Vikki Fowler - Veterinary Equine Dental Technician

02/08/2024

This little chappy is Bobby. He’s a Shetland and although we don’t know his age, he is well into his 20s based on his teeth. What we do know is he has lived in a field with no dental care for over 15 years prior to arriving at Pets in Need sanctuary in Lancashire.

You can see the ulcerations and lacerations in his cheeks from the overgrowths, sharp points and impacted food material. You can also see the large overgrowths at the back, although from this angle you can’t see the resulting holes in his gums opposite. Surprisingly he was actually not particularly underweight although obviously quidding (balling up his hay).

The end of the video shows the after photos, although it will take a few more visits to have him fully ship shape.

Please remember dental care is a minimum basic requirement, not a luxury!

Just because you can’t see the teeth, that doesn’t mean you can ignore them.

30/07/2024

Case Report 🦷

The new owner of a recently acquired pony noticed that she was eating only on one side of her mouth. Concerned about potential dental issues with no previous dental history, the owner arranged for a dental examination with a BAEDT member.

The dental examination revealed a significantly overgrown 108 tooth. This tooth lacked an opposing tooth on the lower jaw, meaning it had nothing to wear against and therefore it continued to erupt. This overgrown tooth was restricting the movement of the lower jaw and therefore hindering efficient mastication. Additionally, the first molar on the same side (106) was also quite overgrown.

The overgrown teeth were carefully reduced, with close monitoring of the proximity of the pulp chambers and regular water cooling. Follow up treatment will be necessary in a few months to further reduce the overgrowths.

This case highlights the importance of annual dental care for all horses, large overgrowths will continue to erupt if not appropriately addressed and will eventually start to protrude into the opposing jaw causing significant discomfort and damage.

This case also demonstrates the necessity of a thorough dental examination when acquiring a new pony to ensure there are no pre-existing issues that could cause discomfort or ridden problems.

Thankfully this pony will now be feeling much better since her dental treatment. Thank you to Georgina Caden BAEDT for sharing this case.

17/07/2024

Even if your horse is no longer ridden, regular dental care remains as essential part of their welfare as they still need to eat efficiently.

Equines have hypsodont dentition meaning they have a large reserve crown which is in continuous wear throughout their lifetime and constantly erupts approximately 2-4mm per year. This means molar teeth will continually develop sharp enamel points and any dental overgrowths will progressively worsen if not appropriately addressed.

Regular dental treatments ensure your horse stays comfortable and free from discomfort. They also help identify and address dental issues early.

Don't wait for problems to arise, as they may become more difficult to manage. Proactive, regular dental care throughout their lifetime is key to ensuring your horse's long term dental health and their overall well being.

14/06/2024

I really don’t think the photos do this little lady’s mouth justice. She is so thin and the hooks were so ginormous, the photos just don’t do her justice.

Peaches is 15 year old and has just been rescued by a client of mine. I am told she has actually put on weight in the 3 weeks she’s been in her new owners care. Shocking as that might be. As you can probably guess, she was not eating well. Hardly eating forage at all, including grass. Oh and she may be in foal, having spent her life as a broodmare. The story goes the previous owner wanted her gone, dead or alive.

I think it’s safe to assume she has never seen a dentist in her 15 years. She would have been in pain for a lot of her life. These hooks are so large that they are gorging holes not just in her opposing gums but into the bone. With a lovely twig stuck up the side for good measure.

My work isn’t quite done here, I took as much as I safely could but she will require further visits to fully reduce these overgrowths. She will be significantly more comfortable though and I’m looking forward to seeing her flourish with proper care.

This would have been very VERY easy to prevent. Just normal routine dentistry would have prevented this little lady from suffering. It would not have been expensive, it would not have been time consuming or difficult. She doesn’t have a lot of dental issues or need extractions. She just needed bog standard routine dental care.

I really don’t think it’s a lot to ask an owner, to have their horses teeth done once or twice a year. So why oh why do so many horses and ponies end up in this state?

Routine dentistry is basic care, for all equids, not a luxury!!

I am fully booked but check out the BAEDT website for qualified EDTs in your area.
https://baedt.com/members/

13/06/2024

💯

Together we can improve equine welfare.

