Dentistry
Equine Dentistry
What you should know about Equine dental care...
All reputable veterinary literature concerning the cause of death in the equine species, informs us that the number one cause of death in horses is due to colic. We also know that the number one cause of colic is gastroentestinal stasis. The number one cause of gastrointestinal stasis is feed impaction. The number one cause of feed impaction is poor mastication (chewing). Therefore the number one killer of horses is poor dental health.
Do to the complexity of required dental procedures, diagnosis of disease, injectable sedatives and prescription medication; state law requires all dental work be performed by a licensed veterinarian or under direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian. Laymen such as self proclaimed equine dentists attend schools to become certified to assist a veterinarian much like a dental hygenist, but under no circumstances are they allowed to impersonate a licensed veterinarian. Please see legal issues page forfurther information.
Equine Veterinary Dentistry is an immensly complex field of study. One must completely understand the anatomy of the horses mouth from the internal structures to those that are visible on examination. One must know the location of the nerves and blood vessels and how to avoid their trauma. They must also understand the physiology behind the musculature and tendonous/ligamentous symbiosis. One must be able to porperly diagnose disease, understand pathology and have the knowledge and license to medicate in order to implement the proper therapy. One must understand drug interaction and antibiotic pharmacology in order to institute proper order of treatment. One must be able to properly sedate and have the ability to reverse sedation if necessary. One must be able to deal with drug reaction and anaphylaxis. One must maintain the capacity to prescribe medication to treat dental disease. One must be a veterinarian.
A horses mouth supports up to 44 teeth by the time they reach adulthood.
NORMAL INCISOR PICTURE HERE!!
Baby teeth as a rule of thumb erupt at around 6 days for the middle incisors, 6 weeks for the second incisors and 6 months for the third incisors.
For more in-depth information regarding equine dentistry, become a member of LCVH and check out the members only dentistry section.
Most importantly DO NOT BE SCAMMED BY "EQUINE DENTISTS"