06/27/2025
I get fiery when I see other "dentists" who have floated the canines down enough to literally kill the tooth. It causes chronic pain and inflammation to the horse.
Hello everyone! Today’s discussion topic of the week is:
Canine Teeth! To Float or Not to Float?🦷
The short answer - DONT FLOAT THEM.
Here’s why!:
While most of the teeth in a horses mouth are classified as hypsodont, which means the teeth continually erupt throughout life and have very different adaptations compared to human teeth. Adaptations which allow these teeth to be floated without damage to the pulp system of the tooth, when done correctly. The equine canine tooth is different because it is classified as a brachydont tooth, which is in the same classification as human, dog, and cat teeth! This means that the canine tooth has a short eruption period at around 4-6 years of age, and once it is erupted into the mouth it changes very little throughout the life of the horse. The tooth has an outer layer of enamel for protection, and when this layer is damaged it can potentially cause damage or even death of the live pulp cavity of the tooth, which can sit as little as 5 millimeters under the surface of the tooth! And unlike hypsodont teeth that lay down a protective layer over their pulp system to protect the sensitive live tissue, the canine teeth do not have the same ability. This is why it is VITAL that your veterinary dental practitioner, who is performing routine oral exams on your horses, does NOT use their float to reduce the height of any canine teeth. Exposure of the pulp system can result in infection and death of the tooth, which is an extremely painful process! Reduction of canines is rarely warranted, in fact, canines are prone to calculus formation because they sit off center from each other and rarely make enough contact with feed and other parts of the mouth to remove this calculus.
While it may be advised not to float canine teeth, it’s still important to evaluate them annually! It is important for your veterinary dental practitioner to remove any calculus that may be built up on the canine teeth in order to prevent or treat any periodontal disease, as well as evaluate for any fractures/trauma, and evidence of EOTRH. Disease of the canine teeth can cause extreme head shyness and other evasive or aggressive behaviors associated with dental pain!
- Ashley Bonnette, DVM
References:
Easley, J., Dixon, P., & Schumacher, J.
(2010). Equine Dentistry (3rd ed.). Saunders.
