23/09/2026
Make sure you tell your human dentist NOT to give you any sedation…
After all, if you're wide awake, you can feel everything, tell them when you're uncomfortable and apparently that must mean they'll do a better job?
Sounds pretty ridiculous when you put it that way. Yet when it comes to horses, I hear a very similar argument... “I don't want my horse sedated. I want them to be able to feel what the dentist is doing.”
From my experience with performance horses, I don't buy that argument. Sedation isn't there to “hide” discomfort. It allows an equine veterinarian to properly examine the mouth, get a much better view of the teeth and soft tissues and safely perform a thorough examination and treatment.
I've seen first hand so many cases where a power float gives the vet a level of control and precision that simply isn't the same as standing there with a hand rasp trying to make corrections while the horse is moving around or its head well above the operator's reach of accuracy.
“The horse stood quietly and let the dentist do it” isn't necessarily the same thing as “the horse received a thorough dental examination” and that's an important distinction. I'm also not saying every horse needs the same level of dentistry. For a paddock horse or broodmare with relatively uncomplicated dental requirements, I can understand why an owner might choose a cheaper, simpler option. But for a performance horse, particularly one expected to perform at a high level, my preference is a properly sedated veterinary dental examination.
These horses are athletes...we spend thousands of dollars on their feed, training, feet, saddles, chiropractic, competition and veterinary care then sometimes try to save a few dollars when it comes to something they're literally putting a bit against and using every time they are ridden.
I'm not saying this is the rule for every horse, I'm just saying that from my experience, the standard I want for a performance horse is a thorough examination and treatment not simply "I took off the sharp edges but you'll have to get someone to take out the wolf teeth.."
