd wear on their front teeth?

⸻

📌 Introduction to Incisor Anatomy
• Horses’ incisors are long, complex teeth — much of the tooth is hidden from view.
• What you see when a horse smiles 😁 is called the clinical crown — the visible part of the tooth above the gumline.
• Beneath the gum is the reserve crown, which can be just as long or longer than the visible part! It’s a key part of the tooth’s strength and function.
• At the base of the tooth lies the apex — the tip of the root where the blood supply and nerve (the vital pulp) enter the tooth.
• Unlike cheek teeth, incisors only have one root, so we simply refer to this part as the apex.

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💥 Why This Matters for Fractures

Understanding these parts helps us explain different fracture types:
• Uncomplicated crown fractures – break in the visible part (clinical crown) without exposing the pulp. The outcome for these teeth can be very favourable.
• Complicated crown fractures – extend deeper and expose the pulp, risking infection or pain. Often, extraction is necessary — or in some cases, endodontic (pulp) treatment may be an option to preserve the tooth.

Because the reserve crown and apex are hidden, X-rays (radiographs) are essential to assess how far a fracture extends.

⸻

🧲 Avulsion Fractures – A Special Type of Trauma

Inquisitive young horses are especially prone to a different kind of injury — called an avulsion fracture.

This happens when a tooth (or several teeth) are partially or completely pulled out of the socket — often taking a portion of the incisive bone with it. It’s a dramatic injury usually caused by:
• 🧲 Getting caught on fence wire or stable doors
• 🧲 Pulling back while tied up
• 🧲 Biting or playing with hard, fixed objects

Deciduous (baby) incisors are more vulnerable to avulsion due to their shorter roots and less secure attachment in young, developing jaws.

These injuries are true emergencies — not just for the teeth, but for the surrounding bone and gum. Prompt veterinary attention, radiography, and in some cases, surgical intervention are essential for a good outcome. Treatment often involves replacing the displaced teeth and bone to achieve normal alignment, followed by stabilisation using orthopaedic wire.

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🪥 Chip Fractures – A Common Finding

Small chip fractures are often seen on the front (labial) surface of the incisors — especially in horses that:
• Are exploring their environment and biting objects, or
• Are grazing very short or sparse pasture close to the ground

These minor chips are common and usually not a cause for concern — but they can be a useful clue to the horse’s behaviour. If you’re seeing repeated damage or wear, it may be time to take a closer look at your horse’s environment, paddock fencing, or diet.

⸻

🔜 What’s Next?
In our next post, we’ll tackle a trio of common front tooth concerns:
• 🦷 Retained deciduous incisors (caps) — what happens when baby teeth overstay their welcome?
• 🔄 Abnormal incisor wear — sloping, stepping, and other patterns that hint at underlying issues
• 🧼 Crib-biting and wind-sucking — how these behaviours affect the incisors and what they might be trying to tell us

We’ll walk you through how to spot these problems early, what they might mean for your horse’s health and comfort.

18/07/2025

🦷 Deciduous Incisors, Eruption & the Science of Shedding 👶➡️🦷

It was great to see so many of you giving it a go and guessing the ages from our incisor photos in the last post — well done everyone! 🎉

(Of course, it’s much easier when the horse is attached to the teeth, and you can see if they’re a foal, an adult, or an old chap!)

Before we age horses by their teeth, we need to understand where those teeth come from — and what happens to the baby teeth first!

🐴 Just like children, young horses are born with deciduous (baby) teeth, also called milk teeth. These temporary teeth are:
• Smaller
• Whiter
• More delicate in appearance
They serve the foal during early life for nursing and grazing, and they guide the development of the permanent teeth that will follow.

🔬 How are deciduous teeth shed?
The process is called physiological resorption.
As the permanent incisor begins to develop and erupt beneath the gum line, it pushes against the root of the deciduous tooth. This pressure activates special cells called odontoclasts that resorb (dissolve) the root of the baby tooth. Over time, the baby tooth becomes loose and eventually falls out — often without any help or obvious discomfort.

✅ What We Can Support with Science:
1. Tooth Replacement is Coordinated with Eruption Timing
• Studies have shown that deciduous incisor root resorption is initiated by pressure from the underlying permanent tooth germ, which causes programmed resorption of the deciduous roots.
• This process is developmentally regulated — not random.
• If eruption is delayed or abnormal, root resorption may also be delayed or incomplete.

