Wolf Tooth - Assessing Which Wolf Teeth Should Be Removed

Assessing Which Wolf Teeth Should Be Removed

There is a school of thought which says that all ridden horses should have their wolf teeth extracted because if they are removed then they cannot cause any problems and it is not a major surgical procedure. With the wolf teeth removed it is also easier to put in a proper bit seat. There is another school of thought which believes that wolf teeth should be assessed and removed when they are likely to be causing a problem. Very few vets or equine dental technicians subscribe to the belief that they are never a problem. Certainly it is useful to assess wolf teeth because some horse owners are reluctant to have them removed unless they are very likely to be causing problems.

The following factors are useful in making an assessment:

  • Position
  • A wolf tooth that is positioned rostrally is more likely to have direct contact with the bit or to pinch buccal mucosa pushed towards it by the bit. A wolf tooth tucked in on the inside of the 2nd premolar is much less likely to be a cause of problems.
  • Size
  • A large wolf tooth is more likely to interfere although a small one may be such a small job to take out that it is better to just remove it.
  • Movement
  • Any wolf tooth which moves is likely to be small, a fragment or be a fractured crown. All three are probably better removed.
  • Damage
  • Any damaged wolf tooth is more likely to be inherently painful or have periodontal disease associated with it.
  • Asymmetry
  • Common sense suggests that where a horse only has one wolf tooth it is less likely to have a uniform response to the bit on both reins.
  • Whether they are blind
  • Many veterinarians and equine dental technicians believe that blind wolf teeth are more likely to be problematic.
  • Whether they are maxillary or mandibular
  • It is without dispute that mandibular wolf teeth are more likely to cause interference than maxillary wolf teeth because the bit is drawn towards the mandible with most bit/bridle arrangements.
  • The intended use of the horse
  • Where a horse is performing at a high level it is less acceptable to have any doubt in relation to possible problems caused by wolf teeth.
  • The age of the horse
  • Where wolf teeth are discovered in an elderly horse there are strong arguments for maintaining a status quo.
  • How the horse is performing
  • Most authorities would agree that any horse with wolf teeth that is not responding well to the bit should have them removed.

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