• Horse’s teeth grow continually throughout life (HYPSODONT)
• Narrower bottom jaw/offset premolars and molars lead to development of sharp points, hooks, ramps, etc. which can further lead to malocclusions, soft tissue trauma, decrease in performance, inability to chew and utilize food, pain, weight loss.

At SSEC Equine Dentistry = Performance Dentistry

• We offer a complete oral exam, identification and correction of any soft tissue, incisor or molar malocclusions (hooks, ramps, etc.), including the removal of any and all sharp points
• Record of the findings on dental chart, saved in patient record, and a copy sent to the Owner
• Plan for correction and long term management (if needed)
• Follow Up

POWERFLOAT - high quality dentistry

• Safe
• By using sedation, speculum, and light  we can identify and visualize intra-oral conditions and explain the corrective procedure
• Less vibration on individual teeth - minimizes teeth loosening and translocation of bacteria that you get with hand floating or rasping
• Guarded - little to no trauma to the soft tissues
• Fast and efficient reduction of sharp points, steps, slants, waves, hooks, exaggerated ridges
• Allows access to caudal hooks, diastema/-ata correction
• Less time in the horse’s mouth
• Less time with the speculum open
• Sedation  (“Sedation dentistry”)

• minimal stress to horse
• they are relaxed
• the muscles around their mouth are relaxed
• allows for thorough oral exam and correction or routine float

It becomes very obvious to owners that powerfloating is a much gentler procedure compared with hand floating

Powerfloating DOES NOT KILL THE TOOTH (it can cause damage if used improperly)

Concerns with lay (non-veterinary) dentists

• Non-professional
• No formal training or certification
• Continuing education?
• Legality?
• Recourse - NONE
• Sedation - illegal
• Ability to do an oral exam and IDENTIFY pathology
• Ability to correct pathology
• Getting the job done vs getting it next time (difficult horse)
• Wolf tooth removal without local (novacaine) or sedation…OUCH!
• Premature cap removal - lead to disruption of blood supply to permanent tooth and cemental hypoplasia, leading to problems later in life

REWARDS of PERFORMANCE DENTISTRY at SSEC
-  Thorough evaluation and identification of oral conditions of the patient
-  Comfortable horse with little to no anxiety or trauma during the procedure
-  Educated and informed horse owner

• Comprehensive diagnosis
• Record of Problems - dental chart
• Plan for correction
• Correction
• Long term management Plan
• Follow up

-  Overall the best for your horse

• Utilize food more efficiently
• Improved performance
• Better overall health
• Longer life!

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