Q. What does “AED Certified” mean?

A. The AED (and IAED) certification process focusses almost exclusively on the equine mouth.  Head and Neck Anatomy is taught first, along with Biomechanics of chewing and swallowing.  Then, the individual must go through rigorous classroom, wet lab, and field training courses -- with a written and practical exam at the end of each session.  Think of it as passing a final exam in which you work on live horses. 

You must apply for, and be accepted to attempt certification.

If you don’t pass BOTH the written and practical exams, you are not certified.

Q. Is Equine Dental Equilibration expensive?

A. No.  As a matter of fact, if you are buying your own feed, having your horse’s mouth equilibrated, your feed savings will usually easily offset the cost of dental work.  If you consider that a typical riding horse gets new shoes every 6-8 weeks, equilibration cost is approximately 1x to 1.5x a single shoeing.  On an adult horse, this dental expense is typically only once a year.  Of course, all horses are different, and some require additional procedures.  These sometimes increase the total price of equilibration.  Sedation is a separate charge, and payable to the attending veterinarian.

Q. Does Equine Dental Equilibration require sedation?  If so, why?

A. Yes.  An attending veterinarian will be required to administer the sedation.  The typical equilibration session takes somewhere from 45 minutes to an hour.  The sedation allows the horse to be in a relaxed, low-stress state.  This is for the safety of both the horse and people.  Dental Practitioners usually are not veterinarians, but we specialize exclusively in maintaining the equine teeth.

Q. Will you sedate my horse instead of the veterinarian?

A. No.  (Please see above question.)

Q. What is Equine Dental Equilibration?

A. Equine Dental Equilibration is a process used to “equilibrate” or “balance” a horse’s mouth.  This means that special consideration is given to insure that the incisors, molars, and TMJs (temporo-mandibular joints) function together in harmony.  I order to properly equilibrate a horse’s mouth, the practitioner uses a high-power headlamp while carefully watching the amount of tooth being ground down.  This ensures that the molar table is all the same angle, and follows the correct curve of the jaw.

Q. Is Equine Dental Equilibration the same as “Hand-floating”?

A. No.  “Hand-floating” is a procedure that files down the molars using a type of manual rasp.  It is very difficult/impossible to work on individual portions of teeth.     Hand-floating frequently can miss the sharp points on the back teeth.  Also, many people that practice hand-floating do not address the incisors at all.  Even if the practitioner uses power instruments, if they aren’t looking at what they are grinding, it’s called “blind floating” and should not be considered dental equilibration.

Q. My horse is fat and happy.  Does he/she need Dental Equilibration?

A. Horses are very adaptable animals and will endure oral pain by changing their chewing patterns.  By avoiding the painful chewing positions, the teeth will begin to wear unevenly.  Eventually, this uneven wear pattern results in extreme pain, tooth, gum and eventually, periodontal disease.  The horse begins to lose weight and condition.  If let go too long, the horse’s lifespan and quality of life are considerably reduced.

Q. What are some of the benefits of Equine Dental Equilibration?

A. With routine equilibration, the horse will efficiently chew his food, and get the most nutrition possible.  His teeth will wear out more evenly, and last longer.

By removing sharp points, “wolf teeth” and forming “bitseats”, the discomfort and damage from a bit can be greatly reduced/eliminated.

The longer the horse’s teeth last, the longer the horse will live.  In the horse’s senior years, feed bills will be lower if he can grind his food efficiently.

Q. How often should my horse have Dental Equilibration?

A. It depends on the age and oral condition of the horse.  Younger horses go through many oral changes during the 1st five years of their lives.  As such, they should be checked every six months from their early weanling year.

Horses older than five years can usually get by with an annual checkup.

Horses with certain malocclusions will need to be seen more frequently.

Q. My young horse has large bumps under his jaw.  Is this an infection?

A. Young horses (2-3 or so), lose baby teeth “caps” at various ages.  As the permanent tooth beneath the baby tooth begins to erupt, it pushes the baby tooth out of the jaw.  The result of this pressure can create bumps “dental cysts” on the bottom of the jaw.  These are not truly “cysts”, and slowly disappear once the baby tooth is completely shed.  If the baby tooth is not shed (retained), complications can arise.  As a routine, youngsters between 2 and 5 should have dental exams every six months.