Share and tag a horse owner you know 🐎

Every equine deserves thorough lifelong dental care.

All BAEDT members are trained and examined to the highest standards.

21/05/2024

I have gone over 10 years seeing fewer than 1 lower wolf tooth a year and yet I’ve now seen 3 inside of a month! Luckily for this little chap his owner had his teeth checked before she started bitting him. The blue circle is the upper wolf tooth and the red circle is the teeny tiny excuse for a lower wolf tooth. The most poorly named appendage ever 😅 I have never had a satisfactory reason behind their name. If anyone knows why they are called wolf teeth, let me know!

Routine dentistry is basic care, not a luxury!

16/05/2024

Lower wolf teeth are like buses it would seem, you don’t see one for ages and then they all come at once!

My client just bought this rising 4yo warmblood a month ago, and of course wanted his teeth checking as his history was unknown. Interestingly he didn’t have upper wolf teeth but he did have a single lower one. There was a lot of inflammation and damage around the tooth and yet the young horse had shown no resistance to the bit that would suggest he had pain. Thank goodness the owner thought to check!

The tooth was very long and very thin, it was rather a delicate operation to remove it in one piece. But my goodness I was very glad it did come out whole although my patience was tested 😅 lower wolf teeth are fiddly and the access is poor, especially with little of the tooth visible as in this case.

Paparazzi will be a much happier horse now 🥰 and what a cool name he has!

Remember dental visits are basic care, not a luxury!

26/04/2024

Dentistry is basic care NOT a luxury. Every horse has to eat so every horse needs dental care. No exceptions. If they were in the wild, they would die, when domesticated they are the owners responsibility.

Regular dental maintenance is an essential component of your horse’s wellbeing.

Here’s why it’s crucial:

⭐️ Prevents discomfort: By addressing issues early, we spare horses unnecessary pain.
⭐️ Early disease detection: Catching problems in their infancy prevents escalation.
⭐️ Maximum eating efficiency: Proper dental care allows the horse to chew its food efficiently for digestion.
⭐️ Optimised performance: Comfortable mouths lead to better communication and performance.
⭐️ Long-term dental health: Investing in regular maintenance now helps prevent dental disease in the later years.

Prioritising regular dental treatments is a necessity for your equine companion’s lifelong welfare.

Don’t delay on your horse’s dental appointment. To locate your nearest BAEDT member visit www.baedt.com 🐎
📸 Jake Paterson BAEDT

14/04/2024

Every horse needs regular routine dentistry to prevent these situations. This overgrowth would have taken years and years and years to develop, that’s years and years of pain.

I am fully booked but check out the BAEDT members list for fully qualified EDTs near you, make sure your horse doesn’t end up like this one!

https://baedt.com/member-list/

https://baedt.com/member-list/

05/04/2024

Wolf teeth are like ice bergs, you never know what is under the surface! These looked to be very small and I expected them to be easy to remove. How wrong I was! One had a large ball on the end of the root which was very infuriating as it was very loose and moving so freely but just would not come out 🤦‍♀️ The other wolf tooth had a root not much wider than a needle which snapped and was rather fiddly to get out independently. Although not as difficult as the ball rooted one!
Never underestimate wolf teeth, they might be small and seem insignificant but they can be an absolute nuisance! To the horse, the rider and the dental practitioner 😅😅😅

As always, routine dentistry is basic care, not a luxury!

28/03/2024

When I met Joey, the rising 3 year old Suffolk Punch (from my previous post) I removed one of his caps as it was loose. I have taken a photo of his cap next to a cap from Heathcliffe, the miniature horse, who remains the smallest head I treat. He stands at 25” tall now he is fully grown.

The photo of Heathcliffe is from when he was also 3 year old and I took the same loose cap out of his mouth. You can tell this was a while ago by how young I look!! But I have kept his cap in the tooth drawer in my car ever since, just waiting to get my hands on the same tooth of a heavy horse for this comparison. To save stinking my car out I bleached the tooth, which is why it is white compared to the fresh one of Joey’s.

