Beyond “Floating”: Equine Dental Care and Whole-Body Wellness

If you’ve owned horses for a while, you’ve probably heard the phrase “get your horse’s teeth floated.” Floating—filing down sharp edges on a horse’s teeth—is indeed important, but proper equine dental care goes far beyond just floating. In fact, your horse’s dental health is closely linked to their whole-body wellness. Issues in the mouth can ripple through the body, affecting chewing, digestion, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), posture, and even performance under saddle.

The Mouth-Body Connection: More Than Just Teeth

It might surprise some owners to learn how tightly dental health and overall wellness are connected in the horse. A horse’s mouth isn’t an isolated system – it’s the first step in digestion and a key part of their musculoskeletal balance. When a horse chews, the jaw moves in a circular, side-to-side motion (almost like a figure-eight) to grind down fibrous feed. This motion is not only crucial for breaking down food but also engages the TMJ, the joint on each side of the jaw. The TMJ is packed with nerves and is situated close to the brain, playing a role in balance and posture as well as chewing. If something in the mouth hurts or is out of alignment, the horse may chew differently or hold its head and neck awkwardly to avoid pain. Over time, these adaptations can affect the entire body – leading to muscle tension, stiffness, or even changes in gait and posture as the horse tries to stay comfortable.

Chewing mechanics are a big part of digestion as well. Horses need to be able to move their jaw freely – side to side, forward and back, up and down – to properly chew hay and grain. Incomplete chewing can lead to larger feed particles reaching the stomach, which in turn raises risks of choke or colic from poor digestion. Simply put, a comfortable mouth allows a horse to chew, move, and perform comfortably, while an uncomfortable mouth can set off a chain reaction of problems.

Dental Balance 101: What Is a “Balanced” Mouth?

When we talk about dental balance in horses, we mean that the teeth align and wear in a way that allows normal, pain-free chewing motion. Horses are unique in that their teeth continuously erupt (grow) throughout most of their life, at a rate of a few millimeters per year. In the wild or natural setting, constant grazing on tough forage helps wear those teeth down evenly. But domestic horses on varied diets (and with the added complication of bits and bridles) often develop uneven wear patterns. Dental imbalance means some parts of the teeth are too tall, too sharp, or not meeting their opposing teeth correctly. This misalignment is called a malocclusion (when the upper and lower teeth don’t meet evenly). A balanced mouth, on the other hand, has the upper and lower teeth making even contact, allowing that free grinding motion and distributing pressure evenly across the jaw.

Several factors can throw off the balance. For instance, a horse’s upper jaw (maxilla) is naturally a bit wider than the lower jaw (mandible). Because of this, when the horse chews, the outer edges of the upper cheek teeth and the inner edges of the lower cheek teeth don’t wear down as much as the rest of the tooth surface. Over time, these less-worn edges become sharp enamel points. This is why even a normal horse will develop some sharp edges that need routine filing (floating). If not addressed, those sharp points can cause pain by cutting the cheeks or tongue, and they interfere with the smooth motion of the jaw. Dental balance also involves the incisors (front teeth) – if the incisors are overgrown or misaligned, they can prevent the cheek teeth from meeting properly. A classic example is an overbite or underbite: the horse’s front teeth don’t align, which can stop the back teeth from grinding fully.

Common Equine Dental Issues and Their Effects

Even with routine care, many horses develop certain common dental issues over time. Here are a few of the usual suspects – sharp points, hooks, and wave mouth – and how they can affect your horse’s well-being and performance:

• Sharp Enamel Points: As mentioned, sharp points form on the edges of teeth due to normal chewing dynamics. These points can rub and cut the inside of the cheeks or tongue, leading to painful sores or ulcers . A horse with sharp points might chew gingerly, drop partially chewed hay, or slobber more as they try to avoid the ouch. Under saddle, sharp points can make a horse very sensitive in the face – the pressure of a bit or noseband can press those soft tissues against the razor-like edges, causing the horse to toss its head, gape its mouth, or resist the bridle. Thankfully, sharp points are easy to remedy with routine floating, and removing them often reduces resistance behaviors like head tilting, mouthing the bit, or sticking out the tongue while riding .

