Equine Dentistry

Dental Care For Horses

Routine dental care is essential to your horse’s comfort, performance, and long-term health. Homestead Veterinary Hospital provides complete equine dentistry services for horses in St. Clair, Franklin County, and surrounding Missouri communities. Our veterinarians combine advanced equipment with strong clinical experience to ensure that every horse—whether a pleasure companion, performance athlete, or working partner—receives thorough and dependable dental care.

 

Why Dental Care Matters

Horses rely heavily on their teeth for eating, training, bit acceptance, and overall comfort. Over time, uneven wear, sharp points, hooks, and dental abnormalities can cause pain, weight loss, and behavior changes. Regular dental exams help identify these issues early and prevent more serious problems.

 

Comprehensive Oral Examinations

Each dental appointment includes a complete oral exam using a mouth speculum and appropriate sedation. This allows our veterinarians to evaluate the entire mouth safely and accurately.

• Full-mouth speculum exam
• Evaluation of tooth alignment and wear
• Assessment of soft tissue and gum health
• Identification of retained caps, fractures, or infections

 

Routine Floating

We use both power tools and hand floats, selecting the best approach for each horse. Correcting sharp points and balancing the mouth improves eating efficiency, head carriage, bit acceptance, and overall comfort.

• Power-floating
• Hand floating
• Balancing the mouth for comfort and performance

 

Advanced Dental Procedures

Beyond routine floating, we offer advanced procedures to address more complex dental problems. Our goal is always to restore comfort and prevent future complications.

• Tooth extractions
• Diastema widening
• Pulp capping
• Management of fractured or infected teeth

 

On-Farm Dental Care

All equine dentistry services are available on-farm, allowing your horse to receive high-quality dental care in a familiar, low-stress environment. Whether your horse is due for an annual float or showing signs of discomfort, our team is committed to supporting their health and performance.