Equine Dentistry at South Coast Equine Veterinary Practice, Meroo Meadow NSW

Gill is a member of the Equine Dental Vets – a world wide group of equine veterinarians who share a dedication to performing dentistry to horses with the same knowledge, care, equipment, skill and expertise as you would expect from your own dentist.

Dental disease causes pain and suffering for many horses. It is very common and often left untreated, or is treated incorrectly due to a lack of understanding, poor training or just ignorance.

Horses need at least an annual dental check up, those that are ridden and expected to perform at a high level should be seen twice yearly. Our beloved geriatrics also need regular visits, as their teeth deteriorate many develop infections which lead to nasal discharge, foul smelling breath, weight loss and colic.

A typical dental appointment involves an external assessment of the horses head, then following sedation, the application of a mouth gag allowing access to the horses mouth.
A very bright light allows visualisation of the interior and this combined with a mirror means a thorough examination can be performed.
Based on the findings the teeth are generally floated with a power tool, if there are wolf teeth present they can be removed after local anaesthetic is infused around them (just like you get, because yes, there are nerves in horses teeth, and it really hurts to pull them out without local).
Periodontal disease is assessed and treatment options discussed. Just like anything with horses there will be some cases that need referral to a specialist equine dental vet and fortunately we can organise this.