My vet does our horses teeth with a power float. I had two done this past weekend. Rode them that same afternoon with zero issues. You shouldn’t have issues after a floating, unless there was a tooth extraction or something notable. Something is definitely amiss
I once had a horse with fairly severe TMJ irritation after a float by a vet. He was off his hay for days. Our next step was going to be to inject his TMJ joint, but it did resolve on its own with a few days and NSAIDS.
You should not be having pain like this after 24 hours. I once had a large pony mare done (with power tools). A couple hours after the sedation wore off she started drooling. Like, drooling like an animal that had rabies. Excessive amounts of drool. Called the vet out (I was dumb, and used an equine dentist that time, never again, I will never use anyone but my vet for a dental ever again). Turns out she had 3rd degree burns in her mouth from the power tool malfunctioning and overheating…which the dentist should have been able to tell was happening as the tool had to get exceptionally hot. Poor mare was in bad pain for a week, but we nursed her back to health.
I would have the vet out to re examine her.
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I could think of a few causes of your five-year-old problems after floating. My first guess would be a too aggressive float of a very young mouth. A five-year-old molars are all newly erupted. Eight of the molars have come in within the last 12 months. All horses teeth are vascular and young horses teeth are very vascular. When they shed the cap from a newly erupted molar there is only a smear of dentin protecting the pulp chamber from contamination. In the coming months and years, layers of dentin will be laid on the interior of the tooth giving greater protection to the vascular region.
I would guess that your horse received a too aggressive float and one or multiple teeth we’re harmed and had a inflamitory response or tooth ache.
A proper float reduces the enamel points and reduces any high teeth but when filing molar tables small adjustments are the key. It sounds as though your horse is on the mend and hopefully there will be no lasting effects to what should be a routine procedure.
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Yeah, I’m thinking it was definitely too aggressive of a float. This doesn’t seem normal at all. Followed up with the dentist and he recommended bute, which has helped and now she’s eating normally at least, so I’m hoping she’s on the mend. 
For that much pain I am concerned that pulp chambers were opened. My exclusively- dentistry equine vet has some horrifying pictures of a horse with multiple opened pulps that was drastically over- floated by a layperson dentist. I would recommend your horse’s mouth be re examined to check for open pulps and dental fractures.
&^)(&( That’s really upsetting to think about. Ugh. The person I used (an expensive dentistry equine vet as well) came highly recommended and is the go-to for dentistry in our region, though now I obviously have my doubts. I’ll see if I can convince my vet to take a look at her mouth. Ugh.
I should add, she’s been absolutely fine to ride and the chiro found zero pain in her head and jaw, as mentioned. So I’m hoping it’s nothing serious/permanent. She’s a sensitive mare and would not be stoic if her mouth hurt while riding - she’d let me know.
I can’t imagine your mare was brutalized the way a previous poster described since she’s already doing better. In my opinion power tools simply aren’t well-suited for working on horses teeth. There’s no finesse, no craftsmanship, and it’s just not necessary.Of course there’s people who do excellent work with power tools. There are also people who do excellent work with hand tools. Power just enables bad things to happen much faster.
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I experienced this years ago with a previous mare. Funny chewing post dental resulted in severe colic and upon examination, one tooth was completely missed floating leaving it much longer than the rest. Lesson learned.
Was her head strung up for more than a few minutes? I know a horse that had a 40min+ power float 2 years ago. It took several weeks for that horse to recover. It was done by a vet 
It also cemented my preference for a hand float, light sedation, no head stringing up nonsense. 
I ride the evening after a morning float with zero issues and no change in eating habits or chewing.
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Sounds like user error, power float should not take 40 min. Generally should be much faster and involve less pressure on the jaw than hand floating.
Head hanging does look uncomfortable, my dentistry very uses a headstand and not too high.
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Oh it was user error alright! There was a ton of work to be done, and breaks were given … with the head strung up. How is that even a break? I think I was more furious than the horse’s owner! Same horse has had hand floats with speculum but not head stringing up and has been back to work same day with not chewing issues.