But let’s break it down — here are some simple rules and easy tips to help estimate your horse’s age based on their front teeth (incisors):

⸻

👶 Foals & Young Horses: Just remember “666”
• 6 days – First deciduous (baby) incisors erupt (centrals)
• 6 weeks – Middle incisors erupt
• 6 months – Corner incisors erupt

That’s your full set of 6 deciduous incisors per jaw.

⸻

🧲 When Do Adult Incisors Appear?

Permanent incisors replace baby teeth as follows:
• 2.5 years – Centrals erupt (deciduous central sheds)
• 3.5 years – Middles erupt
• 4.5 years – Corners erupt

But wait! Just because they cut through the gum doesn’t mean they’re fully in use…

It takes around 6 months for the tooth to come fully into wear, meaning it reaches and meets its opposing incisor.
So:
• Erupts at 2.5 years → In wear at 3.0 years
• Erupts at 3.5 years → In wear at 4.0 years
• Erupts at 4.5 years → In wear at 5.0 years

⸻

🔍 Handy Tip for Spotting a 2.5–3-Year-Old:

If you see large, darker central incisors alongside small, bright white baby middle and corner incisors, your horse is probably between 2.5 and 3 years old.

⸻

🕵️ After Age 5: Time to Look at the Chewing Surface

As horses age, their teeth wear down. The chewing (occlusal) surface of the lower incisors shows predictable changes:
• The dentine becomes more visible
• The infundibulum (central cup) wears down
• A dental star appears
• The shape of the tooth changes from oval to round to triangular over many years

These changes allow us to estimate age — although wear patterns can vary depending on diet and grazing conditions.

We always assess the lower incisor surface after 5 years old, as the wear patterns here are the most reliable.

📅 Eruption Timeline of Deciduous Incisors
• Central (01): present at birth or by 6–8 days
• Middle (02): erupt by 4–6 weeks
• Corner (03): erupt by 6–9 months

These are shed around:
• 2.5 years (central)
• 3.5 years (middle)
• 4.5 years (corner)

🧬 Development of Permanent Incisors
Permanent incisors form deep in the jaw and begin erupting once the deciduous counterpart is shed. They’re larger, darker, and have stronger enamel and dentine.

📈 Permanent Incisor Eruption Timeline
• Central (01): erupt ~2.5 years
• Middle (02): erupt ~3.5 years
• Corner (03): erupt ~4.5 years

From here, the horse’s dentition continues to evolve, and this eruption pattern becomes the foundation for estimating age.

💡 Coming next: “When Things Go Wrong: Common Incisor Problems”

16/07/2025

🦷 Equine Dental Series – Quick Recap! 🐴

Thanks for following along as we explore your horse’s teeth from the front to the back — and everything in between!

🔍 On Day 1, we introduced the “incisors” — the front teeth your horse uses to nip, graze, and greet the world. We explained how these teeth erupt in a predictable pattern, wear over time, and play an important role in both function and behaviour.

🧠 On Day 2, we took a deeper look inside the tooth. Using advanced CT imaging, we shared how modern research has revealed the complex internal structure of equine incisors — including the vital pulp, the protective layer of secondary dentine, and the surrounding enamel and cementum that support and protect the tooth. This deeper understanding helps guide safe dental care and treatments.

✨ Coming up thus week.. One of the most common questions we get — *Can you really tell a horse’s age by looking at its teeth?*
We’ll explore the clues, the changes, and the limits of dental ageing. Don’t miss it! 🕵️‍♂️🎂🐎

As an appetizer .. see below a range of photos from differing aged horses. Can you tell what age each one is?? There are a few photos of the same teeth showing the corner incisors as well. Have a guess.. let us know – prizes to be won!

📸 Feel free to scroll back through our earlier posts, and stay tuned for more fascinating facts — plus real case examples!

💬 Questions? Comments? Drop them below — we love hearing from horse owners! 🐴❤️

15/07/2025

🐴 Anatomy of an Incisor – What’s Inside the Tooth?
When your horse bites into grass, those front teeth — the incisors — are doing more than you might realise.
Each tooth may look like a hard white block, but it’s actually a complex, living structure, carefully built to withstand the stresses of biting, pulling, and grazing.

Here’s a closer look at what they’re made of 👇

🧱 What’s a tooth made of?
�Just like in people, each horse tooth has three main structural layers.

