Straight from the Horse’s mouth: Equine Dentistry with Wayne Dale

Coming from a “Horse Mad” family, Wayne Dale was practically born on a horse, so it was fairly obvious his career choice would have something to do with horses. Some might remember him aboard “Billy Onduno” which belonged to SADF. Together they won many titles including the SA Derby and the Natal Grand Prix in 1984. 

The profession of Equine Dentistry wasn’t around during that time and normally that task fell on either the vet or the farrier. At the time one could only study Equine Dentistry overseas which led Wayne to attend courses in the USA and the UK and spent time honing his practical skills with colleague and now friend, Gary Waters. 

Wayne was amazed to learn how crucial dentistry is to the overall health and performance of the horse. Dale Equine Dental Care was founded in 2005 and their travelling team of equine dental technicians now have the privilege of servicing clients such as Callaho Stud, renowned racing trainers, show jumpers and dressage riders in Gauteng, the Garden Route and Eastern Cape areas. 

DENTAL ISSUES AFFECTING PERFORMANCE

Dental issues can affect the overall performance of the horse and that is why regular dental maintenance is crucial. 

Signs and behaviour that might point to dental issues are:

• refusal to take hold of the bit 
• head tossing 
• not flexing either to the left or right
• excessive bucking (not always due to teeth)
• refusal to move forward
• quidding (spitting out balls of grass)
• excess salivation
• odorous smell from a nostril or mouth
• odorous discharge from a nostril

Why should one even worry about maintaining a horse’s dental health? Especially in competition horses and those ridden often. Should we not leave well alone and not remove the little sharp edges, or create bit seats? 

Maybe! But then again…

Maybe we shouldn’t put shoes on its feet, a bit in its mouth or a saddle on its back. Maybe they shouldn’t be stabled and fed softer food, but fend for themselves in the wild? 

The fact is we do stable them, compete with them and feed them softer food and roughage. This in turn creates the need for farriery, dentistry, physio etc. As long as you ride and compete with your horses, you need to ensure that they are comfortable whilst performing. In terms of dentistry, the basic part of a horse’s dental care is routine floating and rostral profiling.

Horses have hypsodont teeth (continuous tooth eruption). Sharp edges form on the buccal (upper molars) and lingual (lower molars) edges of the teeth which could cause ulcerations in the mouth or tongue if not maintained. Something as simple as tying the noseband, or pulling back on the bit could push the soft tissue of the mouth against the sharp edges of the teeth causing pain and discomfort.

Wolf teeth can also cause discomfort to a horse when ridden. This tiny tooth can be likened to a thorn or pebble in your shoe, and is located in the area where the bit moves around in the mouth. The bit knocking against this tooth can irritate the horse.

Routine dental maintenance should take place every 6 to 8 months depending on the work the horse is doing, and not just when the horse presents with a serious dental issue like a fracture or tooth infection. This includes horses involved in all the different disciplines. We do racehorses more frequently due to their age and the fact that they’re losing their baby teeth.

We treat each horse according to their age, needs and frequency of being ridden. Just like humans, all horses mouths are different and is treated accordingly. 

Client feedback on improvement of their horses makes my job as an equine dental technician rewarding. There are many case studies of horses that struggled with a tooth issue and changed significantly after their teeth were done.

This makes me think of one horse in particular. Whilst visiting a client in Limpopo for her horses’ annual dental check, we watched one of her horse’s peculiar behaviour while he ate. He’d take a bite, and whilst masticating pace the stable in a circle. Once he reached the doorpost, which our client padded, he’d bash the one side of his face against the post, swallow the food, and repeat the cycle.

Upon closer investigation, we found a fractured tooth that rotated and protruded into the soft tissue of his cheek causing a calloused ulceration from the injury over time. This made mastication (chewing) very painful and difficult, hence him bashing that side of his face against the padded post. We removed the piece of fracture, did his teeth and fed him. Realising that there was no more pain and discomfort, the pacing and bashing of his face stopped.

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER EQUINE PROFESSIONALS

We value our relationships with all the different professionals in the equine industry. Finding the solution to something that ails a horse might not just involve dentistry. We refer clients to other professionals if need be and especially work very closely with the veterinarians. 

There are many aspects in taking care of our equine friends, dentistry and veterinary being only two. The importance of a good farrier, physio, saddle fitter, bit fitter, etc. is paramount to their welfare and performance.

A HORSE’S DIET AND ITS TEETH

I believe that a horse’s diet can have an effect on their teeth. Caries (tooth decay) is a good example of this. Opinions vary around the cause and treatment of caries in horses. Some claiming that there are many factors that can contribute towards tooth decay. One cause in particular can be the type of grass and ration they’re fed, or the water they drink. In discussions with colleagues in the Cape and overseas we’ve found that horses fed oat hay are more prone to dental caries than horses that are fed teff or eragrostis. 

Some horses could be more prone to caries due to their tooth structure and saliva. This condition can be exacerbated by feeding regimes and the PH (acidity) in their drinking water.

Equine Dentistry and the techniques and technology we use have certainly evolved since I started 18 years ago. More is known about the horse’s teeth and mouth now than before.

I do think that innovation has its pros and cons, the latter being detrimental to the horse’s wellbeing in the wrong hands. In discussions with some veterinarians we’ve agreed that there are a lot of invasive, costly procedures done to horses teeth that aren’t justified or necessary. 

These procedures, like unnecessary tooth extractions, certainly should be approached with caution, and only be done as a last resort when all other treatment options are exhausted. 

Another new procedure is tooth fillings. In my opinion more long term case studies and data should be presented with regard to the success of this treatment.

It’s about the horse’s wellbeing in the end! This is a daily reminder to act ethically, with care, in everything we do, when we work with them.