The annual exam is how we determine what is going on with your horse's teeth. Ideally these should begin when your horse is a yearling because that is when his first permanent teeth erupt. An annual exam can catch dental issues before they become severe and allow us to correct them with minimal intervention.

When we come to your farm for the annual exam, Dr. Lin will examine your horse and then administer a standing sedative. (Your horse will not lay down.) Dr. Lin will then flush any feed material out of the mouth using chlorhexidine mouthwash and open the mouth with an instrument called a speculum. She will then examine your horse's entire mouth using a bright headlamp, dental mirror, and probes. She may also use an oral endoscope to allow you to see what she is seeing if there is something complex or abnormal.

Based on the oral exam, you and Dr. Lin will come up with a treatment plan together that works for you and your horse.

Horses have hypsodont teeth which erupt and wear down over time as the horse ages and eats. Most horses under the age of 20 develop sharp points on their teeth that can injure the insides of their cheeks and their tongues. Horses develop these sharp points because their bottom teeth are set just a bit narrower than their upper teeth. This allows the outer edge of the upper teeth and the inner edge of the bottom teeth to become sharp since these areas of the teeth do not wear as much. The discomfort of these sharp points against cheeks and tongue often interferes with performance, bitting, riding, and eating.

To keep horses comfortable while eating and being ridden, we file down these sharp points, also known as floating. Floating can be done with a manual file or with a file powered by a drill, known as a powerfloat. Both tools can be equally safe and effective and while Dr. Lin favors her powerfloat, she also uses hand tools when they are more appropriate. Floating does not hurt the horse and should make them more comfortable in the bit and more efficient chewing their hay and feed.

Floating can also be used to address other concerns including misaligned teeth, step teeth, wavemouth, ramps, hooks, and other misalignments. The sooner these are caught and addressed, the easier they are to fix. While horse teeth can be safely filed, there is a limit to how much tooth can be taken at one time without risking exposure of the nerve and blood supply to the tooth. Therefore, a tooth that is 10mm overgrown may take 4 visits to correct, where if it's caught when only 3mm overgrown, that tooth could be fixed in one visit.

Dr. Lin uses a digital x-ray machine to assess the tissues of the mouth and skull that are not visible on oral exam. This allows her to get a look inside sinuses and at tooth roots as well as the jaw bone, TMJ, and other structures. Dr. Lin will recommend x-rays if she sees something suspicious in your horse's mouth and needs more information before recommending a treatment plan. X-rays will be shared with your regular veterinarian with your permission.

See what Dr. Lin sees! Oral endoscopy allows you to see the inside your horse's mouth broadcast on a screen. This helps you better understand what is going on with your horse. It also allows Dr. Lin to take photographs of the inside of your horse's mouth to document changes over time.

No one likes a sinusitis! The first sign is often a stinky smell, followed by some white or yellow discharge leaking from usually one but sometimes both nostrils of your horse. Sinusitis can be treated by long-term antibiotic therapy, but sometimes it is caused by bacteria invading the sinus through a rotten tooth. In that case, Dr. Lin can help you identify the tooth and give you treatment options.

Wolf teeth are small teeth that erupt just in front of the larger cheek teeth in young horses, typically around 6 months old. Horses can have up to four wolf teeth, but anywhere from none to two is more typical. Wolf teeth are so small that they can even fall out before they cause a problem. In horses that do have them, it is recommended to remove them before beginning training with a bit. Because the wolf teeth are so small and have such shallow roots, bit pressure on these teeth can be uncomfortable or painful and result in training difficulties.

Sometimes wolf teeth are present, but they do not erupt through the gums. These are called impacted wolf teeth. They can also be painful to bit contact and cause training issues if not removed before attempting to bit.

Despite the best care, sometimes teeth can fracture, become painful or loose, or need to be removed for other reasons. Dr. Lin has over ten years' experience extracting both cheek teeth and incisors (front teeth) on the farm.