So Heathcliffe is at least 10 times smaller than Joey. But look at those teeth!! Heathcliffe’s is barely half the size of Joey’s. Probably over half. Despite the massive difference in height, weight and head size, the miniature horse’s teeth are not as small you would expect!

So why is this interesting? Because humans are messing with breeding too quickly for equines to adapt. It takes thousands and thousands of years for teeth to change size this dramatically and humans are expecting them to change in a couple of hundred years.

When we look at dog breeds we see the terrible consequences of breeding for human aesthetics without considering function. Not just in dentistry but in every part of their body’s. I’m begging breeders, please, please don’t do the same thing to horses!!! I’m not just talking size either, stop breeding for teeny tiny heads but also stop breeding for the extreme dished heads, the shortened noses and the sea horse heads. All of these things have massive consequences on the horses teeth. Unlike dogs, horses need their teeth, they struggle to survive without them. This type of breeding just causes pain and suffering and expense to the eventual owner. It always comes back to giving the breeder a bad name too.
In breeding, Function must always ALWAYS come first.

Routine dentistry is basic care, not a luxury and if you take on an extreme size or shape head pony, be prepared for that routine work to be very frequent!

26/03/2024

Today I had the pleasure of treating Joey, a rising 3 year old Suffolk Punch, who is standing probably 17.2+hh already! Joey gave me lots of things to talk about so he will be appearing in a few posts over the next week or so.

Firstly he had a lower wolf tooth! I see upper wolf teeth very commonly, but lower wolf teeth are much more rare in horses. They are pretty common in donkeys though so poor Joey was the butt of a few jokes having donkey ears and donkey teeth 🤣🤣

The lower wolf tooth was loose and very shallow rooted so easy to remove. His upper wolf teeth were very wide and took a bit more persuasion. He will be much happier now, as he is regularly bitted to attend the agricultural shows in hand.

Wolf teeth come through at about 18 months of age. They should not be confused with canines, which only males get (usually) as both mares and males can have wolf teeth. The upper ones don’t always cause an issue, it depends where they sit in relation to the adult molars as to whether the bit can contact them or not. But the lower wolf teeth will always require extraction if the horse is bitted.

As a side note, have a look at those fresh adult teeth! Another post is on its way about these 😁 I think they are the coolest things ever but I am unique in my love of teeth I suspect 😅

Routine dentistry is basic care, not a luxury so make sure you get your youngsters checked like the lovely Joey’s owner.

20/03/2024

What does it take to become a BEVA/BVDA qualified Equine Dental Technician?

As we approach this week's practical exam, we're eager to shed light on the journey each of our members has undertaken. It takes several years of intensive training and rigorous examinations to achieve full qualification.

The examination process entails:

➡️ Completion of BEVA/BVDA advanced theory course
➡️ Evidence of education- either
- BSc or FdSc in Equine Dental Science/Studies
- Training under direct supervision of BAEDT member or Veterinary Surgeon with expertise in equine dentistry
- RCVS membership
➡️ Submisson of 300 case studies, of which 40 are advanced case studies countersigned by the attending Veterinary Surgeon
➡️ 2 references -one from BAEDT member and one from a Veterinary Surgeon with expertise in equine dentistry
➡️ Minimum of 5 days working alongside a BAEDT member or Veterinary Surgeon with expertise in equine dentistry
➡️ BEVA/BVDA Theory exam
➡️ BEVA/BVDA Practical exam

Not to mention the countless hours spent shadowing, undertaking unpaid work, traveling expenses, investing in training courses, and the financial outlay for equipment.

We take immense pride in our members for their relentless passion and unwavering dedication to equine welfare.

Visit our website to locate a BAEDT Equine Dental Technician near you ➡ www.baedt.com

📸 Kim Kilner BAEDT

10/03/2024

When was your horses last dental?

➡️ Sharp enamel points can cause soft tissue damage to the cheeks and tongue leading to discomfort whilst being ridden and eating (imagine putting a nose band on this chap 🥺)

➡️ Equines have hypsodont dentition meaning they have a large reserve crown which is in continuous wear throughout their lifetime and constantly erupts approximately 2-4mm per year.