• Hooks: A hook is basically an overgrown section of a tooth that forms a hook-like protrusion. Hooks commonly occur on the front of the first upper cheek teeth or the back of the last lower cheek teeth. Why there? Because those are areas where the upper and lower jaws might not align perfectly, so a portion of the tooth doesn’t get worn down. Over time it elongates into a hook shape (imagine an eagle’s beak curving over). Hooks can be pretty problematic. They can poke into the gums or opposing jaw, causing pain, and they literally hook the jaw, limiting its movement. A big hook on a back tooth, for example, can prevent a horse from sliding its lower jaw forward or sideways fully. Under saddle, this becomes a serious issue: when you ask a horse to flex at the poll (like coming on the bit and rounding its neck), the lower jaw normally needs to slide forward a bit. A large hook can lock the jaw so it can’t slide, meaning the horse physically can’t flex correctly. This can create pain in the TMJ and poll area and make the horse fight the bit or feel “stuck” in the neck. In severe cases, a horse with big hooks might even have trouble opening its mouth wide to eat. Proper dental care can grind down those hooks to free up the movement again.

• Wave Mouth: A wave mouth describes an uneven grinding surface of the molars that, instead of being relatively flat, has a wave-like series of high and low spots. This often happens in older horses or those who missed dental care for several years. It can start when one tooth develops a problem (like missing an opposite tooth, so it overgrows) and then the next tooth wears abnormally in compensation, creating a chain of alternating high and low teeth – like a wave. Wave mouths make it hard for all the teeth to meet evenly. Portions of feed might escape grinding because of those gaps. Horses with a pronounced wave may chew inefficiently, take a long time to eat, or favor chewing on one side. They may also have trouble with bits or nosebands because the uneven teeth press into soft tissue oddly. In terms of movement and behavior, a wave can accompany hooks and other malocclusions that, as described, hinder jaw motion. Even without obvious pain, a wave mouth is like driving a car on a bumpy road – it’s just not a smooth ride for the horse’s jaw joints. Over time, waves can lead to TMJ strain and difficulty in flexing or bending correctly. Dentists usually address wave mouth gradually, floating down the high teeth over multiple sessions if it’s severe, to avoid removing too much at once. The result of smoothing a wave is a more even chewing surface that improves the horse’s ability to grind food and move its jaw freely.

• Other Issues: There are other dental problems too, such as ramps (a sloping overgrowth, similar to a hook, usually on lower teeth), step mouth (where one tooth is longer because its opposite is missing), and lost or broken teeth. Even wolf teeth (small extra premolars) can cause trouble if they interfere with the bit. While not every horse will get these, it’s good to be aware. Missing or painful teeth can cause a horse to chew only on one side, leading to uneven wear elsewhere. The bottom line is that many of these issues compound: sharp points can occur alongside hooks or waves, etc. All of them contribute to a mouth that’s out of balance, which, as we’ve discussed, can translate into difficulty eating, weight loss, and poor performance or odd behaviors.

Routine Dental Care: Keeping the Balance

So, how often does your horse need dental care and what does “proper” equine dentistry entail? The general rule of thumb is to have an equine dental exam at least once a year for adult horses. Many horses do fine with annual exams and floats. Young horses may need more frequent checks (every 6 months) while they’re losing baby teeth and getting adult teeth, typically between 2.5 and 5 years old. Senior horses or those with known issues might also benefit from twice-yearly check-ups. The key is to be proactive: don’t wait until you see big problems. By the time a horse is dropping weight or exhibiting major resistance under saddle from dental pain, the issues may be quite severe. Regular exams allow a dentist or veterinarian to catch sharp points or minor imbalances before they escalate . Think of it like maintaining your car – you rotate the tires and change the oil periodically to avoid a breakdown later. Likewise, routine dental maintenance can save your horse from painful episodes and keep them performing their best.

