Bee May Equine Dental Services

Bee May Equine Dental Services Dentistry is not a luxury, it is an essential part of your horse, donkey and pony's welfare. Fully qualified EDT and a BAEDT member

One of the questions I hear all the time is: “Can you really do a full, thorough dental check and treatment without seda...
04/07/2025

One of the questions I hear all the time is: “Can you really do a full, thorough dental check and treatment without sedation?”

And the answer is — yes, absolutely! It takes a lot of training and a calm, patient approach, but it’s absolutely possible to reach the back of the mouth, check every detail and pick up on small pathologies without sedation for many horses.

Of course, there are always exceptions. Some horses simply can’t cope — sometimes because of past trauma, discomfort, or they just don’t like the process — and that’s when sedation is absolutely the kindest and safest option for everyone involved. There’s no shame in that at all. Just like some people hate the dentist’s chair (I’m one of those people!) some horses do too!

When more advanced issues are found, things beyond normal sharp points or minor overgrowths, these often do need sedation to get a closer look (sometimes with an in-mouth camera) or to carry out more complex treatment. That’s where your vet or a specialist dental surgeon steps in and we work closely together to get your horse the best possible care.

For us personally, we love working with all kinds of horses — every single one is an individual with their own beautiful personalities! We spend the majority of our time working on unsedated horses because, with the right horse and a patient, calm approach, it works brilliantly for most.
However, we will always do what’s best for the horse.

Our priority is that everyone — me, us, the horse, and the handlers — stay calm, safe and comfortable. No two horses are the same, so no two appointments are ever exactly the same either.

✨ Calmness, skill and kindness go a long way in this job.
✨ Sedation is never a failure — it’s a tool we use when needed.
✨ Every horse is treated as an individual. Always.

Here’s to skilled horsemanship, happy horses and healthy smiles! 🐴💙

To sedate or not to sedate

The question of sedation for routine equine dental procedures is one that often sparks discussion, and for good reason. Every horse is an individual, and ensuring their safety, comfort, and welfare during dental work is always the priority.

With the advancements in modern equipment, routine equine dental care has become far more precise and thorough than ever before. Many horses are able to comfortably tolerate comprehensive dental examinations and treatment without sedation, particularly when handled by skilled and experienced practitioners. BAEDT members are highly proficient not only in their dental work but also in equine behaviour and handling, allowing them to work calmly and effectively in a wide range of situations. Our members work day in, day out with unsedated horses, where horsemanship, patience, and handling skills are fundamental to carrying out thorough and precise treatments.

It’s also important to understand that carrying out a routine dental on an unsedated horse requires a different set of skills compared to working on a sedated horse. The ability to assess, reassure, and work with a horse that is fully conscious is a testament to the horsemanship, experience, and sensitivity our members bring to their work.

That said, sedation absolutely has its place, and for some horses sedation is essential to ensure dental procedures are carried out safely and thoroughly. There are a number of reasons why horses may require sedation for dental treatments, including if the horse is in pain, if they are anxious and their behaviour. BAEDT members are able to recognise when sedation is in the horse’s best interest and will always discuss with the owner and their vet to determine the most appropriate course of action.

All BAEDT members undergo rigorous training and examinations to ensure they meet the highest standards of equine dental care. With dental mirrors, high-quality head lights, and dental picks and probes, our members can carry out detailed examinations. When issues are identified that require further investigation or referral, members hold strong working relationships with equine veterinary surgeons and dental referral specialists, ensuring your horse has access to the level of care they need.

We’re proud to have 21 veterinary surgeons among our membership who have completed the BEVA/BVDA examination, further expanding their knowledge, expertise and are dedicated to providing the highest standards of equine dental care.

Ultimately, whether a horse requires sedation should be a case-by-case decision, based on their individual temperament, comfort, and the dental work required. With BAEDT members, owners can feel confident they are in skilled, compassionate, and highly trained hands.

👋🏼 FOLLOW FRIDAY IS BACK! 👋🏼Business Spotlight 🔦 — We’re bringing back our   series to spotlight amazing businesses and ...
27/06/2025

👋🏼 FOLLOW FRIDAY IS BACK! 👋🏼
Business Spotlight 🔦 —

We’re bringing back our series to spotlight amazing businesses and organisations that support you and your equines — and what better way to kick things off than by highlighting the incredible work of the British Association of Equine Dental Technicians (BAEDT).

