02/20/2023
What are deciduous teeth?
A horses deciduous teeth are baby teeth which are most commonly referred to as “caps.” Our young horses will start losing their caps around 2 1/2 years old and will continue to lose caps until they are around 4 1/2 years old.
What is a common problem with deciduous teeth?
When a young horse is shedding its caps they can occasionally become retained. When a retained deciduous tooth has occurred it will need to be extracted to prevent impaction or abnormal eruption of the permanent teeth. If your horse has a retained deciduous tooth it will cause the permanent tooth to be displaced which can present a risk of causing dental problems for your horse down the road.
Routine dental checkups for our young horses are just as important as it is for our older horses. If you would like to make sure that your young horses are shedding their caps correctly then a call to your Veterinarian or Equine Dental Technician will benefit the oral health of your horse!