A proper equine dental examination will involve more than just looking at the front teeth. Usually, it starts with sedation of the horse. Sedation helps your horse relax and stand calmly, and it prevents them from clamping their jaw shut . The practitioner will use a full-mouth speculum (a device to hold the mouth open) to see all the way to the back teeth. They’ll use a bright light, and often a dental mirror, to inspect each tooth’s surface and the health of the gums and cheeks. Many times, they chart the findings tooth by tooth, similar to how your own dentist keeps records. This exam might reveal things like small hooks starting to form, ulcerations on the cheeks from sharp edges, or even rarely a fractured tooth or gum infection. Only after a thorough exam will the practitioner proceed to floating and equilibration as needed. Floating can be done with traditional hand rasps or with modern power tools (power floats). Don’t get too hung up on the tool – what matters most is the skill and care of the person doing the job. In skilled hands, both manual floats and power floats can achieve an excellent result. Power instruments can make the work quicker and allow work on severe issues more easily, but they should be used carefully to avoid taking off too much tooth. A good dental professional will address any sharp edges, and also file down larger overgrowths in stages to re-balance the mouth without over-correcting in one go.

Importantly, equine dental care is a team effort. In many places, licensed veterinarians are the only ones allowed to sedate a horse, so often your vet will either do the dentistry or work in tandem with a specialized equine dentist. Choose a qualified dental practitioner – ask for credentials or certification if available, or get referrals from trusted horse professionals.

Signs Your Horse May Need a Dental Check

While sticking to an annual schedule is ideal, you should also be on the lookout for signs of dental imbalance in between exams. Some red flags that it’s time to call the dentist include:

• Quidding – finding rolled-up wads of hay dropped from the mouth, or your horse dropping grain while eating. This indicates they can’t chew properly (it hurts or the teeth aren’t meeting right).

• Eating slowly or reluctantly – horses that take much longer to finish feed, dunk hay in water, or approach hay with caution might be having trouble chewing.

• Excessive drooling or dripping grain – watch for slobbering or a messy eater; it could mean chewing is painful.

• Head tilting or fussing while eating – if a horse consistently tilts its head to one side when chewing, or spits out half-chewed feed, something may be amiss in one side of the mouth.

• Bad breath or foul odor from the mouth – this can signal infection or advanced tooth decay.

• Facial swelling or one-sided nasal discharge – swelling along the jaw or an unusual discharge from one nostril can mean a tooth root infection or sinus issue stemming from a bad tooth.

• Behavior changes under saddle – such as sudden resistance to bridling, chewing the bit constantly, head tossing, or even rearing and bucking. Dental pain is not the only possible cause of these behaviors, but it’s one of the first things to rule out if your horse’s attitude changes unpredictably.

• Loss of condition – weight loss or a dull coat despite good diet could hint that the horse isn’t processing feed well due to dental problems (of course, many health issues can cause weight loss, but teeth are a common culprit in older horses).

If you spot any of these issues, it’s wise to schedule a dental exam sooner rather than later. Catching a problem early can prevent more serious complications. For example, removing a small hook this season could prevent a nasty ulcer or a bigger malocclusion down the road. And remember, even if you don’t notice any of these signs, that yearly dental check is still important – horses often hide discomfort until it’s quite bad. Regular preventive care is far better than waiting for a crisis. As the old saying goes in horse care, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and nowhere is that more true than with dental health. Annual or semi-annual dental work keeps your horse in tip-top shape and often saves money and heartache by avoiding severe dental treatments later on.

Beyond the Float: The Importance of Skilled Dental Care

By now, it’s clear that equine dentistry is much more than just floating sharp points. It’s about maintaining dental balance (occlusal equilibration) so that the horse can live and perform without mouth pain. Achieving this requires knowledge, experience, and the right approach. Whether your horse’s dentist uses hand tools or power tools isn’t as important as their training and technique.