I think even with a stand, you’ve still got the weight of the upper jaw/head pushing down on the opened jaw. I can’t think that’s good for the TMJ .probably a LOT better for the neck though!
Yikes, sounds like that maybe should have been done in more than one visit! Probably left some teeth sensitive if that much done at once, too. My guy lowers the stand and closes the speculum if they stop to look at rads or something.
I feel like chewing issues after floating is kind of like a horse being sore after farrier - not ok.
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How is the mare doing now?
Aging horses need to be seen regularly even if they seem to be fine. I’m having my 25 y.o. gelding checked every 6 months. In the spring he had a few signs of aging. A couple of teeth are worn flat, but nothing drastic. Last month a small gap had started but it isn’t affecting his chewing. He pulled the tarter off but didn’t need a float.
Remember the old days when power floating hit the market? A local vet, very knowledgeable but doesn’t relate well to humans, bought one and pulled it out at a local barn. She opened the case up and pulled out the user directions and started to read. Downright scary. Our lay dentist, who works with most of the vets in the area, can do a hand float on my horse without sedation. The technology has improved over the years, but I prefer to avoid sedation and machinery. A float is not my horse’s favorite thing to do but his dentist has a way with horses and most of them go with the flow.
She’s been heavy in the contact, which is unlike her. She also still doesn’t seem to be eating all of her hay, though I can’t tell if that could be because she’s filling up on the hay pellets I’m still giving her to supplement. I’ve cut back on the pellets a bit and will see if she chooses to finish up the hay.
I sent a video of her funny chewing last week to the dentist and he said to give her bute for a few days. He said it was probably because of all the work he had to do. I want him to take a look at her mouth the next time he’s out, hopefully soon (if not I’ll ask the regular vet to look at her mouth next time they’re there). The heaviness in the bridle isn’t typical for her. At least the funny chewing seems to be gone, since she got the round of bute for a few days (off the bute now and chewing ok this morning it seemed…)
I don’t know. With her being heavy in the bridle I would probably have someone out to look for a second opinion on the job. She shouldn’t still be having issues.
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ugh, yeah - it’s tricky when I have my doubts but the trainer is super duper trusting of this dentist and knows him very well. The dentist is acting like this isn’t a big deal, and she is improving in chewing so I don’t think it’s catastrophic or an emergency (she is definitely sensitive). I’ll text my vet and ask him to take a look when he’s there next…they’re out pretty regularly.
Edited to add - In future, I’m inclined to go with someone else. I was hesitant about the power-float approach to begin with (in the past I’ve always had people who did it by hand, without sedation most times), and given how expensive this was and the result…it’s soured me. I don’t think dental work should leave a horse in this much pain.
That’s frustrating.
I’ve never had one go that long with problems. When I took Dexter to the vet for the first time after purchasing him at age 11, it was clear he had NEVER had his teeth done in his life. But he didn’t have an ill effects.
Even had my mom’s miniature horses worked on the last couple years and they too had pretty poor mouths from years (with previous owners) of not getting dental care. But did fine thereafter.
I’ve only ever had power floats done with my vet-dentist. I did used to use someone else (who retired) but I use my usual lameness vet and she does a good job.
I had one in pain for over a week. Turned out that he had a puncture wound in his cheek from when “something slipped.” But he didn’t improve and there was eventually swelling.
No one mentioned the slipping something for several days when the working student who’d been holding him finally said something. Meanwhile the vet kept coming out to check him and pull blood. Finally I had enough and called a lameness vet I used and begged for help. She arranged an appointment at a local horse hospital. After a jaw x-ray and everyone nearly passing out fri
the foul odor emanating from Cool’s mouth they sedating him more, put an inclined plane thing in his mouth to hold it open, held his head up, and someone stood on a stool with a powerful flashlight.
The trainer fired the vet. Last I heard she was working for a local vet school mentoring students. 😱
