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Frequently Asked Questions
ucas Equine Dentistry
Ph. 405-488-4008                        E-mail: horseteeth@windstream.net
Should I choose an Equine Dentist or a Veterinarian Who Does
Equine Dentistry, and what is the difference?

...Most vets don't mind doing it and will do an adequate job, but most
equine vets prefer not to float teeth, however, they will still lobby against
non-DVM equine dental specialists....obsurd!

.....There are many people who work with horses in a variety of fields, are
knowledgeable and do a good job. In regards to dentistry however, good hand floats
and an un-sedated horse, definitely LIMIT ones ability to do the best job. In any
discipline, experience, education, and/or the use of different equipment and methods
can make a major difference in the outcome of a job. Not only equipment, but
education has been much more specialized and intense to perform this level of equine
dentistry. I am a licensed veterinarian, yet 99% of the expertise that I now have in the
field of equine dentistry, I learned outside of veterinary school, in the ongoing pursuit
of equine dental continuing education......
The following quotes & points of view were gathered fr misc websites,
magazine articles and other media outlets.
What is the difference between power tools and hand floats?

...A graduate veterinarian has the license to practice medicine, surgery and dentistry in all
animal species. All of this training for all of these species of animals is done in four years. This
means that they've usually learned a little knowledge about a great deal of subjects, dentistry
included....
...As one veterinary dentist put it, "I believe that it is unrealistic to expect an equine
veterinarian to be an expert in all aspects of the field....

..In any discipline, experience, education, and/or the use of different equipment and
methods can make a major difference in the outcome of a job. Not only our
equipment, but my education has been much more specialized and intense to perform
this level of equine dentistry. I am a licensed veterinarian, yet 99% of the expertise
that I now have in the field of equine dentistry, I learned outside of veterinary school,
in the ongoing pursuit of equine dental continuing education. I continue to learn daily...
....The float is an outmoded way of doing thorough dental work, considering
the advances that have been made in recent years. But it was a way that
many equine practitioners used for many years and thought they were
doing a good job. A float job used manual floats and rasped back and forth
on the molars to take off some high points. The horse was unsedated and
usually tense from the apprehension of the procedure. The job was done in
10 minutes or less and no thought was given to the condition of the incisors
or their relative importance to molar occlusion. There was rarely the time
taken to do a good oral exam other than a quickie if possible. It was a
procedure that was usually done once a year.  Today, we practice
Advanced Equine Dentistry, we don't just float teeth anymore.  Our exams
follow human dentistry in completeness and treatment......
...A good equine dentist has extensive knowledge about the anatomy and
the capability of his/her tools in order to avoid any damage during the
floating process. The bottom line is that the degree of precision and the
speed with which corrections can be made using power instruments are far
superior to that of using only hand tools. The time required to make
significant corrections by hand is just not in the best interest of the horse
(mouth open too long, additional sedation, etc). It is up to the horse
owner to advocate for their horses and make sure that the equine dentist
comes highly recommended....

...The most innovative equine dental power instruments on the market
today were designed by non-veterinarian equine dentists and are used by
both....   

...Today, we practice Advanced Equine Dentistry, we don't just float teeth
anymore....

...many self-proclaimed Equine Dentists have NOT attended an Equine Dentistry School, but have
been "floating" teeth for years.  Most use ONLY hand floats and will do a great job (on the first 3 or 4
teeth).  Usually the back teeth are untouched and you can pretty much forget about TOTAL MOUTH
EQUILIBRATION.  Most don't know how to properly balance a horses mouth and sometimes end up
doing more harm than good.  Many horses will have waves, ramps, rims, hooks, cap fragments or
protruding teeth and some will need incisor adjustment in order to get the molars into occlusion.  
You simply have to use power instruments to get the job done right. Using only hand floats it's
virtually impossible and furthermore, it would take all day to do just one horse......
Why do horses need a dentist?
....In the wild, horses eat a wide variety of fodder, some of which contains
abrasive substances like silicates which wear down the teeth. When a horse
eats normally, grinding food between the back teeth, the abrasives wear the
teeth down, keeping them even and smooth. However, when a horse eats a
softer diet, like one containing a lot of alfalfa and grains, the teeth do not wear
evenly, and they can form sharp, painful points.  Floating (or "filing") teeth is
necessary at this point to eliminate the sharp edges.  Leaving a horses mouth
unattended can cause the animal to have severe pain while eating and other
significant problems, which the owner may or may not notice....

...In addition to trauma within the mouth, lack of wear of the incisors and other dental
problems often create painful physical problems throughout the horse's body. Jaw and
neck pain and stiffness may contribute to lameness or performance problems. A horse with
dental problems may be hard to turn in one or both directions, difficult to tie, resistant to
touch around the head and ears, and may evade or fight the bit. In short, horses who do not
receive complete dental care often suffer unnecessary health, behavior, and performance
problems. They may also experience shorter life spans.  To know what this experience is
like, place your top and bottom teeth together. In most cases, you will experience a gap
between the teeth in the back of your mouth. Imagine trying to get your food chewed
properly from this position....

...The range and severity of performance and attitude problems that can be traced to a horse's
incisor problems is truly astounding. ...

....Floating prevents soft tissue damage when soft tissue is trapped between teeth and bit
or bridle.  Proper shaping of the upper first and second cheek teeth prevents cheek
injury between the bit and attached leather and these teeth.  Shaping the lower first
cheek teeth stops soft tissue pinching as the bit moves back and forth in the mouth....

....The horse has a tremendous ability to compensate for dental problems because
they come on so slowly. It's not like one morning he wakes up and his teeth hurt - it
is a slow, insidious process. This is why most owners do not realize the horse is
having any problems....

