"One of the goals of equine dentistry is to distribute the pressure and wear that is inherent to mastication onto as many variable teeth as possible - in other words, we want to maximize the amount of surface area that is available for mastication. This should help reduce excessive wear on isolated teeth thus prolonging the functional life and integrity on the dental arcades."
Nick Moore CEqD, A Systematic Approach to Maximizing Occlusal Surface Area, Horse Dentistry and Bitting Journal , February 2009.
Why the Need?
Unlike humans, horses teeth continue to erupt throughout the animal’s life.
Wild horses forage and eat coarse grasses for 16 – 18 hours a day. The incisors are worn down by constant abrasion from external forces such as sand, bark, coarse grasses etc. In winter horses may have to dig for roots and this process allows the incisors to wear at approximately the same rate as the cheek teeth.
Domestic horses have a higher rate of eruption than attrition (wearing down of teeth). They often use their lips rather than their teeth to pick up feed. Hay and grain do not wear down the incisors sufficiently and the incisors may become long and interfere with the occlusion and the grinding action of the cheek teeth. When the food is not ground sufficiently during the mastication process nutrients are not absorbed and the horse loses weight and condition. Money spent on special feeds is wasted.
Overlong incisors may place stress upon the temporomandibular joint. Temporomandibular joint problems are sometimes found in humans and where this is the case the person may suffer headaches, muscular aches, or tinnitus (ringing in the ear). Horses may experience similar symptoms.
Overlong incisors may cause impaction colic. Poor cheek teeth contact leads to poorly chewed food which may become impacted in the intestines causing the horse extreme discomfort.
The above problems can be prevented by scheduled maintenance of your horses teeth.
So you have had your horse's teeth worked on, but you are not really sure what was actually done or why it was necessary.
However, you do know how much it costs!
Follow this link for the answer to your question.
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