Horses need regular preventive dental maintenance every six months to one year. Unlike people, horses' teeth have an eruption rate of two-three mm per year. This means that they continue to grow in length throughout the horse's life.  The teeth should wear in correspondence to yearly eruption rate.  If they do not, abnormal wear and painful sharp edges ("points") may result.  Malocclusions (improper position of the teeth) can lead to many health issues and behavioral problems.

Young horses require floating more often than adult horses because their tooth enamel is softer and wears faster.  This results in sharp points developing much faster than in older horses.  This effect is especially noted in young horses in training.

Very old horses may also require more frequent floating, as they are reaching the end of their teeth, and the enamel is softer there also.  The teeth may be completely grown out, or close to it, and uneven wear may result.  As teeth fall out with old age, uneven wear also results and sharp points can occur.