Why is equine dentistry such a hot topic in horse health today?
I think that’s fueled by the growing interest of horse owners and veterinarians. People now recognize that dental pathology is there, it’s not going away, and it needs to be addressed. In turn, veterinarians are gaining the owner’s acceptance for the need to sedate a horse and do a thorough oral evaluation with a full mouth speculum. Now, it’s just not enough to pull the tongue to the side and take a quick look anymore: people now appreciate why it’s just as important to examine the horse’s mouth as it is to examine any other part of its body. Q. What’s the most significant change that you’ve seen in equine dentistry during the past decade? The biggest change is that veterinarians are now taking a real good look in the horse’s mouth: they’re conducting oral examinations and recognizing what’s normal and reporting what’s abnormal. Simple things like having more specialized equipment available for equine dentistry have made that possible: besides the traditional full mouth speculum, we n
