How long does it take?

Each horse takes in the region of 45 minutes to an hour to do properly, though it can often take a little longer, the first time I see the horse. 

How often should my horse be checked?

Most horses will need dental treatment every 6 months to a year, depending on the individual horse.

Why do horses need their teeth checked by an Equine Dental Technician, when wild horses cope without it?

Breeding – Over several thousand years we have been selectively breeding the horse for attractive traits such as speed or ability to jump.  What we have not done however, is to selectively breed horses to have good dentition and so, unlike the wild horse, there is no survival of the fittest.  Horses that would not be able to survive in the wild are used to breed and so we have actually bred dental problems into the horse.

Feeding- The teeth of the horse are also anisognathic in nature, which means that the mandibular teeth are narrower than the maxillary teeth. The horse eats on one side of its mouth at a time in the following motion.  The lower jaw drops down and out to the side.  It then moves up, crushing the food between the teeth and finally moves back to the start point, grinding the food between the teeth. Sharp enamel spikes develop on the outside edges of the upper teeth and the inside edges of the lower teeth when the horse does not move its lower jaw far enough to the side and these areas of the teeth are not worn down.  It has been proven that there is less lateral movement of the lower jaw when the horse is fed concentrates and this causes the enamel overgrowths to develop much more quickly. We sometimes our horses in high mangers or hay nets and so the horse will be eating with its head in an unnatural position with the lower jaw slid backwards.  This causes the front of the upper rows of cheek teeth and the back of the lower rows of cheek teeth to receive insufficient wear and these areas can become protuberant, forming hooks or ramps.

We ride our horses - It is essential that the rostro-caudal (forward and back) movement of the mandible is not limited by overgrowths.  Normally, the mandible should slide forwards as the horse lowers its head and back when it raises its head.  Any overgrowth such as hooks on the first upper cheek teeth or on the last lower cheek teeth will inhibit this movement and the horse will often open its mouth to allow its mandible to slide forwards. Unfortunately, this is often seen as a sign of evasion and commonly the horse will be forced to keep its mouth shut by use of a tight noseband and it is possible that this can cause pain in the tempero-mandibular joint, the neck and the back.

Wolf teeth can also cause problems in the ridden horse as they are situated in front of the first cheek teeth, in the same area as the bit. They are not present in all horses and are often lost when the first permanent cheek tooth erupts. There is considerable debate over whether wolf teeth should be removed, and some certainly do not cause a problem and may not need to be removed.  In certain cases though, such as when the tooth is displaced, very sharp, broken, blind or on the lower jaw, they will usually need to be extracted.

Longevity - The domestic horse lives much longer than its wild ancestors and so its teeth must also last much longer. 

Are all Equine Dental Technicians Qualified?

No, in fact most of the people currently working in the UK are not qualified as the law currently allows anyone to advertise as an Equine Dental Technician, irrespective of whether they have any training or qualifications.

How do I find a qualified Equine Dental Technician?

It can be difficult to know who is qualified as many practitioners have misleading adverts.  The use of EqDT is meaningless and letters are often written after names that are simply associations that anyone can join for a fee.

There are only three organisations that offer a qualification recognised by Defra.  The first is The British Association of Equine Dental Technicians (BAEDT).  All of the people who are members of this organisation have passed the joint British Equine Veterinary Association & British Veterinary Dental Association exam.  The other two organisations recognised by Defra are the Worldwide Association of Equine Dentistry and the International Association of Equine Dentistry.  Anyone can join these organisations, qualified or not and the only people who have passed any exams are certified members of these associations.  The only organisation currently recognised by the British Equine Veterinary Association is the BAEDT. 

What do you have to do to qualify to join the BAEDT?

1.         The candidate must attend a 2 day Advanced Theory Course, and to do this, a CV and 2 veterinary references are required. A year after this course, the candidate will be eligible to sit the exam.

2.         At least 300 Case Studies must be submitted to the examiners, including at least 40 where advanced procedures were undertaken and these must have been signed by the attending vet.

3.         The candidate then has to work for a period of time with a qualified Equine Dental Technician.  This person must then give them a reference and will also be asked independently whether they think the candidate has a good chance of passing the exam.

4.         The examiners then hold a meeting where the documentation of each candidate is assessed to see that it is of the required standard.  Successful candidates will then be offered a place on the exam.

5.         The exam itself consists of three parts

 a. Theory – 2 papers covering anatomy, physiology, microbiology, prevention of disease, legislation, dental anatomy, dental disorders and treatment.

b. 2 Spot Examinations - The first one covering equine dental instruments, anatomical specimens, dental photographs, dental specimens and skulls.  The second one consists of examining three skulls and charting dental abnormalities.

c.  Practical – A 1 hour examination performed in front of two examiners looking at the general handling of the horse, the case history, examination techniques and findings, interpretation of findings and the rationale for treatment and of course the actual skill in treatment.

6.         Only about 25% of those sitting the exam are successful.