The BAEDT is the professional body that ensures EDTs in the UK are trained, qualified, insured, and working to a strict code of conduct — all to provide the highest level of equine dental care and promote welfare.

👉🏼 From the BAEDT:
“Veterinarians and EDTs realised the need for a recognised exam and code of conduct to protect horses and offer owners a trusted list of trained professionals. The BAEDT was founded to promote professional training and public awareness of equine dentistry.”

We’re proud to be part of this amazing organisation — and if you're as passionate about equine welfare and professional standards as we are, go give them a follow on:

📲 Instagram
📘 Facebook
🎵 TikTok
▶️ And keep an eye out — they’re launching a YouTube channel soon! 👀

Let’s show them some love! 💙

18/06/2025

Foals, mums, sunshine and smiles — what a day! 🐴☀️
Sharing this fab little clip that British Association of Equine Dental Technicians put together of me and the wonderful team I get to work with working with some gorgeous foals and their mums recently.

This job… absolutely love it. No two days are ever the same and I wouldn't have it any other way

A Friendly but Important Reminder: Payment TermsUnfortunately, we’re having to make this post again regarding payments.🔹...
10/06/2025

A Friendly but Important Reminder: Payment Terms

Unfortunately, we’re having to make this post again regarding payments.

🔹 Payment for treatment is required on the day of your appointment.

While the vast majority of our clients are brilliant at sticking to this (and we are SO grateful), we’ve recently had a small number of repeated late payments. As a result, we’ve sadly had to make the decision to refuse future bookings for clients with consistently overdue payments.

Going forward:

If payment is not made on the day, we will require payment in full, in advance before any future appointments are confirmed.

Late payment fees will apply, and further action may be taken if we are continually left chasing unpaid invoices.

We know it's only a minority, but as the saying goes — we can’t let a few bad apples spoil the bunch. The time spent chasing payments takes us away from what matters most: your horses’ care and well-being.

We value all our wonderful, supportive clients and thank you for understanding that these policies are in place to keep our service running fairly and smoothly for everyone.

BAEDT Congress & AGM Recap A little delayed in posting due to recent events, but I wanted to take a moment to share how ...
04/06/2025

BAEDT Congress & AGM Recap

A little delayed in posting due to recent events, but I wanted to take a moment to share how lovely it was to attend the BAEDT Congress and AGM the other week.

It was an incredible weekend of learning — hearing from a range of brilliant speakers from both the UK and overseas, each covering different areas within equine dentistry. Every day really is a school day, and it's inspiring to see how techniques and knowledge continue to evolve to improve the welfare and comfort of the horses we care for.

One of the highlights was also getting to catch up with friends and colleagues from across the UK — many of whom I don’t get to see as often as I’d like!

The following day was our AGM. As many of you know, I’ve been on council for the past few years, and it was great to reflect on what we’ve achieved so far and share some of the exciting plans we have for the future. I put myself forward again… and was incredibly grateful to be voted back in by the membership I’m truly passionate about our association and supporting both current and future EDTs.

Here’s to continued learning, collaboration, and raising the standard of care for our equine friends

Just a little note to say a huge thank you The last month has been incredibly tough personally, and I want to express ho...
28/05/2025

Just a little note to say a huge thank you

The last month has been incredibly tough personally, and I want to express how deeply grateful I am for the patience, understanding, and kindness so many of you have shown. Your support has truly meant the world and hugely helped me during this really difficult time.

I’m lucky to work with not only incredible equines but truly wonderful humans, too. Thank you for sticking with me — it hasn’t gone unnoticed

Here’s to brighter days ahead and continuing to do the job we love so much

Any horse person knows baling twine is basically rural duct tape… and yesterday, it saved the day (again).Just as I was ...
21/05/2025

Any horse person knows baling twine is basically rural duct tape… and yesterday, it saved the day (again).

Just as I was about to treat a donkey, I realised a screw had gone missing from my gag strap. Not ideal timing — but not my first rodeo either.

This exact thing happened to me once before, doing charity work in The Gambia… and, just like then, my spare screws were nowhere to be found. But fear not — baling twine to the rescue!

