10/16/2025
Dental health is SO important! Interesting read on plague build up and how it can affect the fascial system.
Plaque, Pain, and Posture: How Oral Health Shapes the Equine Body
Plaque buildup on a horse’s teeth is more than cosmetic—it’s a subtle but significant source of chronic discomfort that can influence far more than the mouth. Through fascial connections, the trigeminal nerve, and the horse’s core postural system, even minor oral inflammation can affect comfort, movement, and behavior.
🦷 Plaque and Tartar Basics
Plaque is a soft biofilm of food, saliva, and bacteria that naturally forms on teeth. Without abrasion from forage or dental care, it hardens into tartar, irritating gums and allowing harmful bacteria to thrive.
Common buildup sites include:
• Around the canine teeth (especially in geldings and stallions)
• Incisors and gumline areas of the cheek teeth
This can lead to gingivitis, periodontitis, halitosis, feed dropping, and even tooth loss.
Contributing factors:
• Diets high in soft or sweet feeds
• Reduced grazing and chewing time
• Uneven dental wear or aging
• Hormonal differences (males often have more tartar)
Long-stem forage remains the horse’s best natural toothbrush.
🧠 Fascial and Neurological Effects
1. Fascial Continuity and Tension
The jaw muscles (masseter, temporalis, pterygoids) are wrapped in fascia continuous with the neck and shoulder. Oral inflammation can create protective bracing—tightening the jaw, poll, and cervical fascia—restricting motion and affecting the thoracic sling and forelimb balance.
2. Trigeminal Nerve Sensitization
Chronic gum irritation stimulates the trigeminal nerve, sometimes leading to hypersensitivity. Horses may show muzzle reactivity, poll resistance, or asymmetrical flexion—patterns that persist even after dental issues resolve.
3. Postural Compensation
Through the hyoid apparatus, jaw restriction alters fascial tone through the poll, neck, and shoulders, limiting scapular freedom and affecting gait. Shoulder or forelimb unevenness can stem from oral discomfort.
4. Emotional Impact
The mouth is richly innervated and emotionally sensitive. Ongoing irritation can keep horses in mild sympathetic arousal—guarded, tense, and less able to soften into contact or bodywork. Relief often brings immediate emotional and physical release.
🪥 Care and Prevention
• Schedule dental exams once or twice yearly.
• Provide ample long-stem forage.
• Scale canines or incisors as needed.
• Use dental rinses (e.g., chlorhexidine) for horses prone to buildup.
• Collaborate with your equine dentist or vet.
💡 The Bigger Picture
Even a small patch of plaque can send continuous “stress signals” through fascia and nerves, subtly shaping posture and movement.
Oral health is postural health:
A relaxed jaw leads to a relaxed poll, balanced sling, and a freer body.
