The importance of a balanced mouth:   Without a balanced mouth, it is very difficult to adjust the first vertebrae (poll) of the neck.  As stated earlier the teeth, jaw, poll and cranial bones are all intimately connected. Any imbalance or incorrect protuberances of the back molars can create a barrier to ‘seating’ the poll, thus preventing it from sliding into its pre- determined groove.  These protuberances  also prevent the horse from chewing in the correct manner i.e. lateral excursion or from side to side, thus contributing to a build up of pressure in the TMJ  (jaw) area and down the entire length of the face of the horse and in severe cases down to the shoulder. 

An imbalanced mouth can also potentially cause a cranial (skull) imbalance, with the result that the cranial bones becoming very static or ‘locked up’ thus interfering and inhibiting the pumping action of the cranial bones which regulates the   flow of cerebro- spinal fluid up and down the spine. This pumping action of the cerebral spinal fluid facilitates the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system.

Craniopathy is a specialized chiropractic field dealing with the micro motion and distortion of the skull. (Yes, the bones of the skull do move!). One of the most important aspects of normal cracial function is the position of the jaw.  When the lower jaw – the mandible comes into contact with the upper jaw-the maxilla, the movement should be symmetrical, simultaneous and even. This constitutes normal cranio dental function. When the jaw becomes distorted, the entire balance of the cranium is put into jeopardy.

As my professor of Physiology said in Chiropractic College ‘’everything is related to everything”. So, it is with dentistry, craniopathy, chiropractic and the normal functioning of the nervous system.

Dental problems can typically put a horse under tremendous spinal tension, resulting in a horse that:

• Has pain and stiffness in the skull, neck and shoulders
• not free in front or able to lengthen
• cannot use it’s head and neck properly—i.e.  a Steeplechaser or Eventing horse doing cross country;the horse has to jump with its head up in the air rather than in a position of  forward propelling. If the head and neck are up, the stride is short and the horse loses part of its engine.
• The horse has to be able to drop its head and neck in order to engage the back and hind quarters to collect and jump. Thus, a horse which has to keep its head in the air while trying to collect may lose part of its’ propellant motion, resulting in dropped poles whilst show jumping.

A skeletal system and mouth that is unbalanced will form all sorts of compensations in order to counterbalance the mis- alignments. The abnormal or restricted movement causes a loss of flexibility, stiffness and further resistance. The most common symptom of this condition is pain, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Horses in pain will show compensation in posture and gait.

 For instance, an unbalanced mouth and poll could result in a tight neck and shoulders which requires compensation in the low back. Once the low back can no longer compensate, the horse has structurally no place to go. This typically results in a horse in a lot of pain unable to tell us his or her problem. In chronic or extreme cases, the horse typically shuts down emotionally, lashes out  and can become difficult or dangerous to handle. Many mal- aligned or difficult horses could be corrected so simply with a balance of the teeth, poll and cranial bones.

Problems under saddle are often tooth related. It is a good idea to consult your veterinarian or qualified equine dentist if your horses displays otherwise unexplainable behaviors, for instance: head tossing, bucking, refusal or inability to collect, going behind the bit, gaping the mouth or difficulty in picking up canter.

I am always on the search for good equine dentists and  maintain good working relationships with the ‘tooth fairies’ I do find. I personally feel that there is not enough recognition given to the importance of the connection between the musculoskeletal system and dentistry. I have found in my professional career that the combination of chiropractic, including craniopathy, and equine dentistry has led to a marked improvement in the comfort and performance of many horses.

Finding a Qualified Equine Dentist

Equine dentists should be licensed and insured. To my knowledge there are currently three schools in the USA teaching equine dentistry -the International Association of Equine Dentistry, The Academy of Equine Dentistry and  Advanced Whole Horse Dentistry.  Graduates of either of these schools will be well qualified. Balancing the entire mouth is crucial  rather than simply stopping the teeth from cutting the cheeks.  The scope and level of work should allow for incisor realignments, molar extractions and molar overgrowth reductions where appropriate.

Equine Dentistry—Straight from the Horses’ Mouth

 
Indications that your horse may needs dental care ...

• head position or contact instability while riding
• heavy contact or leaning when riding
• difficulty turning one way when riding
• reluctance to go forward into the hand when riding or to quicken when asked during a race
• poor/excessive/inappropriate reaction to half halts
• hard to bridle
• holds bit between teeth and lacks control
• rearing or bolting
• failure to gain condition or weight loss
• long fibres found in droppings
• bad breath from mouth or nostrils
• unable to move lower jaw sideways
• sores at corner or within mouth
• cheeks sensitive when you press them against teeth
• bolting of feed
• stuffs as much hard food as possible into his mouth with each bite
• quidding i.e. spits out partly chewed wads
• dunking hay in water
• dribbling feed from mouth
• excess drooling
• miserable or unhappy  persona
• bumps on the lower jaw or enlargements elsewhere on skull
• draining abscesses anywhere on the head, discharge from the nose
• between 2 and 5 years old—changing teeth,shedding caps and thus need more regular care during this time
•  20 years of age or older -- i.e. may have loose or few teeth causing pain and therefore slow eating habits or weight loss