Equine Dental Technician

We want to share our knowledge of the equine dentistry with you to help your horse, pony, donkey or mule to get the most and best out of his or her life. Whether competition horse, happy hacker, broodmare or picture perfect lawn mower, quality of life whatever sphere is imperative. All equines great and small, Shire to Shetland, natives to thoroughbreds all require and equine dentist on a regular routine basis.

Maintaining a healthy mouth is a must, especially in this day and age of "hard feeds". No equine is too young or too old to be seen by a qualified equine dental technician, who can adjust their level of work to suit the individual equine needs and requirements. Also a good professional equine dentist will be able to work with the most sensitive equine without the use of sedation, perfectly safely. We also prefer not to use electrical equipment. Advice is always given freely on any issue however small or seemingly insignificant.

We explain that all we do in easy to understand language and provide you with an equine dental evaluation sheet to keep as a record of our visit and the work carried out. It also gives you an indication of further treatment and when best to visit you next according to your equines individual dental requirements.

We work closely with a number of local veterinary practices so if sedation is required it is only a phone call or day or so away. The vast majority of "vets" appreciate a good reliable equine dentist in their location.

One of the most neglected areas of equine health management is the maintenance and upkeep of teeth. From birth, equines start the process of evolving and shedding teeth which carries on until they have a full mouth of adult teeth at the approximate age of 5. These formative years are very special, for if the milk teeth do not erupt, continue to enlarge and eventually fallout there is major problems ahead for the mature adult teeth waiting to replace them.

Once the adult teeth are fully in place, with regular maintenance there is no reason why they should not have years of carefree chewing.

Horses masticate (chew) their food in such a way that when they create sharp edges on there teeth they mainly do so on the upper outer edges and the lower inner edges. If the edges are allowed to get too long and sharp the pattern of mastication is disturbed. You often find that they become irritable and frequently either drop food whilst eating or pack food between the teeth and the cheeks to lessen the effect of tooth rubbing against soft tissue.

If you discover a problem please, no matter how trivial, contact an Equine Dental Technician, we don't bite! we are very approachable and we all have a good listening ear.

BUT PLEASE, Contact a reputable trained technician who carries insurance and has the ability to try and solve your problem. Try to ensure you give your equine the best possible visit from a technician who is both professional and caring.

Common questions and answers:-

Qu. My horse shakes it's head when I am trying to take a contact?
Ans. This is normally caused by sharp edges on the first cheek tooth or the horse has wolf teeth present in the mouth. Wolf teeth tend to catch the inner lips and cheek when pressure is applied to the bit.

Qu. What bit should I use?
Ans. There really is no bit which fits every horse or situation. When you find a bit that suits your equine, stick with it and don't change it because it has gone out of fashion!

Qu. How often should my horse see a Dentist?
Ans. We suggest that most horses we have in our practise should be seen every 6 months. Then if they develop a problem we can put it right reasonably easily.

Qu. My horse leans on the bit and gets heavier on my hands the more I ride him?
Ans. This problem seems to go hand in hand with a horse whose first cheek teeth are overgrown and he has developed hooks or ramps to his first upper or lower cheek teeth. This problem can be eased by putting bit seats* on the first cheek thus not giving the horse the ability to lean on the bit with a bulk of tooth.

* Bit seating is a form of rounding the front of the first molar to create a softer smoother tooth for the skin to slide over.