Bit of creative knot work later and the job got done, donkey treated, crisis averted. Now to actually find my spare screws and fix it properly…

Tell me — what’s the weirdest way you’ve used baling twine? I know I’m not alone in this.


Hi, As you may already know, last week I had a family emergency and flew to be with family during this difficult time. I...
08/05/2025

Hi,

As you may already know, last week I had a family emergency and flew to be with family during this difficult time.

Initially, we were hopeful it may only be for a week, however unfortunately things have not improved, and it is likely I will need to fly back and forth for the next 6 weeks.

We have already had such wonderful support from other dentists who have covered many of our days last week and this week and we are hoping we can have them cover for the foreseeable future so that we don’t need to change many appts.

Of course, this does depend on their availability, but as much as possible we are wanting to keep appts in.

We are so sorry for the disruption, we are working around the clock to try and arrange cover and get all those affected booked back in as soon as possible but as you can imagine, this is quite a difficult task.

We really appreciate your patience as we try to navigate all appointments.

A special piece of history shared by BAEDT today.This photo shows some of the early members of the Association — includi...
01/05/2025

A special piece of history shared by BAEDT today.

This photo shows some of the early members of the Association — including my mentor, Chris Keate who played a key role in training me and was one of the founding members of BAEDT.

It’s a real privilege to have been guided by someone who helped shape the standards we uphold today in equine dentistry. Grateful for the foundations they laid and proud to continue the work they started.

Throwback Thursday!

With our 2025 AGM just around the corner, we thought it was the perfect time to share this gem, the very first BAEDT Council from 2001!

Left to right: David Regan, Mat Carter, Toby Lee, Colin Hill, Mark Thorne, Chris Keate, and 2001 BEVA President, Ian Camm. All organised by Mary Lou Lees.

It’s amazing to think how far we’ve come in 24 years, from a small group of EDTs to now over 150 members, including 21 vet members, all dedicated to raising standards in equine dentistry.

Between everyone in this photo and the members who followed, thousands upon thousands of horses have received the care they deserve. It all started here.

Here’s to continued growth, improving equine welfare, and helping to train the next generation of EDTs!

Many thanks to Mat Carter for sharing 📸

Hi all,Just a quick update from me — due to a family emergency, I had to book a last-minute flight last night to be with...
30/04/2025

Hi all,

Just a quick update from me — due to a family emergency, I had to book a last-minute flight last night to be with loved ones.

I can’t thank the amazing dentists enough who’ve stepped in to support me over the next few days. Their kindness and willingness to help at short notice has meant the world.

I’m doing my best to keep any disruption to a minimum, but please bear with us as we navigate this difficult time.

If you need to get in touch, please contact the office via the usual booking number or send a message through the page.

Thank you all so much for your understanding and support. It truly means a lot.

From all of us here at Bee May EDS, wishing you a very Happy Easter!We hope your day is filled with joy, fresh air, qual...
20/04/2025

From all of us here at Bee May EDS, wishing you a very Happy Easter!

We hope your day is filled with joy, fresh air, quality time with your equines—and maybe a few too many chocolate eggs!

Recognising Dedication to Animal Welfare We’re proud to be part of an industry that puts equine welfare at the heart of ...
08/04/2025

Recognising Dedication to Animal Welfare

We’re proud to be part of an industry that puts equine welfare at the heart of everything we do — and it’s time to shine a light on those going the extra mile.

The BAEDT Animal Welfare Award is now open for nominations!
If you think we, or an EDT you know, has shown exceptional dedication to the welfare of the horses in their care, we’d be honoured if you considered submitting a nomination.

It’s a wonderful way to recognise the hard work, compassion, and professionalism within our industry.

📩 Nominations are open until 30th April and can be sent to [email protected]

Let’s celebrate those who are making a real difference.

🌟 Nominations Open for BAEDT Animal Welfare Award 🌟

Every year the BAEDT proudly acknowledges the outstanding contributions of its members towards animal welfare within our industry. This year’s recipient will be honoured at our upcoming AGM in May, and we’re inviting nominations from the public.
If you believe your BAEDT Equine Dental Technician deserves recognition for their dedication to animal welfare, kindly submit your nomination to [email protected] by 30th April 🏆💫
📸 BAEDT member Gemme Lawrie receiving her award at the BAEDT AGM last year from BAEDT Chair James Arkley

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Basingstoke
RG224

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