➡️ This leads to the formation of sharp enamel points on the outside of the upper cheek teeth and inside of lower cheek teeth

➡️ Removing the sharp enamel points will allow healing and make the mouth comfortable.

➡️ ALL horses, ponies and donkeys require routine dental treatments every 6-12 months to ensure comfort whilst eating and being ridden

➡️ Remember horses are prey animals so their may be no clinical signs that they are in discomfort, they are good at hiding pain

➡️ All BAEDT members are trained and examined to the highest standards and attend regular CPD courses

Every horse every year! 🐴🦷

www.baedt.com

16/02/2024

I feel like a broken record. How many images of horses and ponies in agony do I have to post before people start checking their horses dental providers credentials?!!!

This 24 year old pony has just been taken on loan by a client of mine. She had her teeth done yearly with the owner by “the guy that does the yard”. I hear it all the time, everyone uses him therefore he must be good, right? No!! Obviously her owner is devastated to find out what has been going on in her mouth.

Again to be clear, this pony was not quidding, or pulling faces. She is looking after her 7 year old jockey like an absolute saint. She eats every scrap of hay and feed like she’s never eaten before and has good weight. There were no signs at all that she was in so much pain. And yet every bite would be excruciating.

I struggled to get a photo of the mouth to do the extent justice so I have taken a video instead. The after is at the end but bear in mind I couldn’t reduce the largest tooth completely so I will be revisiting in a few months to continue the work. At least she won’t be in pain now though.

I am not taking on new clients unfortunately but check out the BAEDT website to find a qualified EDT in your area at
https://baedt.com/members/

Always remember. Dentistry is basic care, not a luxury!

15/02/2024

It may have been Valentine’s Day this week but for our horses and ponies, Love is not enough.

This little Shetland is 19 year old and was recently given to one of my clients. She noticed the pony was pocketing food in her cheek like a hamster and asked me to have a look. As you can see this little pony was in a massive amount of pain. After extracting a displaced tooth, clearing the compacted food and reducing the overgrowths she will be feeling much better now, although she will need further work yet.

I am assured that her previous owners adored her and their other horses and ponies. Doted on them and loved them to bits. But love isn’t enough. It may be tough to hear but horses and ponies don’t care if you love them. They care that their basic needs are met. Food, water, shelter of course but also farrier, worming, vet and dentistry. These are basic needs, the bare minimum. It doesn’t matter if they are ridden or not, they need their teeth to eat, and every horse needs to be able to eat.

This little lady is 19 years old, for a Shetland that isn’t old and yet she has now lost 3 teeth. This was unnecessary. The equines I see that have had their teeth looked after all of their lives usually keep them all into their 30s. Failing to take care of their teeth usually results in premature tooth loss. Since nobody has invented dentures for horses yet it is a good idea to look after the ones they have. It will save you money in the long term if they can eat hay rather than needing a mash diet!

Remember dentistry is basic care, NOT a luxury

05/02/2024

Interested in becoming an EDT? Check out this new dentistry course at Hartpury for 2024.

04/02/2024

North Wales if anybody with an old horse is interested.

31/01/2024

This remains one of my favourite before and after photos.

So yesterday while annotating the photos of the most recent shear mouth case I discovered my phone does an awesome thing and measures angles! I was way too excited about this 😂😂

I thought it would be fun (yes this is fun for me!) to measure Mari’s original angle. I first saw her in 29/8/20 and her angle was a whopping 70°!! It took me until 17/1/22 to reduce this angle back to a normal 13°. The right hand photo on the comparison image is her teeth a couple of weeks ago at her routine 6 monthly visit. You can see the normal architecture of the teeth has now returned fully and they look like nothing had ever been wrong. She is a perfectly happy and healthy pony now.

A big lesson she should teach the public is not to stick your head in the sand. Dental issues are very fixable on the whole. 99.99% of horses I see with dental issues are able to be “fixed” and eat normally/pain free. The earlier you treat them the easier and (usually) cheaper it is to fix. Having a dental check up once a year really is not a lot for your horse to ask of you.

In case you missed Mari’s original story, here it is

https://www.facebook.com/share/9k3frqFAV26B8S8j/?mibextid=WC7FNe

And remember dentistry is basic care, not a luxury!

