New Power Float Dental Equipment at OCAC

Dr. Cooper has added a new piece of dental equipment to his practice. The PowerFloat is a new tool Dr. Cooper plans to use while performing the dental procedure of floating equine teeth. This method vs. hand floating is quicker and usually safer for the animal and the vet.

Floating dental work involves smoothing off the sharp points that develop on the sides of the premolars and molars. These points occur because horses’ teeth never stop growing as long as they have root structure. As the horse grinds its’ food some of the chewing surface of the cheek teeth is worn off. The part of the tooth not worn off over time becomes a sharp point. Hand floating refers to the removal of these points with a manual rasp. Power floating relates to removal of these points with a power tool attached to a spinning guarded disc.

Most veterinarians don’t just “float” teeth, they practice equilibration. Equilibration is the process of ensuring all the teeth are in contact and bear the same amount of pressure and wear. This distributes the wear that occurs during eating onto as many viable teeth as possible, thus allowing horses to live longer and more comfortably. While equilibration can be accomplished via hand floating, it can be a laborious procedure if tall teeth or other malalignments are present. Power dental instruments allow for more precise work in less time and with less stress for the horse.