Each incisor has three special dental tissues that work together to form the tooth:
• At the centre is a strong, living material called dentine
• This is surrounded by a hard outer shell of enamel, which gives the tooth its cutting edge
• The enamel is coated with a thin outer layer of cementum, which helps protect the surface and anchor the tooth in the jaw

These three layers give the tooth both strength and resilience — perfect for a lifetime of grazing and biting!

🔍 Horse incisors have a strong layer of equine enamel, folded and layered to resist the repeated slicing forces of grazing. Compared to cheek teeth, which crush and grind, incisor enamel is arranged to handle sharp, clean cutting movements.

🧑‍⚕️ In humans, the structure is similar — but our teeth don’t grow continuously. Once they erupt, they’re meant to last a lifetime without replacement. In contrast, a horse’s teeth erupt gradually over years, compensating for the heavy wear caused by constant grazing.

❤️ Teeth Are Alive – In Horses and Humans

Inside every tooth is a pulp canal — a core filled with nerves, blood vessels, lymphatics and living tissue.
This pulp keeps the tooth alive, helps it grow, and senses pain.
If you've ever had toothache, you've felt this living tissue in action. Horses feel pain too — especially when decay, cracks, or trauma affect the pulp.
Horse teeth are larger and deeper than human teeth, but the core principle is the same: injury or infection can be extremely painful and harmful if left untreated.

The Living Pulp Canal

Did you know that every horse incisor contains a vital, living core called the pulp canal?

This structure runs down the centre of the tooth and contains nerves and blood vessels — and it plays a key role in keeping the tooth alive and healthy.

Thanks to incredible research (especially by Prof. Carsten Staszyk’s team in Germany), advanced micro-CT scans have shown us exactly how the pulp canal is shaped and how close it comes to the surface — sometimes just 1 mm beneath the chewing surface!

At a young age, tiny pulp branches extend upward toward the surface of the incisor. These are protected by a layer of secondary dentine, which seals and shields this sensitive tissue from damage or infection.

🛠️ This is crucial information when we perform corrective dental work — because disturbing this pulp can cause serious pain or even tooth death.

🧠 Swipe through the images to see CT scans of real horse incisors — the red areas show where the living pulp travels from the crown right down to the root tip (apex).

📖 Image credit: Schrock et al., 2013 – an excellent study on incisor pulp anatomy using 3D imaging.

🪢 Anchored by Ligaments – The Periodontal Cushion

Each horse tooth is suspended in its socket by the periodontal ligament — a specialised structure that acts like a shock absorber.
It holds the tooth firmly in place.
• It cushions the force of biting and chewing.
It contains blood vessels and nerves, helping the tooth stay healthy.
But if this ligament becomes inflamed — a condition called periodontitis — it can cause pain, tooth loosening, or food trapping. We'll explore this more when we talk about dental disease in horses later in the series.

🌱 How Does a Tooth Form?
Tooth development starts before a foal is born.

It begins as a tiny cluster of cells called a dental bud, which grows into a dental sac. This sac forms the enamel, dentine, and pulp of the tooth — layer by layer.
Over time, the tooth pushes up through the gum and into the mouth, where it begins its job of biting, chewing, and (for incisors) slicing through forage.

Check out the x-ray images of a young horse less than 2 years old. See how the adult central incisors are developing from the dental sac - incredible!!

🧬 Your horse’s teeth are a remarkable blend of engineering and biology — made to cut, slice, and hold up to a lifetime of chewing.

Thanks for reading …. If you are enjoying these informative posts please share with your friends.

14/07/2025

🐴 Day 1: Meet the Incisors – Front Teeth Facts

Your horse’s front teeth — called incisors — do far more than just make a smile!

Incisors (from Latin incidere, "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals.

In horses, they play a vital role in prehension — the act of grasping and selecting food — particularly grasses, hay, and browse.
Unlike humans who use hands and cutlery, horses use a combination of highly sensitive lips, vibrissae (whiskers), and incisors to identify, position, and precisely shear forage.

🧠 Sensory Precision at the Front of the Mouth
Horses rely on a combination of senses when feeding: The lips contain dense tactile receptors for exploring feed.
Vibrissae (whiskers) help detect the shape, distance, and texture of food.
Olfaction (smell) plays a role in detecting freshness and palatability. Once located, the incisors grip and slice with remarkable precision, especially when grazing close to the ground.