Dr. Lin will always sedate horses for an extraction. She will typically take x-rays first to make sure your horse's tooth can be extracted on the farm. If it can, she will often perform a nerve block and a local block to minimize the pain your horse feels. Some extractions are done in a minute or two; others can take up to an hour or more. Most extractions do involve visible blood and not everyone wants to be present for them. That is just fine. Dr. Lin will give you a call as soon as we are done if you chose not to be present.

After your horse has a tooth extraction, Dr. Lin may prescribe antibiotics, pain medication, or mouthwash. She may perform a recheck exam or two to make sure the socket is healing properly. After most extractions, you do not need to change the way you feed your horse, but you should always consult Dr. Lin for each individual case.

EOTRH stands for Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis. It is a long name for a disease that damages the incisors (front teeth) and sometimes the canines in older horses. In very rare cases it can also affect cheek teeth. EOTRH is more common in geldings. The cause of EOTRH is still a subject for intensive research and we do not currently know why some horses get this disease.

Clinically, EOTRH is progressive, meaning it gets worse over time. There are two disease processes happening at the same time. The first process, resorption, causes the tooth roots to demineralize. This opens up holes in the tooth roots and allows bacteria to move in. This process is painful as it causes abscessed teeth. The second process is hypercementosis. This is a thickening of the tooth roots where the body lays down extra mineral, but unfortunately the mineral does not get laid down where the resorption destroyed it. This results in tooth roots that are bulging, but full of holes. Some horses suffering from EOTRH are more resorptive and these tend to be more painful. Others are more hypercementotic, and they tend to be less uncomfortable, at least initially.

Because we do not understand what causes EOTRH, we do not have a way to arrest the development of the disease. All we can do is make horses more comfortable. We do this by removing the affected teeth. Often, by the time the disease is diagnosed, horses are well-advanced in the disease and all their front teeth need to be removed. This can seem drastic, but after the procedure, affected horses are much happier, eat better, hold weight better, and are more enthusiastic to be ridden. They will continue to graze despite the lack of front teeth- they use their lips and their gums.

If Dr. Lin suspects your horse has EOTRH, she will take x-rays to look at the roots of the incisors and canines to confirm or dispel the diagnosis. If EOTRH is confirmed, she will discuss which teeth are affected and give you options for proceeding. She may recommend removing all incisors, some, or none at that time. Not all horses are candidates for full incisor extractions on the farm, but many are. If yours is not, she will recommend clinics with veterinarians who can do the procedure.

If you are concerned that your horse may have EOTRH, please reach out to our office by email or phone and Dr. Lin can help guide you through this challenging diagnosis and treatment.

Periodontal disease, also called gum disease, is inflammation or infection of the soft tissues around the teeth. It can be caused by underlying issues with the teeth, including cavities or gaps between the teeth. It can also be caused by abnormal forces on the teeth due to misalignment, jaw issues, TMJ issues, and other problems. If left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss, draining abscesses, and sinus infections. Dr. Lin will check for periodontal disease at every exam and work with you to develop a treatment plan that keeps your horse's teeth functioning for as long as possible.

Not all bits work for all horses in all disciplines. Dr. Lin is not a trainer, but she can help you determine if the bit you are using is a comfortable fit for your horse. If the bit is causing pain or tissue damage that could interfere with training and riding, Dr. Lin can work with you and your trainer to make adjustments.

Horses are living longer, healthier lives as we learn to care for them and support them into their golden years. Quite often, horses are outliving their teeth, meaning that they have worn their teeth down to the point that they no longer grind hay efficiently enough for the horse to get enough nutrition by eating hay. When this happens, you may notice your horse balling hay (quidding) while chewing, losing weight despite a lot of feed, or dropping feed or tilting his head while eating. Dr. Lin can help identify any loose or fractured teeth that may be making the problem worse and remove them. She can also help you develop a feeding plan that works within your management structure to help keep your horse properly conditioned.

Although cancer is uncommon in horses, it can happen, including in the mouth. Dr. Lin will always perform a thorough oral exam and should anything suspicious be identified, she can take a biopsy. The most common oral tumor in horses is actually warts, so usually these are benign. Should the biopsy results be more serious, she can help you come up with an appropriate treatment plan to help you and your horse navigate this difficult diagnosis.