Over-Floating in Equine Dentistry: A Better Way to Float Horse Teeth
Somewhere along the way, “floating teeth” became code for “smooth them out.”
I see it all the time. Perfectly flat arcades, sharp enamel points completely removed, and the veterinarian walking away thinking they’ve done the right thing.
And to be fair, that’s how most of us were taught. It’s how I was trained, too.
But here’s the problem: over-floating in equine dentistry doesn’t just miss the mark. It can contribute to clinically relevant problems. Flattening the occlusal surface goes against the natural design of the hypsodont dentition.
It disrupts function, reduces chewing efficiency, and has been associated with an increased risk of compensatory wear, ulcers, and behavioural changes under saddle.
This isn’t about being aggressive or conservative. It’s about being precise. Because if we don’t understand how to float horse teeth properly – with anatomy and function in mind – we’re not doing the right thing by our patients.
So if you’ve ever questioned whether your odontoplasty technique is helping or hindering, this article is for you.
We’ll break down what healthy equine dental function actually looks like, why common floating mistakes are still happening, and how you can assess, float, and re-check with confidence.
Floating a horse’s teeth is the controlled reduction of specific sharp enamel points or focal overgrowths to improve comfort and chewing function.
A correct float preserves normal occlusal angles and grinding surfaces. Over-floating happens when too much occlusal surface is removed “to make it smooth” – which can reduce chewing efficiency and create secondary problems.
This article is written for qualified veterinarians performing equine dental procedures. It is not intended as instruction for laypersons, horse owners, or non-veterinary dental providers.
Most Vets Float the Wrong Way – Here’s Why
Most equine veterinarians I meet around the world aren’t careless. They’re doing their best with what they were shown. And what many of us were shown in vet school or early practice was this: float the points down, smooth the occlusal surface, and move on.
But that thinking has consequences. Over-floating in equine dentistry isn’t just common, it’s routine. And most veterinarians don’t even realise they’re doing it.
The aim of odontoplasty was never to flatten the arcades. Yet that’s exactly what’s still happening in many practices – often with the best intentions.
The problem is that equine floating technique has never been consistently taught, let alone audited. You don’t get a radiograph or a blood panel telling you when you’ve done too much.
In many cases, the consequences only become apparent later such as weight loss, ulceration, or reduced performance.
That’s why this is so widespread. In my experience, a substantial proportion of practitioners are over-floating – removing too much occlusal surface, too often, in an attempt to “tidy up.” They’re not being reckless. They just haven’t been shown what good looks like.
And here’s the truth: if you’re removing more than enamel points, without a clear functional reason, you’re not correcting a problem – you’re creating one.
Every float should have a purpose. It should preserve arcades, not flatten them. It should support occlusal balance, not chase symmetry. And most of all, it should maintain function.
So ask yourself: are your floats functional – or just smooth?
Because those aren’t the same thing. And the horse knows the difference.
What the Horse’s Mouth is Actually Designed to Do
Concerns around excessive odontoplasty and preservation of functional occlusion are also reflected in guidance and proceedings from professional equine veterinary organisations, including the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and specialist equine dentistry groups.
These bodies consistently emphasise function, welfare, and long-term oral health over cosmetic smoothing of the arcades.
Equine cheek teeth aren’t flat by mistake.
They’re hypsodont – long-crowned teeth that erupt continuously throughout the horse’s life. This eruption isn’t random.
It’s part of a finely balanced system designed to maintain occlusal function and effective grinding, even in the face of constant wear. And it only works when we respect that balance.
When we talk about over-floating in equine dentistry, this is where things go wrong.
Those ridges we see during a dental exam? They’re not overgrowths to be filed down indiscriminately. They’re essential to the horse’s ability to break down fibrous feed.
They provide the occlusal relief and natural angles that allow the upper and lower arcades to shear against each other, like two interlocking blades. That’s how a horse is meant to chew.
But when those ridges are flattened – when the arcades are over-floated – we lose that function. We reduce surface area. We strip away essential structure. And we force the horse to change how it chews, just to get through a meal.
That’s when you start to see the compensations.
Rostral or caudal drift. Increased excursion. Feed packing. Periodontal changes. Soft tissue trauma. Ulcers. Weight loss. Changes in behaviour under saddle.
Hypsodont tooth function relies on preserving those occlusal angles, not erasing them. Every time we over-float, we interrupt a system that’s been working efficiently for millions of years.
So no, this doesn’t mean you ignore pathology. It means you stop treating normal anatomy as a problem to fix.
Because if we keep over-correcting what’s healthy, we’ll keep creating dysfunction where there was none.
The Risk of Over-Floating
Among experienced equine dental clinicians, there is growing consensus that preserving functional occlusion is more important than achieving visually smooth or symmetrical arcades.
Let’s be clear: over-floating in equine dentistry doesn’t just affect the tooth. It affects the whole horse.
