QUESTIONS COMMONLY ASKED

Does treatment hurt my horse? The "nerve" in horse teeth lies much deeper than in human teeth. Examination procedures, the use of equipment such as the dental speculum, and floating the teeth do not normally give the horse pain.

How do you get the horse to let you put your arm or the dental instruments in his mouth? The competent professional equine dentist has sufficient horsemanship to "talk" most horses into cooperating or even helping with the necessary procedures.

What is that contraption you're putting on his head? The dental speculum helps to keep the horse's mouth open so that the equine dentist can examine the horse's rear cheek teeth thoroughly and safely. When properly adjusted and used it does not hurt the horse.

Are there any procedures that might cause the horse discomfort? Yes -- extraction of teeth, adjustment of incisor length, and re-shaping of the cheek teeth to name three. Professional equine dentists avail themselves of pain-relieving medication and/or chemical restraint (anesthetic) when performing any procedure that is likely to frighten the horse or cause him discomfort.

Who administers pain medication? In most countries, a veterinarian or qualified technician administers injectable pain-relieving medication and/or chemical restraint.

The information and illustrations in this section are kindly provided by the Canadian Equine Dental Consultants and the American Equine Dental Consultants. For further information please visit their website - click here Canadian Equine Dental Consultants American Equine Dental Consultants Email: cedc@telusplanet.net Website: www.equinedental.com