Equine Dentistry Meets Human Dentistry
Posted by Geoff Tucker on Fri, Aug 14, 2009
The opinions and views of this blog is for information and entertainment only and should not be used as a substitute for seeking advice from your veterinarian about your horse and your situation. Specific advice may only be given after a valid veterinary - client - patient relationship is made.
As an equine dentist, I get to see beautiful places and meet wonderful people. Not all are horse owners either. My hat or the signage on the truck often attracts people. This morning in the hotel parking lot on a glorious 68 degree cloudless day, a man strode over to the black Cadillac parked next to me. He says "My wife and I noticed your sign last night - Equine Dentistry and no power tools. I was hoping to meet you because I am a human dentist."
I told him that we pretty much had nothing in common. He asked why. First of all, anatomically, there are few comparisons. The horse takes the materials of the tooth and puts it together in a completely different way than a human tooth. Secondly, the tooth continues to erupt throughout the horse's life replacing worn off tooth. Finally, in equine dental care, I rasp off the excess tooth to prevent pain in the horse's mouth. If I rasped off human enamel, their tooth would be painful and become infected.
"What about decay?" he asks. I reply, "It occurs but mostly it is self limiting." I add that when the sharp edges are removed, the tongue can move freely to clean and stimulate the teeth making them healthy.
"Extractions? he asks, trying to find something similar. I say "yes, but it is very rare."
"Root canals?" I reply that there are some new age equine dentists playing on the fears and beliefs horse owners have about human dentists and dentistry. They make false claims based on poor scientific studies, then add that the old equine dentists don't know what they are doing.
So I ask this human dentist of 40 years what he would think if another dentist pushed him aside saying your stuff is old and doesn't work. Then he proceeds to over sedate his patient, brace the head and hang it from the ceiling, jack the mouth open for an hour, and use some new laser guided instrument? How would you feel?
He replied "Mad as hell!"
Who Is Your Horse's Advocate?™
And that's how my day of Equine Dentistry Without Drama™ started. Geoff
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