At first, the consequences are subtle. Maybe mastication isn’t quite as efficient. Maybe there’s a little more feed pocketing than usual. A few ulcers here and there. But over time, the damage becomes obvious – horse teeth can become less effective at normal mastication.
You’ll see weight loss in performance horses, drifting arcades, excessive dental wear, and behavioural changes that no saddle fitter or physio can fix. Why? Because the arcades have lost their structure, and the horse is compensating every time they chew.
Here’s what’s really happening:
- Reduced occlusal surface area limits the ability to grind feed efficiently.
- Loss of functional ridges decreases natural shearing capacity.
- Over-correction of height destabilises occlusion and changes jaw movement.
- Altered angulation leads to uneven wear and secondary malocclusions.
- Pain. Especially in working horses – shows up as tension, resistance, or evasion.
None of this is theoretical. It’s what happens when equine dental function is disrupted by a float that went too far.
And here’s the kicker: over-floating often creates a cycle of unnecessary intervention. You remove too much. The horse compensates. The wear pattern becomes abnormal. So you float again. And again. And again.
We see it in the field. We see it on cadaver arcades. We hear it from owners:
“Ever since that float, something’s been off.”
This isn’t a minor error, it’s a welfare issue. And it’s more common than we like to admit.
Which is why we need to move away from thinking about “how much” we float – and focus instead on why we’re floating in the first place.
When Less Floating Is Actually More
The best equine floating technique isn’t the one that removes the most. It’s the one that preserves balance, restores comfort, and leaves functional anatomy intact.
That often means doing less, but doing it with precision.
The goal of odontoplasty has never been to flatten teeth or chase symmetry across arcades. It’s to reduce pain, correct specific pathology, and maintain the tooth’s natural grinding surface.
In the context of over-floating in equine dentistry, that goal gets lost when we assume that more reduction equals better dentistry.
Here’s what good practice looks like:
- Sharp enamel points causing mucosal trauma? Reduce them.
- A rostral hook impacting molar contact? Address it, without reshaping the entire arcade.
- Occlusion within normal limits? Leave it alone.
You don’t have to fix what isn’t broken. And in many cases, trying to do so does more harm than good.
The mistake I see most often isn’t that veterinarians are under-treating—it’s that they don’t know when to stop. Floating becomes a reflex, not a response. We’re taught to “clean it up,” to “make it look neat.” But the most effective floats I’ve ever done were almost invisible to the untrained eye.
What matters is that the horse can eat, move, and perform comfortably. That the arcades are stable. That wear patterns are functional and not just symmetrical.
If you’re floating to make things flat, you’re not preserving occlusion. You’re removing it.
And that’s not dentistry. That’s damage control.
Getting Better at Floating: What to Learn, What to Stop
If you want to improve your dentistry, don’t start with gear, start with understanding.
The biggest improvements don’t come from buying a new powerfloat. They come from knowing how to float horse teeth properly, based on function, not habit.
That’s what separates corrective dentistry from cosmetic reduction. And it’s the only way to avoid the long-term damage that comes from over-floating in equine dentistry.
Here’s what I want you to focus on:
✅ What to Learn
- What normal occlusal angles and relief look like—and when they matter.
- How mandibular movement (especially excursion to molar contact) influences wear.
- When floating is necessary—and when no float is the right choice.
- How to interpret what you see when the horse eats, not just when it opens its mouth.
These are the foundations of a sound equine floating technique. Without them, every float is guesswork.
❌ What to Stop
- Chasing symmetry when it compromises function.
- Flattening arcades because “that’s how we’ve always done it.”
- Filing down ridges that are critical for mastication.
- Relying solely on feel, without any post-float evaluation.
If you’re not sure how your floats are holding up, start checking. Go back to three of your recent cases. Watch the horse eat. Re-check molar contact and balance. Ask yourself:
- Did I preserve functional grinding surfaces?
- Are the arcades stable and efficient?
- Did I float based on evidence, or just on instinct?
If your floats aren’t supporting function, they’re not helping the horse.
The good news? These are skills you can learn. And when you do, your dentistry gets lighter, faster, and far more effective.
Want to Fix This? Start Here
If you’ve made it this far, you already know over-floating in equine dentistry isn’t just common – it’s avoidable.
But it takes more than intention. It takes clarity, structured learning, and the confidence to know exactly what you’re correcting and why. That’s what real dentistry is: understanding function first, and only treating what needs treatment.
So if you’re ready to sharpen your skills, start here – with the modules that will change how you assess, diagnose, and float:
🔍 Start with These in Our Dentistry Program
Module 3 – Lecture 1: “The Equine Periodontium” with Dr. Jon Gieche
Learn how over-floating compromises periodontal support, and how to recognise subtle signs of instability before they become clinical problems.
