Okay, okay. Horses' teeth are not pearly white. They're definitely yellow. I haven't seen equine whitening toothpaste at the tack store yet. Which is not to say I won't see it one of these days. This is California after all... But the vet specializing in dentistry was out this morning to work on Flash and Jackson. This was Jackson's first full on dentistry appointment. I had our regular vet float him a year ago but hadn't gotten to this yet. He had a bit of TMJ and his front teeth were really long, hindering his ability to chew. He had a few pointy molars and some sugar deposits (looks like burnt caramel) from carrots getting stuck around his teeth. He is also asymmetrical in his mouth which means he is asymmetrical in his body too. I can't say I was surprised since he is extremely one sided - more than any other horse I've worked with. I asked about bit seats. After reading a blog recently that questioned their necessity (since the bit sits on the bars, not the teeth), I wondered too. The vet said "bit seat" is a bad name since it isn't for the bit. Basically, he very lightly rounds the shape of the tooth so it is more comfortable for the tongue. Well, I'm all for comfort. Bring it on!
Flash didn't need as much work since he has had pretty regular dentist appointments. They are both in their stalls now, kinda drunk on the sedative. Their jaws will be sore for a few days so they got a shot for pain and we'll give them some bute tomorrow. I think we'll soak their pellets and make them a vitamin mash for breakfast tomorrow morning. No carrots for a couple days since they are hard and a bit painful for the jaw.
The dentist arrived pulling his exam room behind his truck. Pretty slick! Here is flash getting the finishing touches on his teeth:
Wow--it sounds like so much was wrong, but that's probably just a normal report. I need to get my Mustang's teeth looked at sometime, she has caramely type deposits, too. And someone needs to invent the whitening toothpaste.
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