My horse is due for a routine dental checkup. Who should I contact about this?

There are an ever increasing number of people offering equine dental services. Whilst some are very experienced and skilled, others have limited knowledge or training. In the first instance you should contact your usual veterinary surgeon, who should be able to advise you on local services that are available. If you wish to use the services of an equine dental technician, check out his/her credentials. Many technicians have gained training and certification abroad. The level and standard of this is incredibly varied. Most technicians who are working to the highest standards, have been examined by the British Equine Veterinary Association and British Veterinary Dental Association. Having passed this examination, they are eligible to join the British Association of Equine Dental Technicians (BAEDT). BAEDT members work to the highest possible standards, maintain a commitment to continuing professional development, are bound by a code of conduct and carry the appropriate medical malpractice insurance. Details of members can be found at the BAEDT website

My veterinary surgeon offers equine dental services but I have been told that having a vet for equine dental care is like going to your GP for a filling.

Contrary to popular belief, a large amount of a veterinary surgeon’s training is relevant to the field of equine dentistry. Most veterinary schools have recognised equine dental care as an important area and have put in place the appropriate tuition and research. Many equine veterinary surgeons have sought extra tuition and training in this discipline and are well equipped and experienced to offer a complete equine dental care service.
An important point to note is that should a sedative be required for your horse to receive dental care, this can only be provided by a registered veterinary surgeon. Equine dental technicians are breaking the law if they administer sedatives or other drugs, and due to lack of appropriate training (and insurance cover) this may have serious untoward consequences for your horse. If you are concerned that a technician is sedating horses, then please contact the British Equine Veterinary Association.

My veterinary surgeon/equine dental technician wants to use motorised equipment to perform dentistry on my horse. I am worried about this.

Motorised dental instruments can be very useful in dental care of the horse. It allows very precise removal of overgrowths compared with manual equipment and when used appropriately is preferable.
However, the potential for incorrect removal of tooth material and damage to soft tissues means that the patient (your horse) needs to be restrained adequately with a sedative. The use of motorised instruments in unsedated patients is risky, and can result in serious damage that cannot be corrected. Motorised instruments can also cause thermal trauma to teeth, and therefore it is recommended that the equipment used is water cooled.
Use of motorised instruments requires a great deal of skill and experience. You should seek a veterinary surgeon or BAEDT member if this type of work is required

I would like Bell Equine to sedate for my Equine Dental Technician. How should I do this?

SEDATION FOR EQUINE DENTAL TECHNICIANS: As a practice we receive many requests for us to attend client’s horses to provide sedation for dentistry carried out by Equine Dental Technicians. Whilst we are more often than not very happy to attend, there have been a number of concerns that have arisen over the past year which have led us to look in to how we might improve this service.

If you wish us to provide sedation for another examined equine dental technician who is not listed above then please contact us to discuss this further.

We are able to provide sedation for examined EDT’s for the following procedures:

• Examination of teeth;
• Routine rasping (excluding power rasping);
• Removal of sharp enamel points, small dental overgrowths such as hooks and spurs;
• Bit seat shaping;
• Removal of loose deciduous caps
• Removal of supragingival calculus.
• Examination, evaluation and recording of dental abnormalities.
• The removal of teeth which are digitally extractable without the use of instruments.
• The removal of erupted, non-displaced wolf teeth in the upper or lower jaw under direct and continuous veterinary supervision.
• Palliative rasping of fractured and adjacent teeth.
• The use of motorised dental instruments where these are used to reduce overgrowths and remove sharp enamel points only.

If your horse requires treatment beyond the above list, such as extraction of teeth, treatment of periodontal disease, treatment of decay, and endodontic procedures including pulp capping, we will be happy to discuss this with you and your equine dental technician. Rob Pascoe MRCVS, one of our veterinary team, has experience in these procedures and has the equipment available to carry out the complex work up and treatment these cases require. These can be done on a referral basis for our clients with your regular equine dental technician.

Finally, in order to better implement all of the above we have introduced a booking procedure so that we can make best use of our time and therefore keep our costs to you to a minimum. We ask that your equine dental technician supplies us, using the booking form, details of the work proposed. This will ensure that we are fully aware of the procedures being performed and can timetable appropriately. 

These bookings can be made by contacting our reception on 01622 813700 or via email at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it