Whatever the age of the horse, it can have wolf teeth. Did you know that horses could have up to as many as 10 wolf teeth? They date back o the first horse, Eohippus, when horses had seven molars in each arcade. The wolf tooth is actually a remnant of the roots of a premolar, or the seventh molar. As a premolar, it has the capabilities of having a baby or deciduous tooth. These teeth can occur on the top and bottom arcades.
Wolf teeth are loose rooted and set in front of the first premolar where the bit is placed, and for this reason should be extracted prior to the installation of bit seats. This will enhance the performance of your horse.


Bit Seats


There are nerves running along the bars of the horse's mouth. If a bit constantly bangs on them, these nerves can be damaged causing general aggravation. To solve this problem, bit seats are installed for the comfort of the horse and are suggested for any horse that is being ridden. By rounding the front of the first premolar (top and bottom to the gum line) we provide a place for the pouchy flesh and cheek to escape the bit. This bit seat should be custom made for the bit that is used in the horse's mouth. Many people will create bit seats, but they may not be the proper size for any bit, yet alone the bit you use.


Why use Sedation?


Most the work I do require sedation. The horses, especially first time clients, are in need of advance precision angle work that requires the horse to be still, it is a must. This is especially true when dremels are used. The horse will respond with excessive moving about and head tossing. When the horse has been properly sedated, they will be standing and still awake, but they are quiet.


Another important reason for having horse sedated, especially when removing of wolf teeth, is that there a palatine artery running along the top of the mouth. If the horse should fidget and toss his head, there is a chance of puncturing this artery with an instrument while working.


Dentistry, a New Fad or a Thing of the Past?


There is a widespread misconception that horse dentistry has just been developed over the last 10-20 years. Although evidence exists that we did quite a bit of regular tooth maintenance over a century ago, when horse were our primary source of locomotion. Horse dentistry was pretty much forgotten after WWI when the Vet Board claimed it as a veterinarian procedure. This took out of the hands of the experienced dental technicians who had already figured out oral biomechanics and how to eliminate the problems that prevents normal mastication and better riding habits.


So, why the big ruckus now about the service that has been avoided for so long, that we have net been able to get our regular veterinarians to perform it? We ask them to check our horse's teeth and some of them reply something like:


'His teeth are O.K.?' after a brief finger check
'Is he fighting the bit?'
'Has he been dropping grain?'
'He is in good shape. See how fat he is.'
'They don't need that until they're senior citizens-they are O.K. now.'


This is becoming a thing of the past. More and more people are switching to non-veterinarian equine dentist and better-educated veterinarians. Thanks to several horse dentistry organizations and schools that have formed over the past decade or two. The Academy of Equine Dentistry in Glenns Ferry, Idaho, is recognized as being one the best at teaching the practice of quality horse dentistry in the world.


The Academy of Equine Dentistry has studied hundreds of horse skulls and the vast majority showed no signs of dental maintenance. In fact, several of them had serious dental problems that might have been a factor for their demise. This leads us to believe that most horses die sooner than they should and suffer much more pain that could have been prevented through regular dental maintenance. Always remember, it is a myth that horses show us signs of dental problems before they become serious. So, it is very important to have a qualified dentist check your horses regularly (every six to nine months).