The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-11-15
DENTISTRY on HORSES.
Operations which Are Performed Remov.
ing Decayed Root. M


Ing = Dccaysd Root.
At each OF its stables, the Metropol
itan Traction Co maintains hospital
for the car horses sick or temporarily
disabled. Probably the most interest.
ing part Of the duties Of the veterinary
surgeon in charge is that Of attending
to the horses teeth.
Equine dentistry is on q generous
scale, and the formidable instruments
used seem to pertain to a blacksmith
more than dentist. Once every year
the horses mouths are overhauled and
thorough examination of their teeth
takes place. The operation is known
technically as floating" and consists
for the most part of fling off the sharp
edges of molars which are liable to
lacerate the mouth of the animal.
The instruments for this purpose are
heavy rasp about a foot long, which is
used for connecting Irregularities in
the front teeth, and smaller curved
rasp, attached to a long handle, which
is used for the molars. No pain seems
to be felt by the horses while the fling
is going on. The veterinary explained
that this was because the teeth of a
horse are ordinarily solid, and, more
over, the canal containing the sensitive
nerve does not extend up very close to
the top of the tooth.
far more painful operation is nee.
essary when tooth becomes too long
and has to be shortened. The teeth of
horse are always growing, and when
the animal loses a front tooth the OPP
posing tooth gradually becomes longer.
1t has nothing opposite to grind it
down, and would in time very serious
ly inconvenience the animal. Time is
precious and horsefesh is cheap, there
fore the shortest possible method is
used. To file the tooth down would
take too long, SO it is cut off at single
snip with an instrument which would
do the same to thin iron bar. The cut
tiers are about three feet long and have
lever arrangement near the cutting
edges which trebles the force which
would be obtained by the use of the
handles alone. The horse is not tied,
but simply held by an attendant while
the surgeon adjusts the cutting edges
to the tooth, and with a quick pressure
of the long handles cuts off as much OF
the tooth as required. Before the in
vention of this instrument it was Gus
tomary to cut off a tooth by means of
chisel and hammer. This was an ex-
quisitely painful operation, whereas,
with the new instrument, the pain is
much less, very often the animal
evincing no discomfort whatever.
1t is not often that the extraction of
horses tooth is necessary, but when
it is the operation is rather formida-
BILE one. The teeth of horse, despite
their solidity, decay rapidly if they
once start, and tooth is usually gone
before the veterinary knows that it is
decayed.
The instruments for extraction are
somewhat like those used in ordinary
dentistry, but much larger. Their APP
pearance is calculated to give man
with toothache fit. They are about
three feet long and of great power. 1t
requires pretty strong pair of arms
to pull out horses tooth, notwith-
standing the size and strength of the
forceps. A skillful operator will ex-
tract the offending tooth while an
attendant holds the horses head If the
animal is quiet one. With high
spirited or nervous horses an operat-
ing table is required. The animal is
backed up to the table, which is very
solid and with hinged top. After be-
ing strapped securely to the top of the
table the horse is brought to a recum-
bent position by simply turning the
top back upon it's hinges. This table
is used for all operations in which
horse is required to be passive. Great
strides have been made recently in
dentistry for horses Only of late has
the Importance of sound teeth been
recognized as contributing greatly to
the service and health of the animal.
Operations are now performed which
would have been deemed impossible
ten or fifteen years ago. 1t sometimes
happens that the root of a decayed
tooth will cause trouble to horse
which can only be relieved by extrac-
ton. The root cannot well be reached
by forceps, because it is far below the
surface of the,gum.
In an aggravated case of this kind
some time ago. the operation of ire
phining was performed. The tooth to
be extracted was in the lower jaw, and
a hole was bored from under the jaw
bone right up to the root of the tooth.
A chisel was then passed up the cavity
and smart tap with a hammer sent
the offending root flying out The ami
NAL was soon well again and able to
do its work. Among valuable horses
the filing of decayed teeth is quite ex-
tensively practiced. The filling ma
terial is silver amalgam which is
packed tight with chisel and mallet
False teeth have not yet been made use