Dentistry

Routine dental care is an essential and important part of the primary healthcare of your horse, pony or donkey. All of our vets carry modern automated equipment to ensure a high standard of dental care for our patients. Andrew Walker has passed the BAEDT (British Association of Equine Dental Technicians) exams for equine dentistry.

Dental examinations and rasping may start as early as 1 to 2 years of age. Young horses form sharp points more quickly than adults, which can result in trauma to the cheeks and tongue. It is wise to make the mouth comfortable before starting to work a horse or pony, even if that is without a bit, as nose bands and other tack can press the cheek lining onto sharp dental points.

The frequency of dental examinations varies according to individual needs, occasionally more frequent examinations are necessary in younger and older animals. When horses gain a mature mouth (5 years old) usually annual visits are sufficient to keep the mouth comfortable and balanced, and to ensure that issues are picked up and treated appropriately. For horses with dental abnormalities such as overlong or displaced teeth, dental work may be required more frequently. When horses reach old age it is important not to be too aggressive when rasping. Thus management of old horses often simply involves checking for loose or obviously diseased teeth and gums and removing any sharp enamel points or edges. We will advise you on examination of your horse.

We sedate the majority of horses for teeth rasping to allow more thorough examination and treatment, while reducing any pain or stress to the horse and increasing safety for the horse, the vet and the handler. The cost of sedation is included in our standard price for dentistry. We are able to provide pain relief and local anaesthesia as required during dental work.