30/01/2024

For the love of your horse, make sure your dental professional is qualified!!!

This 21 year old mare regularly saw the local “tooth man”. When directly asked if he was qualified he lied and said he was. He is not.

This mare had displaced teeth on both sides that were digging into her tongue causing large ulcers and catching food material which rotted the gum away. The opposite teeth lacked opposing wear so became over grown, which further pushed the displaced teeth into the tongue. All this resulted in a lot of pain and the horse changed her chewing pattern to an up and down motion rather than side to side. This action wears the teeth incorrectly and results in a much steeper angle than normal which we call “Shear mouth”. The normal angle should be 10-15° and this lady was 52° in her left and 31° on her right. This tells us that she has been eating badly for a long time. Likely years. Due to her teeth being this angle the edges were extraordinarily sharp causing ulcerations along both cheeks.

It will take me a few visits to correct this but with those displaced teeth extracted, the smelly food cleared and the sharp points removed she will feel significantly better while I work on reducing the angle and over growths fully over the next year.

As a side point I want to point out that this mare is in perfect body condition, was not quidding and in regular work including schooling and jumping with out any signs of the severity of pain she was in. All she did was pull a face occasionally. It will never ceases to astonish me just how much oral pain a horse will cope with.

Remember dentistry is basic care, not a luxury and always check your professionals credentials!!

https://baedt.com/member-list/

04/12/2023

Oooo great post!!

**It’s not all about hole size! **

There is a post circulating widely on Facebook suggesting that small hole haynets are directly responsible for causing significant gum damage in equines. Whilst this might occur under some circumstances, unfortunately it is not as simple as blaming just the haynet hole size.

Are you considering how easily your forage breaks before selecting the net you are going to provide it in?

The fracture properties of hay and haylage (e.g., how easily it breaks when pulled) has a strong influence on the pressures used to extract the forage from nets (regardless of the size of the hole) and ultimately therefore the risk the equine is exposed to regarding the potential for dental or gum damage.

Hodgson et al., (2022) demonstrated that equines pull harder to extract haylage (average 300 Newtons) from small hole nets when compared to hay (average 74 Newtons), even if the hay is in a double net (average 156 Newtons). This is because the fracture properties between the hay and haylage in this study were different, with the hay fracturing much easier than the haylage.

Hodgson et al (2022) also demonstrated that pull pressures were significantly higher when nets were hung low, compared to high (30cm above the withers) and that pull pressure was significantly higher if nets were fixed at two points.

So, it’s not ALL about the hole size of your net which is important. When considering the right net, you must first consider how easy it is to fracture the forage you intend to feed and the height you are providing the forage noting that even some hay is hard to fracture.

Putting a small hole net on easy to fracture forage which is somewhat elevated off the ground with wide accessibility will require the equine to exert significantly less forces to extract the forage, than putting a small hole net on difficult to fracture forage provided lower to the ground with limited points to access.

Indeed, in a study published in May this year, Johnson et al., showed that the use of relatively small hole hay nets (4.45cm openings) on large round bales did not have any negative impacts on dental and gum health over a one-year period of time.

Worth noting:
Because of the higher pressure needed to pull forage with low “fractureability”, counter-intuitively more of this type of forage will be extracted per bite (when compared to high fracture forage) and therefore more grams per minute consumed, despite less bites per minute.

In contrast, because of the lower pressure needed to pull forage with high “fractureability”, less of this type of forage is extracted per bite and less grams per minute consumed, despite higher bites per minute.
So equines observed to be taking lots of little successful bites from a small hole haynet are not necessarily consuming more than those observed to take less bites.

In the photo you can see a small hole haynet with easy to fracture hay tied in a position slightly above the wither.

Hodgson S, Bennett-Skinner P, Lancaster B, Upton S, Harris P, Ellis AD. Posture and Pull Pressure by Horses When Eating Hay or Haylage from a Hay Net Hung at Various Positions. Animals (Basel). 2022 Oct 31;12(21):2999. doi: 10.3390/ani12212999. PMID: 36359123; PMCID: PMC9659009.

