Many horse owners and trainers have learned to slide their finger into the cheek along the outside of the upper cheek teeth (molars) to assess for sharp dental points. What they feel there informs them as to whether or not the horse needs dental work.

This is a poor method for two reasons:

First, a person can only feel the first and possibly second tooth out of a row of six teeth.

Second, sharp dental points on the outside surface of the upper teeth and tongue side of the lower teeth are actually a normal finding in horses. These enamel points are there for a reason. They play an important role in grinding up tough, fibrous grass into digestible fiber lengths.

So, if you feel dental points in the cheek, what does it mean? If they are very sharp and large, it may be an indication that the horse needs a veterinary dental exam. If the tooth surface in the cheek is smooth, it means that a horse has had dental work fairly recently, and that the first tooth is smooth, but it does not mean that there are not problems further back in the mouth.