Natural Balance Equine Dentistry Wendy Bryant EqDT

01/05/2026

Had some people reach out because of the last couple of posts and the comments on them about teeth. Particularly people with young horses with balance issues older horses with other body issues all have has timely dental work done or checks according to the communication.

Let me start by saying not all dentist are offering equal services or the same philosophy or way of working. This can be a massive herdal in getting the horses the correct help.

Also… teeth alone will not fix all the problems in the mouth and head‼️

Even having the best, most educated dentist will still not solve all the issues your horse may be struggling with.

things to consider …

Teeth in the mouth can move , rotate, crack and erupt in incorrect ways or places.

This may be technically so I will not go into deep detail but ... .UPPER (MAXILLA) TEETH AND LOWER( MANDIBULAR) TEETH do NOT have the same functions they are influenced by different considerations and subject to very different autonomic inputs.

We need to think beyond chewing, they have a different impact on respiration and on balance and vestibular orientation functions.

Baby teeth in horses are often ignored till adult teeth come in around 5 or till the horse is about three and we want to start training it .

A LOT can happen in 3 years of development. I see young horses every day that look like sharks, because no one took out the caps when the adult teeth came in. And of course no one knows what's happening in the back of the mouth.

No one waits till all the molares are in and the nervous system is fully developed 🤷‍♀️ yes they are connected ‼️

We are all in a hot hurry to start them when teeth are still missing and balance is still and issue because of the missing back molars or their incomplete eruption and a nervous statement that doesn't lock down till its all done.

Even the best dentist can't fix that if the problem stated at 2 or 3 and now the horse is 10 and the reality is what it is .

Incisive teeth are important, yes, but….. there are lots more important teeth in the mouth like canines and wolf teeth. They are not just vestigial, proprioceptively they are super significant.

Let’s talk about pre molars and molars. Each of the teeth in the mouth have an incredibly important job. Everyone has recently discovered incisive teeth but there are anywhere from 36 -44 in a horse's mouth. What about the rest?

Teeth are not just for chewing; all teeth have a vestibular, proprioceptive, respiratory, ocular, auditory and digestive function. The shape and angle and texture of two teeth can change the autonomics of many systems in the body‼️

The reality is that some things are not in our control. While a good dentist can address teeth that don't meet correctly with their opposing partner, they can not adress long standing chewing patterns , cranial displacement of bones that affects sensory functions that develop from those patterns.

Often changing the teeth is not enough because the chawing pattern is set .

They can not control what happens when the teeth erupt incorrectly.When a horse’s teeth do not erupt in the correct position or at the correct angle, the effects go far beyond the mouth. Because horses rely on precise dental balance for chewing, airway function, and neuromuscular coordination, abnormal eruption creates local problems first and then global compensation. Teeth that erupt too high, too low, or at the wrong angle block:Lateral movement Forward translation Rotary motion of the mandible The jaw becomes mechanically locked rather than neurologically relaxed.

As a last note to consider before chewing there is sucking and many of the consideration we chase in the mouth state before there were teeth at the sucking faze of oral functions 😉

Chewing, swallowing, breathing, balance, spatial awareness, movement possibilities, synchrony of functions, synchrony of sensors are all cranial considerations. The teeth are an important part but our influence on teeth has limitations which is why we need to consider other options in conjunction with teeth.

Here are some images to illustrate the points. One of the images is from a dental page( really want to give them credit ), unfortunately there was no water mark ( and I can’t remember their name) , I would really like to tag them as it is a wonderful image capturing the reality of the equine mouth.

Disclaimer - opnions are a dime a dozen we all have them and are entitled to them. Our education level veries our understanding varies it doesn’t make anybody’s opinion less valid. If you have something to say, be polite about it or scroll on.

01/01/2026

As 2025 closes out, Natural Balanced Equine Dentistry officially celebrates 18 years in business. This year has brought incredible growth, milestones, and the journey continues adding body work modalities, red light therapy to celebrate. Improving the mouth and comfort horses. I've completed hours of documented continuing education to be sure care remains cutting-edge. I love sharing knowledge with all my clients and Newbies who just want to learn. I invested power equipment and some new hand Insturments. Ive welcomed new clients, stepped into new classes with incredible opportunities ahead. Progression is key to keeping yourself accountable, and challenging yourself with learning new things, stepping out of the comfort zone and learning new techniques. The journey continues on.

Natural Balanced Equine Dentistry will be here for the journey. I will always give my dedication to the horses and people who trust me.

As I welcome 2026, im choosing forward momentum, and gratitude. Lets continue to support all other horse professionals and be kind to one another. Give the best care you can to your horse/s and remember that behind every equine business is a human who loves the horse and thats why they are in the profession.

HAPPY 2026 NEW YEAR to EVERYONE 💖 🎆✨️🐎🐴

Let's celebrate the New Year with gratitude.

I look forward to expanding my growth, experiencing new opportunities, travel more and help horses become more balance throughout their bodies, and feeling great, which brings happy horse happy owners 😀.

Thank you all for 18 years of your trust in my hands and knowledge. As my journey continues we will continue this story and all of you are part of it.

Thank you again 🐎🥰💖.

07/16/2025

🐴 Anatomy of an Incisor – What’s Inside the Tooth?
When your horse bites into grass, those front teeth — the incisors — are doing more than you might realise.
Each tooth may look like a hard white block, but it’s actually a complex, living structure, carefully built to withstand the stresses of biting, pulling, and grazing.

Here’s a closer look at what they’re made of 👇

🧱 What’s a tooth made of?
�Just like in people, each horse tooth has three main structural layers.

