Dale Jeffrey of the Academy of Equine Dentistry in Glenns Ferry, Idaho, and Larry Moriarity of the International Association of Equine Dentistry in Vero Beach, FL, have also been instrumental in the dissemination of in-depth practical knowledge in equine dental care for the past 20 to 30 years.

      Jeffrey, who wrote Oral Biomechanics and Dental Equilibration in Equidae, which he self-published in 1998, concurs with Baker. In his book he wrote: “Unfortunately, normal mouths are uncommon among domestic horses.”

      More horse owners are realizing that the old “two floats and a bucket, no speculum, no sedation, no dental-chart, no light-source, no power-equipment, 10 minute” method of “veterinary float job” does not provide adequately for preventative dental care. Unfortunately many current veterinary practitioners were taught this less-detailed version of floating and are lagging behind many non-veterinary equine dental practitioners. In this situation, horse owners are too-often faced with attempting to acquire services from a non-veterinary practitioner and meet with some very unyielding obstacles. For example, most states require a non-veterinary “lay dentist” to be under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian, but many veterinarians refuse to be present during the dental exam due to liability issues. Also, horse owners may have chosen an incompetent non-veterinary lay dentist. Unfortunately, there is no certification program for equine dentistry available through professional veterinary organizations. The law is on the side of veterinary practitioners, who are the only individuals who can legally provide the service, but many are not capable of doing so. Meanwhile, some equine practitioners use well-trained non-veterinary lay dentists, adding the availability of thorough equine dentistry to their list of services without having to physically provide the services themselves. This can be a beneficial arrangement for the veterinarian, the client and the technician.

      Competent lay dentists working with veterinarians will help build their practices by working with them to provide the latest in dental care for their clients and patients. They will stay up to date by taking continuing education opportunities such as attending the annual International Association of Equine Dentistry Conference. Their expertise will help veterinarians provide for the overall healthcare of their client’s horses.

Lay Dentists: How They Affect Client’ Views

      The competent lay dentists working separately from veterinarians will make clients hesitant to admit they have sought outside sources of professional assistance. Clients’ horses will still be receiving good dental care, but veterinarians will not have been a contributing factor in the process of providing that care. On those (increasingly frequent) occasions when a client sees the work of a competent lay dentist, they notice that 1) The horse’s mouth is thoroughly examined, both visually and tactilely, and charted, and the results of the exam are written down thoroughly on a dental chart; 2) the log, sharp canines, as well as the squared-off corners of the first cheek teeth of adult horses, are sculpted into a comfortable radius; and 3) the process required more time and effort than their veterinarian has been expending. This may make the client wonder about their veterinarian’s ability in other aspects of horse care.