Dentistry

Equine dentistry has undergone tremendous changes in concepts, philosophies, and science in the previous 10 years and continues to grow and expand over the past knowledge of what was traditional dental care. Traditional dental care for horses over the previous generations has been to perform what has been termed "floating." Floating is basically rasping off the sharp edges and points which form from the chewing pattern on horses' teeth as a result of the bite pattern and angles of the teeth. It is now widely recognized that there are more dental problems that exist which affect not only the horse's ability to properly and effectively chew their food, but also in their ability to respond to the bit and rider during performance. Treatment of these dental disorders is performed by what is called "occlusal equilibration." Occlusal equilibration addresses common abnormalities such as waves, hooks, ramps and protuberant teeth.

The dental care provided by the staff at Peninsula Equine strives to meet and exceed, not only the existing standards, but also those standards that are evolving and changing by the small group of equine dental practitioners in the world who have endeavored to raise the standard of dental care in following the principles of the biomechanics of the physiology of mastication.

The fee schedule as set forth by Peninsula Equine is based on the presentation of the dental needs and dental history of the patient and the time of treatment. Charges are determined based on the treatment being an initial dental, 1 year dental, or 6 month dental. The fee includes the presence of the attending veterinarian as required by state laws, the fees for sedation, and the fees for the technician to perform the dental procedures. Travel fees are not included. There may be additional charges for procedures indicated such as extractions, periodontal treatment, or fillings. As an additional benefit, the procedures performed by the dental technician, under the direct supervision of the attending veterinarian, are covered under the liability policies of Peninsula Equine. Please feel free to contact us for further information.

Learn more about equine dentistry in our article library:

Do Look in Your Horse's Mouth - Proper dental care entails far more than simply "floating" the teeth. Article and illustrations by Barbara Chasteen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peninsula Equine Medical Center
(650) 854-3162 | peneq@yahoo.com
100 Ansel Lane, Menlo Park, CA 94028

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