Myth #3

I was told by my vet that my horses did not need to have their teeth looked at until they were about 20.

This is a huge misunderstanding.  By the time a horse is 20, it's dentition (teeth) have gone through such dramatic changes due to attrition, wear patterns and eruption patters that most horses end up having to have corrective dentistry to correct major to severe abnormalities.  They usually have established periodontal disease, have loose teeth, fractured teeth, limited lateral, anterior and posterior movement, may have had health problems such as colic, choking, weight loss, nutritional defeciencies and or performance problems.

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 dentist, not a veterinarian, cost money.  The amount of the cost depends on what type of dentistry is needed, mileage and sedation charges and the certification status of the dentist.  The more experience, education and higher certification levels a dentist has, the more they charge.

Due to input from clientel 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 Dentist can do for 1/2 the price.  This is absolutely not true 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 barganing mentality should play no role in providing the best healthcare services for your horses whether it be for dentistry, chiropractic, veterinary and or farrier services. 

When using a Certified Equine Dentists, and depending on whether the dentist is certified as a basic practitioner, advanced practitioner or master practitioner, the horse owner can expect to pay the following.

Basic Dentistry - $85.00 - $125.00 (depending on the dentist, this price range may or may not include sedation and or mileage charges)

Performance Dentistry - $125.00 - $150.00 (depending on the dentist, this price range may or may not include sedation and or mileage charges)

Advanced Dentistry - $150.00 - $250.00 (depending on the dentist, this price range may or may not include sedation and mileage charges)

Corrective Dentistry - $250.00 - $400.00 (depending on the dentist, this price range may or may not include sedation and mileage charges)

**For advanced to corrective dentistry, the initial visit is the most expensive. Once the work has been done to start the correction process, horses are put on a maintenance dentistry schedule that usually cost the same as basic dentistry**

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 xrays.

Most equine dentists do not quote over the phone and do not work off of a set fee schedule because every horse is different and they have no ideal what the true condition of the horse's mouth is in until they have had a chance to exam it.  Once the dentist has had a chance to exam the horse, the best course of treatment and pricing is usually gone over at that time. 

Cost comparison:

Most Certified Farriers charge anywhere from $85.00 - $100.00 to shoe a horse.  This does not include any type of corrective farrier work.  Horses get reshod 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 someone is paying $85.00, then they end up paying aprx. $700.00 per horse, per year for farrier service.  If someone is paying $100.00, the they end up paying aprx. $833.00 per horse, per year.

Basic dental care for horses that have rountinely been seen by a certified equine dentist and started on a early dental program when they are young, usually runs between $85.00 - $125.00 twice a year.  At $85.00 twice a year that would be $170.00. At $125.00 twice a year that would be $250.00.

The mouth of a horse is where everything begins. Health, wellbeing, longevity and performance can all be adversely affected due to lack of proper dental care and it still amazes me that horse owners would rather pay more in farrier care than pay the minimal amount it takes twice a year to insure the health of their horse.