Module 2 – Lecture 4: “Functional Occlusion” with Dr. Olivia James
Understand how proper occlusal contact works, what excursion should feel like, and how to float without disrupting natural chewing mechanics.
Module 5 – Clinical Cases & Float Reviews
Watch real-world examples of over-floated and correctly balanced arcades. These reviews show how to evaluate your own floats and improve your equine dental function assessments in practice.
If you want to learn how to float horse teeth properly, this is where to begin. Not with guesswork, but with a clear, evidence-based approach you can apply immediately.
And if you’re not ready for the full program yet, here’s a practical step:
Pick three recent floats.
- Re-check them.
- Watch the horse eat.
- Look at the occlusal angles.
- Ask yourself: Did I restore function, or remove it?
Once you start asking that question, your dentistry changes. For the better.
And when you’re ready for more support, we’ll be here.
Post-Float Checklist: What Correct Equine Dentistry Should Include
A dental float doesn’t end when the motor stops. A proper post-float assessment is essential to ensure function has been preserved.
After floating, every veterinarian should check:
- Soft tissue integrity
Inspect cheeks, tongue, bars, and palate for ulceration or iatrogenic trauma. - Occlusal balance
Confirm that natural occlusal angles and functional ridges remain intact — not flattened. - Excursion to molar contact (EOMC)
Re-assess mandibular movement to ensure the float has not restricted normal excursion. - Focal corrections only
Ensure reductions were targeted to pathology (hooks, ramps, focal overgrowths), not global smoothing. - Periodontal stability
Re-check gingival margins and interproximal spaces for food packing or instability. - Functional outcome
Ask: can this horse chew efficiently with the occlusion I’ve left behind? - Documentation
Record what was corrected, what was left untouched, and why. - Owner communication
Explain findings, corrections performed, and whether a re-check is indicated — especially in performance horses.
A float that looks “neat” but compromises function is not good dentistry.
A float that preserves occlusion, comfort, and mastication is.
If you’re not re-checking occlusion after floating, you don’t know whether you’ve helped – or harmed – the horse.
FAQ: Horse Teeth Floating (What Vets and Owners Ask Most)
What is floating a horse’s teeth?
Floating a horse’s teeth is the selective reduction of specific sharp enamel points or focal overgrowths to improve comfort and chewing efficiency. A correct float preserves normal occlusal angles and functional ridges rather than flattening the teeth. Floating is not meant to “smooth everything out” – it should be targeted and purposeful.
What does “floating horse teeth” actually mean?
The term “floating” comes from the historical use of hand rasps (floats) to reduce sharp enamel points. In modern equine dentistry, floating refers to controlled odontoplasty based on examination findings, occlusion, and function – not routine cosmetic smoothing.
How often should horse teeth be floated?
There is no universal schedule. Some horses require dental intervention every 6–12 months, while others may need very little reduction for years. Frequency depends on age, diet, occlusion, pathology, and clinical signs – not the calendar.
Can floating horse teeth cause problems?
Yes. Over-floating – removing too much occlusal surface – can reduce chewing efficiency, destabilise occlusion, and lead to secondary problems such as weight loss, ulcers, abnormal wear, and performance issues. More floating does not mean better dentistry.
What is over-floating in equine dentistry?
Over-floating occurs when excessive occlusal surface or functional ridges are removed without a clear clinical indication. This flattens the arcades, disrupts normal mastication, and forces compensatory jaw movement. It is one of the most common iatrogenic issues in equine dentistry.
Is it bad to make a horse’s teeth flat?
Yes. Equine cheek teeth are designed with natural ridges and angles that allow effective grinding of fibrous feed. Flattening the arcades reduces surface area and compromises function. Teeth should be balanced – not made flat.
What are signs a horse may need dental attention?
Common signs include quidding, slow eating, dropping weight, head tossing, bit resistance, excessive salivation, feed packing, facial tension, or behavioural changes under saddle. However, absence of signs does not always mean the mouth is normal.
Are power floats better than hand floats?
The tool matters less than the technique. Power floats allow precision when used correctly, but they also make it easier to over-reduce occlusal surface. Correct equine dentistry is defined by assessment, restraint, visualisation, and restraint in reduction – not the equipment.
What is an equine dental float?
An equine dental float is the instrument used to reduce enamel points or focal overgrowths during odontoplasty. The term is often used loosely to describe the entire dental procedure, but floating is only one part of a complete equine oral examination.
Should non-veterinarians float horse teeth?
Equine dentistry involves diagnosis, sedation, management of pathology, and understanding of occlusion. In many regions, these tasks fall under veterinary practice acts. Welfare concerns arise when teeth are reduced without sedation, full examination, or pathology assessment.
This article reflects clinical experience, case review, and contemporary equine dental principles, and is intended to support professional decision-making – not replace individual clinical judgement.