Studies have shown that horses can differentiate between forage types, moisture levels, and even contaminants using this multi-sensory mechanism. The incisors are the final 'gripping tool' once the feed is selected.

⸻

🦷 How many incisor teeth do horses have?
• Foals and young horses have baby (deciduous) incisors.
• These come in three pairs: central, middle, and corner incisors
• They erupt at around birth, 4–6 weeks, and 6–9 months
• Adult horses have 12 permanent incisors — 6 on the top and 6 on the bottom. They erupt at different ages too!
(We will discuss more about ageing horse via dentition in later posts)

⸻

⏳ Do horse teeth keep growing?

Yes! Horse incisor teeth are high-crowned (hypsodont) and grow for years to keep up with constant wear from grazing.
• For about 2 to 4 years after a tooth erupts, it keeps growing longer.
• From about age 5 to 15, the tooth length stays steady — growth and wear are balanced.
• After that, the teeth slowly get shorter as wear exceeds growth.

⸻

👀 Can you tell a horse’s age from their incisor teeth?

Up to about 7 years old, yes — eruption times of incisors help estimate age. After that age, a well trained practitioner can estimate your horse’s age usually in brackets of 3-5 years, but once they reach 20 years, this estimate is incredibly difficult and we term a horse “aged” by their dentition.

After that, it gets harder, as tooth wear can vary depending on diet, habits, and breed.

⸻

Every horse is different..

Tooth wear and appearance change with:
• Age
• Feeding habits
• Stereotypic behaviours like crib-biting
• Breed and individual variation

That’s why regular dental checks are so important — we look at far more than just sharp edges.

Stay tuned.. over the next few days we will discuss the anatomy of the incisors and how to age your horse from their front teeth!!

13/07/2025

🦷 Welcome to Our Equine Dental Series 🦷

Over the next 6 weeks, we’re taking you on a step-by-step journey through the fascinating world of the horse’s dentition — starting right at the front with the incisors and working our way back to the cheek teeth.

Our mission is to share accurate, accessible facts about equine dental anatomy: how horses’ teeth function, what can go wrong, and what you can do as an owner to help your horse maintain a healthy, comfortable mouth throughout life.

Join us as we open wide and take a closer look inside! 🐴

⸻

🔍 Focus on Incisors – The Front Teeth

Many owners have questions about their horse’s front teeth — the incisors. So, this week we’re dedicating our posts to these important teeth.

We’ll cover:
• What incisors are used for
• How they develop and erupt in foals / young horses
• How adult dentition develops and erupts in the growing adult horse
• Their unique anatomy
• What can go wrong over time
• And how you can help prevent problems before they start

Whether you’re a horse owner, rider, breeder, or equine health professional, this is your chance to gain insight into the very start of the dental arcade — and how vital these front teeth are to overall health.

If you have any questions along the way we are here to try and answer them..

See you tomorrow for some fun filled facts, but just to start.. how many of you see your horse show off their front teeth ? Is it aggression, submission, expressing gratitude?? Well yes and no..see below..

🐴 Why Do Horses Show Their Teeth?

If you’ve ever seen your horse curl its upper lip and flash its teeth, you might’ve wondered — is it pain, play… or just pulling a face?

Here’s what’s really going on 👇

⸻

🧪 The Flehmen Response

This is the most common reason horses show their teeth. It looks dramatic, but it’s not aggression or amusement — it’s how horses enhance their sense of smell.

👃 Horses have a special structure called the vomeronasal organ in their nasal passages.
👅 By curling their lip back, they pull scents in toward this organ to “read” the world around them more closely.

When does this happen?
• 📦 Smelling something new
• 💕 Stallions checking if a mare is in season
• 🧐 General curiosity
• 😖 Occasionally during colic or discomfort — but this is usually paired with other signs (e.g. flank watching, pawing)

⸻

Other Reasons Horses Flash Their Teeth

🧬 1. Social Signals – In herd life, some horses bare their teeth to show dominance.
🫣 2. Submission – Others might do a soft tooth display to say “I’m no threat.”
⚠️ 3. Warning – If your horse feels unsafe or agitated, teeth + pinned ears + tense body = “Back off!”
🦷 4. Dental pain – Repeated lip movements, grimacing, or strange chewing can point to mouth discomfort — time for a dental check.

⸻

👀 So next time your horse shows its teeth, take a second look — they might be sniffing, flirting, submitting, or simply exploring the world in their own quirky way.

Horse Vet Dentist

02/08/2025

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