Poor athletic performance, behavioral problems and colic can also be caused by bad teeth. Add in the economic loss of feeding grain the horse can't properly chew and digest, and equine dental health becomes an area that deserves a closer look. Horses' teeth are totally different than ours. Equine teeth have very deep roots located far away from the actual chewing surface. Horse teeth are large, and the majority of the tooth is located deep within the bone of the upper or lower jaw.
Horse teeth are wider at the chewing surface than at the root.
As a horse ages, its teeth continue to grow and push further out from the root or base of the jaw. Ideally, the upper and lower teeth fit tightly on top of each other and wear each other down while the horse chews. This design helps in grinding grain, but equine teeth are spaced so they can easily trap food. Trapped food can lead to gingivitis, or inflammation of the gum lining, and ultimately to tooth and gum disease. The shape, size and method of growth of equine teeth cause specific problems.