...Unfortunately, the pain's physical and emotional effects on the horse extend beyond the
life of the actual tooth problem.  If a horse has been compensating for six to eight years by
holding his neck and jaw a certain way, it may take months to relax.   The memory of pain
lasts much longer than the pain itself.  It is especially important to check the teeth on a
young horse before they start in training.  They can have sharp points, wolf teeth, and caps
on their teeth which can make them start their career in pain and compensating for
problems.  It's a tragedy which will persist for the rest of that horse's life.......

...Start your horse's dental maintenance by age 2 and continue regular
check-ups for the rest of his life, at least once per year.  Younger horses, age
2-5, should have a check-up every 6 months. ...

CAPS
....Unlike human teeth, horses have hypsodont teeth.  Human teeth remain the
same throughout life.  Equine teeth continue to grow and wear down until the
tooth eventually wears out (by age 30).  From 2-4 years of age,  horses shed
caps or "lose their baby teeth" every 6 months.  During this time a horse sheds
24 teeth. Most of the time the caps will loosen and come out on their own, but
sometimes the caps need to be removed in order to prevent dental cysts and
other problems....

WOLF TEETH
....A wolf tooth is a remnant of a pre-molar, which can be found on both the maxilla (upper
jaw) and sometimes the mandible (lower jaw).  Wolf teeth should be extracted  because
they can cause pain and can fracture when the bit hits them.  Wolf teeth have little to no
root system and are fairly easily removed.  Some horses have one or more and some horses
may have none.  The fact that wolf tooth extraction is so common causes some to think we
are finally breeding this tooth out of them.....  

BITSEATS
....Bitseats are the re-shaping of both the upper and lower first cheek teeth. When your
horse has a bit in place, the tongue and cheeks move around as pressure is applied to
the reins. The smooth curved surface of a bitseat reduces the likeliness of discomfort
when the soft tissue is pressed against the teeth.  If you plan to ride your horse, he
needs bitseats....
To Sedate or Not to Sedate?

....Light sedation (standing) is recommended in order to keep the horse comfortable
and unstressed.  It will also keep his jaw muscles and TMJ relaxed. It allows your equine
dentist the time and the opportunity to do a total, thorough exam and treatment.  The
effects do not last all day and your horse can be turned-out or transported soon after
the procedure is finished...

...It is up to the horse owner to decide what is best for his/her horse....

...Sedation needs to be administered when extracting wolf teeth.
 This is a very simple procedure and is very easy for a trained
professional to do.  It only takes a second, but can be painful
if sedation is not administered....

...Licensed veterinarians and qualified individuals working under veterinarians are able to
administer injections.....
Does Floating Hurt and What Should I Expect Afterward?

...No, the actual "floating" process does not hurt.  Horses teeth
have no nerve endings and there is no pain involved in the actual
process.  However, some horses may be a little sore in the jaw after
the process, and more so if they needed a significant amount of
work. It is not cause for concern if your horse doesn't resume
normal eating habits immediately after floating. It can take a day
or so for the soreness to subside.  Most horses will have little to
no soreness and the owner will see an instant change in his
behavior.....    

...Horses who have had significant dental malalignment can become very sore in the jaw after
floating. The temporal mandibular joint, ligaments and support muscles will have adjusted to
perhaps years of operating in an unnatural position. When the bite is corrected, the joint should
return to a normal position in its socket which can temporarily cause a strain and pain to modified
tissues. The horse may have difficulty chewing and grinding his food, in which case appropriate
doses of phenobutezol (bute) should be administered and the horse supplemented with ground
feed until the joint stabilizes and the pain subsides. The discomfort is not usually indicative of
improper dental work and should subside in a few days.  The horse will benefit overall from
improved dental (chewing) function....
POWER INSTRUMENTS
Below is a photo of our set-up.  If
your Equine Dentist shows up with
only a bucket and a couple of hand
floats you can pretty much
guarantee his work is inadequate.  .  
At Lucas Equine Dentistry, we use
ONLY hand and power instruments
by CAPPS. We DO NOT use pneumatic
tools, which are considered a
"no-no" at Equine Dentistry School.  
We included this photo on our site
so you have a better idea of what
modern POWER TOOLS really are.  
Our power instruments are operated
by a small foot pedal, which runs a
dremmel-type motor.  It's  quiet and
small, and when used by trained
professionals, the results are
unsurpassed.  We, like many,  used
to think that using only hand floats
was the best way to get the job
done....but after utilizing modern
power instrument's we see a huge
difference.  It's just not possible to
do a completely thorough job using
only hand floats.  Power instruments
are well worth the financial
investment for any equine dentist.  
The results are phenomenal!  We
love helping horses and wouldn't
recommend doing it any other way.  
......a non-veterinarian dentist is often far above that of a veterinarian. These dental practitioners
provide high-quality service and should be allowed to continue to do so.....
....The rights of owners to choose the best care and the rights of equine dentists to practice are
important ("Horse dentists, owners to file suit in protest of equine dental law," Aug. 29).  The
problem is not allowing an educated equine dentist the right to practice. The problem is
certification. I do the research and choose what is best for my horses, myself and my children.
Many vets are not as qualified as an equine dentist, and remember, the latest innovations,
tools and research in equine dentistry are credited to equine dentists - not vets. The most
comprehensive equine dental books are also written by the equine dentists - not the vets.  The
Texas Veterinary Board is in an uproar over a loss of business more than concern for horse or
horse owners. Look at Texas A&M's vet school - it's weak in dentistry.....

...Let's get a comprehensive certification program for those who wish to perform equine
dentistry and call it good. The public will weed out the weak ones, whether they are vets or
equine dentists, just as the public does with doctors, lawyers, dentists, chiropractors, etc. In
any profession there are the good and the bad. Just do not outlaw the equine dentists. We
need them!...