November 2004

Dentistry Is Full Of Aches And Pains

As equine dentistry expands its repertoire of procedures, so does the debate about whether they’re really beneficial.

It’s important to understand when a speculum is truly needed.

The sophistication of pet dental care is on a par with human dentistry in some practices and universities, but equine dentistry is just beginning to dabble with new procedures and equipment. Although dentistry is recognized by the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA) as a specialty, residencies and certification programs remain geared toward small animals.

Veterinary-school curriculums teach basic anatomy and physiology but usually not much beyond the rudiments of how to float teeth. Technically, only veterinarians are supposed to care for teeth, although there are many lay dentists out there. …