Advanced Equine Dentistry & Vet Services Inc

Signs of Dental Problems

• Abnormal change in behavior (dropping food, head tilting, excessive salivation)
• Refusing certain types of food
• Refusing food completely
• Eating slowly
• A bad odor from the mouth
• Quidding (rolling hay into balls then dropping them)
• Head shaking
• Loss of weight / condition
• Packing food into the cheeks
• Food / hay being passed through in droppings
• Swellings under the jaw, side of face or above eyes
• Tilting the head while being ridden
• Unable to ride in an outline / on the bit / slow to make transitions
• Chewing on the bit
• Bad behavior


It is highly recommended that you have your horses teeth looked at by an equine dentist or vet every 6 months. Examinations should begin at birth and continue every 6 months throughout the horse's life to correct and prevent dental problems. Not having regular dental care could lead to many major problems that will not correct themselves.