Why does my horse need a dental every year?

forth. The incisors lips and jaw movement are assessed first and his mouth is rinsed with water. Your horse may also be given some sedation. This is advisable to make the whole process easier safer and less stressful. Then a mouth gag is placed to help keep the mouth open and prevent any injuries. This also gives us good visualisation but its pretty dark in there so we normally need a head torch too!
With the gag in place his head is supported and we can look inside. We examine again the lips and gums looking for any ulceration bleeding or trauma which could indicate problem teeth. We assess the occlusal surfaces of the teeth with respect to their opposing teeth so make sure everything meets as it should. And check for any signs of problems like caries tooth fractures or gaps between the teeth where food is getting impacted. The cheek teeth are super important these are felt and examined to see if there are any enamel overgrowths or points that need treatment. They tend to form on the outer surfaces of the upper cheek teeth the inner surfaces of the lower cheek teeth the front part of the first upper cheek teeth and the back part of the last lower cheek teethalthough they can form in other areas.
Any rasping or floating treatment is carried out to reduce these overgrowths as needed. The dental chart is updated the mouth is rinsed again and the gag removed before allowing the horse to recover quietly in his stable. 
Reduction of sharp enamel points SEPs
You might see SEPs written on your horses dental chart. This refers to those enamel overgrowths we mentioned and thats what we feel for on the cheek teeth. Reduction of these points is a key part of the dental exam an electric float or hand floats can be used to gently and gradually rasp the teeth to remove these points down so they cant injure your horses tongue or gums. These enamel points are the key reason for needing regular dental exams. The horses teeth constantly erupt over time allowing SEPs to form which then can lead to discomfort and ulceration. Keeping the horses mouth healthy is essential. Not just for eating but also because it plays such a key part in ridden work.