The examination can be difficult, and even dangerous, not to mention the actual dental work that is needed. A thorough and knowledgeable veterinarian or equine dental technician should inspect the horse's teeth and oral cavity. It is amazing what abnormalities can be found. All horses should be checked for dental problems before being put in training. Many trainers know they can avoid trouble and make training easier if there are no dental problems or have them corrected before beginning.
Dental problems can manifest themselves in many ways.
Teeth problems occur when sharp edges and points develop due to normal or abnormal wear patterns. Horses gain twelve additional permanent molars from one to three and a half years of age. They also shed and replace all of their deciduous teeth by four years of age. Pulling these loose or impacted caps often helps a great deal. This eruption is kept in balance in the normal horse by wear on the teeth by grinding food, and contact with the opposing tooth.