Removal of Molars in Horses Using a Surgical Approach

Diseased or damaged molars or cheek teeth must often be removed. Extraction may be accomplished orally while the horse is standing, but despite best attempts, oral extraction is not always possible.

A retrospective study of over 110 horses by veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom revealed that lateral buccotomy, or the removal of molars through an incision in the cheek, is an effective method of extraction, yet the procedure is not without its risks.

Hospital records obtained over a 10-year period reported that 92% of the surgical cases eventually returned to their previous level of work. A few horses had complications, some short-term (wound dehiscence and infection) and some long-term (temporary and permanent facial nerve paralysis, fistula development, and sinusitis).

Although the procedure is not without possible long-term complications, lateral buccotomy is a reasonable alternative for horses with injured molars that cannot be extracted orally.