ANIMAL DENTISTRY. 189 



gravated by enamel points limit mastication and favor gas- 

 tric indigestion. In drivers, runners and saddle horses they 

 are the greatest sources of annoyance. The expert reinsman 

 vvrill promptly recognize their presence by the horse's be- 

 havior in harness. Lugging, side-reining, ptyalism, tender- 

 ness about the seat of bit, manifestations of pain from the 

 bridle are symptoms of these lesions. 



Treatment — The treatment consists of filing with the 

 floats and file. Trimming -with the closed molar trimmers 

 (Fig. 91) preceding the filing cannot be defended by any 

 logical argument. If this instrument could be accurately 

 adjusted to the very tips of the points, as they are intended, 

 they would materially lessen the labor of the operation, but 

 as only the very skillful operator can properly accomplish 

 this feat, the use of the trimmers should be dispensed with 

 in the interest of judicious and scientific dentistry. A few 

 carefully directed strokes of the float equipped with the rasp 

 blade will rapidly blunt the sharp projections to the desired 

 point. Rounding the borders of the molars is harmful. The 

 aim in dressing the teeth of a horse should be to simply blunt 

 the enamel points along the course of the arcades and to 

 "round up" the first superior and first inferior molars as 

 smooth as an ivory ball. The wounds from the bridle are 

 thus prevented and there will be no interference with mas- 

 tication from the too liberal use of instruments along the 

 whole arcade. The closed incisor trimmers are indispensable 

 to trim the projection at the extremities of the arcades^ and 

 on the first inferior molar the angular trimmer may be 

 used. (Fig. 98.) 



OPERATION OF TRIMMING AND FLOATING THE MOLARS. 



Equipment — Straight float, angular float, closed molar 

 trimmers, twelve-inch file, a pail of water, and the dental 

 halter. 



