Routine Dentistry

Equine dentistry has progressed significantly over the past decade and we now know much more about equine dental disease and the best ways to prevent and treat it.

At Severn Edge Equine we offer a range of routine and advanced dental services, carried out by fully qualified, experienced veterinary surgeons. Our team of vets are equipped with modern hand tools and power tools for the correction of larger dental overgrowths.

Services Offered:

Sedation
Routine dentistry/rasping
Diastema treatment
Dental/head radiography
Tooth extractions
Abscesses
Fractured teeth
Sinusitis

Why is Dentistry Required?

Horses have evolved teeth which erupt continually throughout their lives. Modern diets, management and the requirement to wear tack and bits add to the challenges a horse would face in the wild. All horses will develop sharp enamel points on their teeth which require rasping to avoid discomfort during eating or when they wear a bit. Some horses have teeth which don’t wear down evenly and need additional rasping to prevent overgrowth

How Often Should A Horses Teeth Be Checked?

The majority of horses should have their teeth checked at least once per year. Young horse’s teeth are softer and erupt faster so get sharp extremely quickly. You should have these checked every six months. If your horse is quidding (dropping food) there are several common reasons for this so call us to arrange a dental examination. Old horses or those with known problems will often need checking six months or more.

Did you know that studies have shown dental disease to be present in over 50% of horses?

Dental problems lead to pain, weight loss, poor-performance, behavioural problems and illnesses such as colic and infection.

Signs of Dental Problems

Even in horses with moderately severe mouth lacerations and dental disease, the desire to eat will be maintained and the problems may not be obvious without a full dental examination. Signs of dental problems include:

Dropping food (quidding)
Weight loss
Bad odour
Bitting problems or evasion head tilt or shaking
Facial swelling / nasal discharge
Colic or choke

A fully qualified veterinary surgeon will always be your best option for dental work, as we are able to sedate horses to facilitate better examination and rasping of fractious horses. We can also administer anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics if needed. However, if you decide to use the services of an Equine Dental Technician, legislation requires they must have qualified in the UK by taking the BAEDT examination to use power tools or extract teeth. If you have any queries please call our office team on 01584 841080.