Johnson L, Martiinson K, Keener L, DeBoer M. A preliminary study: Effect of hay nets on horse hay usage, dental wear, and dental conditions in mature adult horses. 2023 May 124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104366

01/12/2023

Sedation and dentistry. Do we need it?
I’ve been thinking of writing this post for quite awhile, but I keep putting it off because it is a topic that raises a lot of opinions from a lot of different people. Vets and EDTs seem to struggle to get on the same page. So I would like to explain my take.

Before I get into it, just a little bit of housekeeping 🏠 🧼 Firstly, please read my post before you comment on it. If you can’t be bothered reading it (and it will be a long one if history is anything to go by!), you don’t get to express your opinion on MY post. It’s rude and you will just embarrass yourself. Secondly, I am based in the UK, I cannot speak for other countries. In the UK only vets are allowed to sedate, but anybody can do dentistry on a horse. We do have a recognised qualification/exam from the BVDA/BEVA however it is not a legal requirement in order to perform dentistry. When I talk about EDTs please be clear that I am talking about those that hold the qualification. I have already made my views very well-known in that I do not believe trainees or those without the qualification should be allowed to work on horses unsupervised…at all ❌

Ok, back to it. Now I may be a vet, but my opinion on this may surprise you. I also hold the dentistry qualification and I stand with a foot in each camp most of the time. Personally, I do not insist on sedation for the horses I work on. I probably do 50:50 sedated versus unsedated. However I do not think this is representative of the population as a whole because a lot of people use me due to the fact that I can sedate and also carry the dentistry qualification. A lot of my BAEDT colleagues work on 95% unsedated horses, which is also unlikely to be representative of the general population. The figure of those requiring sedation is likely somewhere in between.

I hear two opinions that are given as though they are fact that I strongly disagree with. The first one is you cannot get to the back of the horses mouth without sedation, and the second one is, you cannot do a thorough examination of the horses mouth without sedation. When I hear these, I often think the person offering these opinions may not be able to, but it is rather arrogant of them to assume that nobody else has this skill. I personally do have this skill. And the other members on the BAEDT members list also have this skill.

Working on an unsedated horse is a skill, a skill separate from that of working on a sedated horse. Just because you can work on a sedated horse does not automatically mean you have the ability to work on an unsedated horse. It is a separate set of skills that takes many many years and many thousands of horses to hone. To work on an unsedated horse you have to be absolutely precise. You cannot stray from where you should be, you cannot get away with touching the gum, the tongue or the cheek as obviously the horse will react where it wouldn’t when sedated. Also, you have to be ambidextrous, you do half of the mouth with your right hand and half of the mouth with your left hand. It doesn’t matter if you are left or right handed, they have to be a perfect mirror image of each other. This is probably the most limiting skill, one that those who do not spend 100% of their time doing dentistry often lack. You have to hold the head with one hand and hold the equipment with the other, which requires a lot of core strength, multitasking and dexterity. You also have to have a very good level of horsemanship. You have to be able to predict the horses movements and you must be able to work with the horses movements rather than against them. You get into a rhythm with the horse, and how they move their tongue and cheeks, so that you use them to make your job easier, rather than fighting against them. And finally, something that is very overlooked is it requires training of the horse. You would not expect a never-seen-before young horse to immediately behave for the Farrier. And you cannot expect them to immediately behave for the dentist. It takes training from the owners side with regards to handling and manners, and it takes training from the dentists side to offer patience and give the horse a chance to understand what is being asked of them in what is a daunting procedure. A young horse sees the farrier from a very young age and far more frequently than they see the dentist, usually the owner has prepped the horse for the farrier and plies them with treats to keep them quiet. Yet often are expected to behave immediately for the dentist.

