The age and use of the horse will influence the type of dental examination that needs to be performed. The veterinarian and the owner need to discuss what the owner wants and expects from a dental examination. Dental examinations can vary from a superficial examination to identify major abnormalities only, to a detailed examination that hopefully will reveal the smallest dental problem. The age and use of the horse will influence the type of examination performed. If the owner only wants major abnormalities identified, the examination might consist of flushing the mouth to remove feed and hay, a visual examination, and possibly a manual examination.
Some veterinarians are skillful enough to palpate parts of all teeth of most horses.
This type of examination might identify many problems, especially if the horse is amenable to the examination. However, it has the potential to miss problems, especially at the back of the mouth. Most horses that have had the sharp enamel points floated off in the last year will feel good if only the outsides of the upper first and second cheek teeth are palpated. The points start redeveloping on the caudal lower cheek teeth, which are difficult to palpate without the use of a full-mouth speculum. Most horses will need to be sedated and a full-mouth speculum used for this thorough examination.