NTED -Pricing
This is another area that seems to be causing alot of confusion and concern throughout the equine community and it is time for people to realize that proper dental care by a certified equine dental practitioner, cost money. The cost is based upon findings during the dental exam of which, determines the dentistry needs of each individual horse, mileage, sedation, etc. The knowledge, education and experience level of the practitioner can also play a role in the expense.
Due to input from clients and other concerned horse owners, it seems that most of the confusion is coming from veterinarians and people who call themselves "equine dentists" but have never stepped foot into an equine dentistry school. These individuals are running around telling horse owners that they can do the same thing that a Certified Equine Dental Practitioner can do for much cheaper. This is absolutely not true! First and foremost, he/she would not have the same education, experience, skill and knowledge that a certified equine dental practitioner would have and for horse owners who believe this, they are doing an extreme disservice to themselves and their horses not to mention running a hire risk of harm being done to the horse and inadequate care being provided.
The Wal-Mart, cheap and bargaining mentality should play no role in providing the best health-care services for your horses whether it be for dentistry, chiropractic, veterinary and or farrier services. Part of being a responsible horse owner is the expense of their health care.
As with human dentistry, there is no way your dentist will know what a procedure will cost until you have been examined. The same goes for equine dentistry. Most certified dental practitioners will not quote over the phone and do not work off of a set fee because first and foremost, he/she has not had a chance to examine your horse so, will not have a clue as to what dental care is needed and the cost involved. As with humans, each horse presents a different set of dental problems and will require different approaches to their dentistry needs.When using a Certified Equine Dental Practitioner for the first time and depending on whether the practitioner is certified as a basic practitioner, advanced practitioner or master practitioner, the horse owner can expect to pay the following.
****The following is based on averages that practitioners are charging for new patient, first time visits*****The first visit is usually the most expensive and takes the most time******Subsequent, routine dental visits are usually much less, take less time and usually fall into the routine dentistry catagory*****
Routine Dentistry - $135.00 - $180.00 (This price range ONLY pertains to horses that have been routinely seen by their certified equine dental practitioner, and usually does NOT include the farm call charges.)
If you are switching from a veterinarian or floater to using a certified equine dental practitioner, expect your horse to fall into one of the following new patient categories.
**THE FOLLOWING IS FOR ALL NEW PATIENTS**
New Patient Basic/Performance Dentistry - $180.00 - $250.00 (depending on the dentist, this price range usually includes the exam/charting/dental work and sedation but NOT the farm call charges)
New Patient Advanced Dentistry - $250.00 - $355.00 (depending on the dentist, this price range usually includes the exam/charting/dental work and sedation but NOT the farm call charges)
New Patient Restorative Dentistry - $355.00 - $475.00 (depending on the dentist, this price range usually includes the exam/charting/dental work and sedation but NOT the farm call charges)
Intra-Oral Molar and Incisor Extractions - Pricing for these services truly depend upon the condition of the tooth; i.e. diseased, impacted, abscessed, fractured, loose, how many teeth are needing to be extracted, the age of the horse, whether or not the extraction can be done in the field or needs to be performed by the equine dentist at a veterinary facility, antibiotics needed, the amount of sedation and x-rays.
Cost comparison:
Most certified farriers charge anywhere from $85.00 - $125.00 to shoe a horse. This does not include any type of corrective farrier work or misc. charges. Horses get trimmed and shod every 6 weeks on an average. There are 50 weeks in a year which divided by 6 equals 8.33 times a horse gets shod per year. So, if the horse owner is paying $85.00, then he/she ends up paying aprx. $700.00 per horse, per year for farrier service. If the horse owner is paying $125.00, then he/she ends up paying aprx. $1,041.00 per horse, per year.
Most certified natural hoof trimmers charge anywhere from $35.00 - $55.00, to trim, contour and balance the hoof of a horse. This does not include misc. charges. The trims are still done on average, at 6 week intervals. The cost comparison to dental care is as follows. At $35.00 a trim, the horse owner ends up paying aprx. $291.00 per horse, per year. At $55.00 per trim, the horse owner ends up paying aprx. $458.00 per horse, per year.
Horses do not eat with their feet. However, the condition and growth of the hoof can be adversely affected if a horse is having difficulty eating, masticating and processing the feed that it takes in.
Basic dental care for horses that have routinely been seen by their certified equine dentist and started on a early dental program when they are young, (around the age of 1-2 years) on average, usually runs between $135.00 - $150.00 twice a year. This does not include any type of advanced, corrective dental work or misc. charges. At $135.00 twice a year the cost would be aprx. $270.00 per horse, per year. At $150.00 twice a year the cost would be aprx. $300.00 per horse, per year.
As you can see, on a yearly average, basic dental care if the horse is started young and kept on a regular dental schedule, is less expensive than farrier/natural trim work even though there is a great deal more involved with performing dental work for horses.
The mouth of a horse is where everything begins. Health, well-being, longevity, attitude, safety in riding and performance can all be adversely affected due to lack of proper dental care. Six month and yearly examines by a qualified equine dental practitioner will help to catch and eliminate dental problems that could adversely affect your horse and potentially create high dental and veterinary cost.