Another point to clarify is that equine dental care is not a one-time fix but an ongoing part of horse management. You wouldn’t shoe a horse once and assume their hooves will be perfect forever; similarly, one dental float won’t last a lifetime. Teeth change continuously as horses age – they erupt, they wear, and sometimes they develop new issues like tooth loss or gum disease as years go by. Regular care means we can adapt to those changes and keep the horse comfortable through all life stages. For example, young adult horses (late teens) might start to experience the end of their tooth eruption phase and could get smoother-mouthed in their senior years, needing different care (like switching to soaked feeds if they can’t chew hay well). A skilled dentist or vet will advise you on these transitions. They might say, “Hey, your horse’s molars are pretty worn down this year, consider adding a mash or senior feed,” if chewing becomes ineffective. This holistic approach—combining dentistry with nutrition and overall care—ensures your horse can thrive even as its dental needs evolve.

Practical Takeaways for Horse Owners

• Schedule Regular Dental Exams: Aim for at least once per year dental check-ups for adult horses. Younger horses (under 5) and seniors may need exams every 6 months. Don’t wait for obvious problems – preventative maintenance is most effective.

• Watch for Warning Signs: Keep an eye on your horse’s eating habits and behavior. Quidding, slow or picky eating, weight loss, bad breath, head tilting, or resistance under saddle are all possible signs of dental discomfort. If you notice any, get an exam on the calendar.

• Use Qualified Professionals: Ensure the person doing your horse’s teeth is a licensed vet or certified equine dental technician with proper training. Whether they use hand floats or power floats, the key is that they perform a thorough exam and complete job. Don’t be afraid to ask about their experience or certifications.

• Whole-Body Health: Remember that good dental care benefits more than just the mouth. Your horse will likely chew better (improving digestion and nutrient absorption, experience less mouth pain (leading to fewer training hiccups), and even maintain better posture and balance when its teeth and TMJ are comfortable. Think of dental care as an integral part of your horse’s wellness routine, just like hoof care, nutrition, and conditioning.

• It’s Not Just “Floating”: Understand that “floating” is one aspect of dental care. Comprehensive dentistry will include diagnostics (examining each tooth, often with sedation and speculum), floating sharp points, and occlusal equilibration – aligning and balancing the bite surfaces. The end result should be a mouth free of painful edges and appropriately contoured for even contact.

  
  

By keeping up with these practices, you set your horse up for success from the inside out. A comfortable mouth makes for a happier horse, and a happier horse can more readily excel in whatever you ask – be it trail riding, dressage, jumping, or just being a healthy pasture buddy. Good dental care is an investment in your horse’s health and happiness, and with a bit of diligence, it yields rewards that are evident in your horse’s condition and demeanor. Here’s to bright eyes, shiny coats, and yes – clean, balanced teeth – as signs of a well-cared-for equine partner! Your horse will thank you, every time they crunch into their feed or ease into a collected trot without discomfort.

Additional Resources:

Understanding Equine Dental Health & Occlusal Equilibration

• Proper Equine Dental Care: More Than Just "Floating" Teeth | Farnam – A comprehensive overview of what goes into balanced dental care beyond basic floating.

• Equine Dental Care: Painful Points and Uneven Arcades | The Horse – Discusses the mechanics and consequences of sharp points, waves, and hooks.

• Your Horse’s Teeth: Everything You Need to Know | BeChewy – A general guide on signs of dental issues and how to maintain oral health.

The Role of the TMJ in Equine Posture and Movement

• TMJ and Equine Balance | Equine Wellness Magazine – Explores the connection between the jaw joint and whole-body alignment in horses.

  
  

Common Equine Dental Issues

• Dental Terminology: Hooks and Points | Middlesex Equine – Explains common malocclusions like hooks and how they form.

• 20+ Common Dental Issues in Horses | Mad Barn – Covers a wide range of dental problems, from wolf teeth to wave mouth, with treatment tips.

Signs of Dental Pain and Performance Impacts

• Equine Dental Care and Training Resistance | The Horse – How dental discomfort shows up as behavioral and training issues.

• Oral Exams | Starwood Equine Veterinary Services – Why thorough, sedated oral exams are critical for diagnosing issues at the back of the mouth.

Professional Dental Care and Finding a Provider

• American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Dental Guidelines – Professional standards and recommendations for equine dental care.