Vets as dentists?

Paint it Lucky

Paint it Lucky

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 March 2007
Messages
3,587
Location
Surrey
Visit site
Hope this isn't a silly post!

My horse is due his teeth doing, he is also due his flu and tet jab. Would it be worth getting vet to do horse's teeth at the same time as jabs (to save money on callouts!) Or will vet charge me an extortionate price for doing teeth and would it be better therefore to just have vet do jabs and then get a dentist to come and do horses teeth seperately?

Sorry if this is confusing, basically which is less expensive?
 
It will probably be cheaper to get the vet to do the lot but I wouldn't recommend it; vets are often cr*p at doing teeth
frown.gif
 
I've always had vet do mines teeth, he is very thorough and does a good job. Charges £50 with sedation and got them done when jabs were due to save on another callout charge.
smile.gif
 
I agree. Earlier this year as my dentist broke his arm I got the vet to do my 5 year old. When the dentist was better he came out to check and I don't think the vet had managed to reach the back so dentist still had alot of work to do!
 
im sorry but i have to agree

i dont think that vets are up to the job. i love my EDT she is fantastic and i was told by my vet he needed no work done, and the EDT said that he needed to have corrective work done (ive only had him 3 months so this is not down to me) and would have to be sedated for it.... so i would say get a dentist
x
 
Ziggy - Thats a rather sweeping statement, Vets are trained to do teeth, and New grads are all offered the chance to enhance thier skills, by attending BEVA dentisty courses. Vet practices often don't have the same range of equipment that an Equine dentist may carry. I think personally you need to use which ever service/person you are confident in, Vet or Equine dentist. Both professions are equally good at the job its just some individuals have differing levels of skill.
grin.gif
 
Vets get a small amount of dental training. Dentists train exclusively for several years just to do teeth.

I have a great deal of respect for vets (my grandfather, himself a chief medical officer, said that they were the best Drs), but they have to cover all aspects of umpteen species.
 
You would need to make sure the vet has done the course in dentistry- or conversely that your dentist is qualified to use sedatives if your horse will need them... so often people have problems that go both ways!
 
I had 5 star vetting done in sept had teeth checked by vet all ok.Decided to let dentist have a look and she needed a lot of work done .I am of the opinion that if you had tooth ache would you go to doctors.Vets have training but not the same as equine dentist.
 
Have been told to never have horse’s teeth done by a vet as they have such little training in it.
When we had Calli's wolf teeth removed we had a vet who was also a trained dentist so she was able to sedate (for my mum’s sake not the horse: wink: ) and also do a really nice job with Calli. She was quite expensive but worth it.
 
[ QUOTE ]
You would need to make sure the vet has done the course in dentistry- or conversely that your dentist is qualified to use sedatives if your horse will need them... so often people have problems that go both ways!

[/ QUOTE ]

Your dentist will never be qualified to administer sedatives, as only a vet can do this, so if your horse needs sedation it is often cheaper to get the vet to do it all.

I am ablout to qualify as a vet and I personally think it's down to personal preference. As vets we are trained to do teeth, obviously, but as people have said an EDT trains exclusively with teeth.

Having used EDTs, we have now gone back to using the vet, as ours are very thorough. The EDTs we have used were disappointing (and I'm not being biased here because of my profession!)- one was very rough with our mare and another took what I have now learnt to be an unacceptable amount of tooth off my gelding with a power float.

There are obviously good and bad of each, if using a dentist please make sure they have the BAEDT qualification (which some vets also hold) because you can legally set yourself up as an "equine dentist" with no qualifications
blush.gif
 
Please don't assume all equine dentists have years of training! There are some very good very competent ones out there who have professional training and accreditation but there are also plenty of cowboys who do more harm than good. Just because they have fancy motorised kit does not necessarily make them an expert - you can do a hell of a lot of damage in a very short time with an electric rasp.

The regulation of dentistry is very wooly at present so do your homework and get plenty of opinions before you choose one! And - not all vets are crap at dentistry!
 
Vet from big practice (big veterinary hospital) vetted horse and said teeth were fine. Had EDT out and he had hooks and ramps which he then had to be sedated for (by vet) and drilled off by EDT....

So my vote would be for EDT.
 
I love my vet, she is blooming fab, but I wouldn't let her near my horse's teeth. My fully qualified and very experienced EDT is the only one I let have the privelege of sticking his hands between her gnashers... and I wouldn't change EDT unless I REALLY REALLY had to! He is nigh-on impossible to get a booking with as he's so popular - that speaks volumes to me about how good he is, and about how more and more people are recognising the value of a good EDT.
 
As far as I know, all the vets at my practice have also done an EDT course (these DO NOT take 'several years'!) and, as they know my horses inside out, I'm more than happy to let them do their teeth
 
My vet is from an equine practice so they only deal with horses. She does my horses teeth when I have her jabs done too. Never had a problem with her teeth. Many on my yard had the same done.
 
[ QUOTE ]
As far as I know, all the vets at my practice have also done an EDT course (these DO NOT take 'several years'!) and, as they know my horses inside out, I'm more than happy to let them do their teeth

[/ QUOTE ]
That's like saying "This guy did the 2-day overview course on nuclear reactor operation, he will be fine running Chernobyl unsupervised."
 
[ QUOTE ]
Surely better to have someone who's done a 2 day course than someone who's not necessarily done one at all?

[/ QUOTE ]
Where did I suggest using a complete amateur?
 
After the recently qualified vet who rasped my very well-behaved cob's tongue and made it bleed (fortunately no power tools, hate to think what might have happened)
frown.gif
I'd go for a properly qualified, experienced, recommended EDT.
 
My vet is exclusively an equine vet. He is a qualified equine dentist ... and he is absolutely amazing at doing teeth! By FAR the best person I have ever had do my horses teeth.
 
My vet practice are superb at teeth. They have extra training and always do a good job. My horses need sedating so would need the vet too. My mare needed lots of work done when I got her. She has 2x yearly teeth visits now. One day I had the vet out doing teeth and jabs and someone else in the yard had EDT out doing her horses teeth. The EDT broke one of her horses teeth and she had to 'borrow' the vet to sedate, give antibiotics and fill the tooth.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top