So given all of this, wouldn’t it be easier just to sedate everything? I have that ability, so why wouldn’t I? Honestly, and primarily, because it is usually harder to work on a sedated horse than a well behaved unsedated one (for me). They don’t get needle shy, they don’t wobble, they often help me by holding their tongue to the side or holding their head to a comfortable height. I can safely use mirrors, probes and the burr reaching all areas of the mouth without stress to the horse or difficulty for myself. I don’t understand anybody that wants to sedate these angels 😇 of horses. Aside from this personal opinion we must remember that sedation is a veterinary procedure 💉 Whilst it is very safe, there are the rare risks of needle reactions and drug reactions. I’m not going to list them and scare people, on the whole sedation is very safe but veterinary medicine is about weighing up the risks vs the benefits. If I do not feel it is necessary to sedate a horse for routine dentistry, and all that is required is further skill on my behalf, why would I.
That being said, for those that do not do large numbers of horses and have not dedicated years of their lives to training themselves to work on unsedated horses, the benefit does indeed outweigh the risk. In such a situation it is essential that these vets do sedate in order to do a thorough job. There is no shame in this at all, all that matters is the horse walks away with a thorough job done. But also don’t assume it is the only way to get a thorough job done.

The video below shows me working on an unsedated horse. Tilly is 27 year old and a long standing patient of mine. She has not been given any calmer or drugs of any sort. As you can see, she is perfectly relaxed and makes my job very easy. This horse would be more difficult to work on sedated than she is to work on awake. She’s an older lady and really doesn’t need any chemical assistance to be a gem. 💎 She is not alone in her angelic behaviour, many will stand just as well.
Ps please excuse my Michelin man outfit, it’s -3°C 🥶 and I needed layers 🤣

I’m often asked when do I decide to sedate?There are a few reasons I sedate, firstly if the horse is in pain, or if what I am going to do is likely to cause pain, secondly if I need the horse to stay absolutely still and the other reason is the horses behaviour.

Not every horse will stand to have dental work done without sedation. Just as some people have very sensitive teeth and can’t stand the vibration of the ultrasonic descaler at the hygienist, some horses feel the same way and it is unfair to try and force these horses to stand unsedated. Quite frankly, it’s impossible to force them, they are half a ton of adrenaline fuelled animal. If the horse is fighting the professional, they cannot do a thorough job and are at risk of injury. Being stood in front of a violent horse is a very dangerous place to be. It’s a little different if a new horse is worried or scared, often you can take your time and win them around. Sometimes I start off with sedation and each time I see them I reduce the amount until they no longer need it at all. But if a horse hates it, they need sedating, and will always need sedating.

Starting horses young really helps. Have your dentist look in their mouth even before they need doing. Teach them to have their lips lifted to see the incisors, teach them that humans are allowed to touch their tongues (obviously in the bit space, don’t get bitten!) and teach them to have their heads lifted and moved around. All these little things really help. Also keep up with the your routine visits! If you always allow your horse to go overdue so it’s a bigger job or they have ulcerations every time, they will start to have negative associations with the dentist visits and become difficult. Make sure you stick to whatever interval your professional recommends so it remains a positive experience.

It seems obvious to say sedate if the horse is in pain, but actually there are plenty of horses that will stand and allow you to work on them despite their pain, but this isn’t fair and is ethically wrong. Your professional may ask to sedate even though the horse appears to be behaving very well, but if the horse is in pain they should be sedated until the pain is relieved. It may be that after the cause of the pain is removed, the horse can be done awake in future. If I find a train wreck of a mouth I will always sedate before making any attempt at all. It isn’t fair to expect a horse to stand for 1+hours with their mouth open wide while treated. Consider the jaw ache you get when you visit the dentist and you’ll understand why. Again we don’t want to give the horse a negative association that will affect their behaviour in future.

Some work requires the horse to stay absolutely still, for example diastema widening, wolf teeth extractions or infundibular fillings. Where even a few millimetres of movement could result in potentially dangerous injury to the horse. Obviously chemical restraint is an absolute must in these situations.

I’m hoping those that read my post to the end will walk away carefully considering whether sedation is necessary or not for their horse. And remember a horse that needs sedation for dentistry is not a failure or a naughty horse, they simply have a sensitivity that should be respected. Equally, I hope the reader walks away, understanding that those capable of working on unsedated horses deserve extra respect not degradation. There is a place for both EDTs and vets with a passion for dentistry in the equine world. Both play a vital role and should not be arguing amongst themselves but rather trying to educate the public.

And above all else remember that dentistry is basic care essential for all, it is not a luxury for some.