This is an older horse whose teeth had NEVER been done.  His incisors were at a severe angle,
which kept him from being able to eat properly.  He was only able to chew in one direction, which,
along with the problems in the back, kept his jaw from sliding back and forth.  He was also missing
some of his teeth, which had caused the opposing teeth to grow very tall and penetrate into his
gums.  He also had severe waving along the surface of the molars, as well as large hooks in the
back and in the front.....not to mention the razor sharp points along the edges of his teeth.  There
was NOTHING good about this horses mouth.   The angle was corrected, the sharp edges were
filed off, the hooks were removed, the tall teeth were filed down and the waving was corrected.  
Immediately upon completion, this horse went right to eating and the owner was astounded.  Many
veterinarians and self-proclaimed equine dentists do not do this type of work, nor do they have the
equipment or training to do so. Most will simply file off the sharp edges and leave the rest.  This
type of work requires the skill and knowledge of an educated equine dental technician.
These photos are of work performed by a highly skilled teeth floater
This is an example of what happens when there are no opposing teeth. This horse wasn't too old, but had
REALLY BAD teeth.  The upper incisors had grown crooked and out of control because there were no teeth
opposing them on the bottom. The horse had to have suffered some kind of injury at some point (maybe a kick to
the mouth) which caused it to lose most of it's bottom teeth.  When a horse loses a tooth, the opposing tooth will
keep growing and eventually end up in that space because there is nothing for it to grind against.  Remember,
their teeth grow constantly, which is why it is SO important to have them done.  Also, don't forget, this is NOT
painful for a horse.  They don't have nerve endings in their teeth like we do. They can't feel it - just like trimming
their feet.   
Before - Profile View
BEFORE>
little razor sharp
points piercing the  
inner cheeks
Before - Front View
AFTER
the points
have been
filed off and
the edges are
smooth
Before and after photos of a horse with classic sharp points along the outsides of the molars.  The points were
filed down and the horse was immediately relieved.  Not exactly veterinary medicine.

Vets are doctors, not dentists.  Would you take your child to his pediatrician to have dental work?
Photos
This is a young horse with a cap
(baby tooth) that grew and grew
because there was no adult tooth
behind it to push it out. Imagine
how difficult it was for this horse
to pick grass and eat hay with
this stuck in his mouth.
This horse had not been floated in 5 years.  Notice the extremely large hook on the first molar, the razor sharp points stabbing into her cheeks
and the uneven surfaces of the teeth.  This horse had serious problems, but you wouldn't have known it just by looking at her.  The after pic
shows a huge difference.  In a case like this, the horse needs to be done every six months until all of the problems are worked out.  
BEFORE - Large Hook
on Lower #11 Molar
BEFORE - Large Hook
on Upper #6 Molar
AFTER
AAEP - Ask the Vet
Questions and Answers
About Equine Dentistry