Leo–Fourteen year old Leo’s
teeth were by far the worst
of the four requiring a good
bit of time and expertise with
the pneumatic instruments in
order to improve his chewing
surface. He is scheduled for
another visit from Dr. Means
in three months to continue
his bite improvement
keeping the treatments
gradual and keeping him
comfortable afterwards.
A little about
Dr. Elaine Means, DVM:
Lola–Periodically Dr. Means
would stop and check her
progress, feeling if the sharp
points were filed away. Lola
turned out to be the dental
super star of the team. She was
in pretty good shape overall
and will not need another visit
for one year.
in maneuvering in the tiny spaces
Mini mouths have to offer. Once
each horse was done, they had their
mouths thoroughly rinsed, and Dr.
Means provided me with treatment
reports and diagrams which I found
to be very informative.
I am sure we are all familiar with the
no hoof- no horse phrase. I also believe that teeth are equally important,
even more so for the driving horse
that is asked to bridle up and be on
the bit. I would imagine many behavioral issues experienced in the cart
could be resolved by a good bit seat
and float. It may not seem to entirely
pleasant to watch, but it is a necessary part of the care they depend on
us to provide. I hope you are as lucky
as I was to find an excellent equine
dentist for my horses, one who enjoys working on Miniatures and is
comfortable doing so. But don’t be
surprised if they awake from their
experience with a serious case of the
munchies. Leo did and has bounced
back very well.
D
r. Means graduated from North Carolina State University School of
Veterinary Medicine in 2002. She has been in a general equine practice
in New Hill, NC since graduation. Her passion for equine dentistry prompted
her to recently open her own practice specializing in equine dentistry. She
resides in Sanford, NC. Her interest in Miniature horse dentistry began when
one of her Miniature horse clients requested that she purchase a miniaturesized dental speculum to work on their horses.
Dr. Means says, “While many people find the Miniature horse mouth difficult
to master, I find it a fun challenge. With the correct equipment and years of
practice, the minis have become quite easy for me to work on. The fact that
I am a small female with small hands probably helps my mini dental skills.
One of the reasons I enjoy working on Miniature horse mouths are all the interesting things I can find inside. Most Miniatures have full sized horse teeth
crammed into a mini mouth. This can set them up for disaster. When the teeth
get crowded, they tend to move around and not stay in appropriate straight
rows. This crowding causes gaps between teeth that pack feed and can cause
super-erupted teeth (that are much too long) that are not worn down by opposing teeth. In Miniatures, I also see a fair number of double rows of incisor teeth. These occur when the permanent teeth do not push out the baby
teeth resulting in two rows of incisor teeth (the baby teeth usually in the front
and the permanent teeth behind them). If you are not looking carefully, these
double rows can be taken for underbites and overbites. I have also seen a
large number of overbites and under-bites in mini mouths. The majority of
these bite issues can be significantly improved if caught early and worked on
frequently. I would encourage every Miniature horse owner to find an equine
dentist that is interested in Miniature horses to do an annual dental exam. You
will be surprised what you find, and what a difference it will make in the quality of life in your Mini. An annual dental exam can find small problems early
and prevent them from becoming big problems.”
Au g u s t / S e p t e m b e r 2016
Miniature Horse World 29