Can a tooth grow longer than normal?
Yes it can and that can cause severe problems for the horse. The horse’s teeth erupt through the gums continually throughout their lives. The length and the alignment of the teeth are kept “normal” by chewing and routine floating. If for example a horse is missing a tooth or has poor alignment of the teeth then chewing may not wear down the other teeth normally. Those teeth can become overgrown to the point where they even dig into the opposing gum. This can even cause infections of the bones and sinuses of the horse. With routine dental exams and treatment proper alignment of the teeth can be maintained and the consequences of missing teeth or poor confirmation can be avoided.