Each incisor has three special dental tissues that work together to form the tooth:
• At the centre is a strong, living material called dentine
• This is surrounded by a hard outer shell of enamel, which gives the tooth its cutting edge
• The enamel is coated with a thin outer layer of cementum, which helps protect the surface and anchor the tooth in the jaw

These three layers give the tooth both strength and resilience — perfect for a lifetime of grazing and biting!

🔍 Horse incisors have a strong layer of equine enamel, folded and layered to resist the repeated slicing forces of grazing. Compared to cheek teeth, which crush and grind, incisor enamel is arranged to handle sharp, clean cutting movements.

🧑‍⚕️ In humans, the structure is similar — but our teeth don’t grow continuously. Once they erupt, they’re meant to last a lifetime without replacement. In contrast, a horse’s teeth erupt gradually over years, compensating for the heavy wear caused by constant grazing.

❤️ Teeth Are Alive – In Horses and Humans

Inside every tooth is a pulp canal — a core filled with nerves, blood vessels, lymphatics and living tissue.
This pulp keeps the tooth alive, helps it grow, and senses pain.
If you've ever had toothache, you've felt this living tissue in action. Horses feel pain too — especially when decay, cracks, or trauma affect the pulp.
Horse teeth are larger and deeper than human teeth, but the core principle is the same: injury or infection can be extremely painful and harmful if left untreated.

The Living Pulp Canal

Did you know that every horse incisor contains a vital, living core called the pulp canal?

This structure runs down the centre of the tooth and contains nerves and blood vessels — and it plays a key role in keeping the tooth alive and healthy.

Thanks to incredible research (especially by Prof. Carsten Staszyk’s team in Germany), advanced micro-CT scans have shown us exactly how the pulp canal is shaped and how close it comes to the surface — sometimes just 1 mm beneath the chewing surface!

At a young age, tiny pulp branches extend upward toward the surface of the incisor. These are protected by a layer of secondary dentine, which seals and shields this sensitive tissue from damage or infection.

🛠️ This is crucial information when we perform corrective dental work — because disturbing this pulp can cause serious pain or even tooth death.

🧠 Swipe through the images to see CT scans of real horse incisors — the red areas show where the living pulp travels from the crown right down to the root tip (apex).

📖 Image credit: Schrock et al., 2013 – an excellent study on incisor pulp anatomy using 3D imaging.

🪢 Anchored by Ligaments – The Periodontal Cushion

Each horse tooth is suspended in its socket by the periodontal ligament — a specialised structure that acts like a shock absorber.
It holds the tooth firmly in place.
• It cushions the force of biting and chewing.
It contains blood vessels and nerves, helping the tooth stay healthy.
But if this ligament becomes inflamed — a condition called periodontitis — it can cause pain, tooth loosening, or food trapping. We'll explore this more when we talk about dental disease in horses later in the series.

🌱 How Does a Tooth Form?
Tooth development starts before a foal is born.

It begins as a tiny cluster of cells called a dental bud, which grows into a dental sac. This sac forms the enamel, dentine, and pulp of the tooth — layer by layer.
Over time, the tooth pushes up through the gum and into the mouth, where it begins its job of biting, chewing, and (for incisors) slicing through forage.

Check out the x-ray images of a young horse less than 2 years old. See how the adult central incisors are developing from the dental sac - incredible!!

🧬 Your horse’s teeth are a remarkable blend of engineering and biology — made to cut, slice, and hold up to a lifetime of chewing.

Thanks for reading …. If you are enjoying these informative posts please share with your friends.

06/03/2025

Educational video on what Foxtail can do to horses gums & lips.

06/02/2025

I got this great message from a client of mine this morning. It always brings joy to my heart when my clients tell me there horses are so much better after dentistry work. The teeth relate to the whole horses movement 🐎🐎😊

"My mom rode Logan and Lulu yesterday, and I’m amazed at how freely they were moving compared to before you did their teeth. Logan’s shoulders and Lulu was striding much more evenly !!!"
Thank you 💓

Tha

05/29/2025

WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS: There will be trailer-in options for osteopathy June 12-15 in Northhampton, Plainfield and Westfield. Only a few spots left, message me and I will connect you with the hosting barn to secure your spot. There is a $50 venmo deposit for new clients!

05/16/2025

03/19/2025

Did you know horse teeth erupt throughout their whole life.
Once the growth of a tooth stops it has only that amount of tooth to erupt and wear for the span of its life.
This is a picture of approx a 24yr old on the left and approx 10yr old horse on the right. It shows how much wear a tooth can have.
Every horse is different, and there are factors that can change the wear pattern and eruption of their teeth.
Having proper regular dentistry done is a key factor in the proper wear and eruption of the teeth.
Horse teeth wear and erupt to pressure. If there is a hook and wave complex this will cause hyper eruption on some teeth and premature wear on other teeth. If there is a missing tooth the opposing tooth will hyper erupt and grow into the hole of where the opposing tooth used to be. There are many other scenarios, but that gives a general idea.
When a horse’s mouth is balanced correctly the teeth all work in unison, wear and erupt at normal rates of speed, and extend the quality and life of the teeth.
This picture is not concrete on a eruption scale because of the circumstances on each horse, but gives a visual on how much eruption and wear horse teeth can have.

Mark Allen Advanced Equine Dentistry
“It’s all about the balance”

03/17/2025

👀 Do you see it?
Everything is connected. If you have had an appointment with me you will have heard this.
This horse has an old injury to his shoulder and chest which caused atrophy of the muscles.
As you can see his altered way of moving has affected his dental alignment. This imbalance can cause strain on the horse's TMJ, poll, neck and entire body overall. This is why yearly or sometimes every 6 months dental appointments are important to your horses health, comfort and performance.

03/06/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18R7vLQBtd/

12/12/2024