JOHN TOWE. Equine Dental Technician. BAEDT UK Qualified

02/02/2026

Support Your Equine Dental Technician

UK Government Consultation – Why Horse Owners’ Views Matter

The UK government is reviewing the law that regulates animal healthcare professionals. This review may affect how Equine Dental Technicians (EDTs) are recognised and allowed to work in the future.

This is why we are asking all our clients to take a few moments to complete the survey — it’s your opportunity to influence how the VSA reform will shape future regulation of both veterinary and paraprofessional roles.
The consultation is now open for responses and closes 25th March 2026. So, grab a brew and add your voice to the change that’s coming!

Why this matters to you as a horse owner

• EDTs play an important role in your horse’s comfort, performance, and welfare

• Clear professional titles help owners know who is properly trained when it comes to treating your horse

• Recognised, equine‑dental‑specific qualifications are essential for demonstrating the practical training and competency of both EDTs and vets, giving horse owners the assurance they need when choosing appropriate dental care

• Good regulation protects horses from unqualified or unsafe practice

• Your experience helps decision-makers understand real-world horse care

What you might say

• You value having a qualified EDT provide your horse’s routine dental care, and you value having an equine‑specific, dentally qualified vet available to manage any complex dental issues. Most importantly, you value having the ability to make an informed choice about who you use.

• A regulated industry provides clear, consistent qualification standards that help protect both horses and owners.

• You recognise your qualified EDT often holds higher levels of equine-specific dental qualification, training, experience and day‑to‑day proficiency in routine equine dentistry than the average general‑practice vet.

Where can I find the consultation?

https://consult.defra.gov.uk/reform-of-the-veterinary-surgeons-act/consultation/

IMPORTANT - Modern consultations do use text-analysis and clustering tools to surface themes. While no official keyword list is published, analysis of UK government consultations (including Defra) shows that responses are commonly scanned for policy-relevant vocabulary, not slogans.

🔑 Core phrases to include. These phrases align directly with how Defra structures policy analysis.

“Veterinary Surgeons Act reform”
“modernising outdated legislation”
“multidisciplinary veterinary team”
“animal welfare and public protection”
“clear scope of practice”
“title protection”
“proportionate, risk-based regulation”
“public confidence and clarity for owners”

🦷 EDT-specific wording that helps categorisation. This ensures EDT views are not lost under generic “other comments”. Where relevant, try to include:

“Equine Dental Technician (EDT)”
“qualified / trained EDT”
“professional title”
“working within scope”
“competence-based practice”
“consistent standards across the profession”

🐴 Horse-owner language that carries weight. AI tools tag these as end-user evidence, which is highly valued.

“As a horse owner…”
“My experience using an EDT…”
“I rely on qualified professionals for my horse’s welfare”
“Clear titles help owners understand who is properly trained”
“Regulation should protect horses without reducing access to care”

⚖️ Balance words (important for tone scoring). Defra analysis tools look favourably on balanced responses. Useful phrases include:

“supports collaboration, not replacement”
“avoids unintended consequences”
“maintains access while improving safeguards”

These reduce the risk of responses being classified as oppositional or niche. Emotional or confrontational language, reduce analytical weight. If your response clearly mentions welfare, scope, regulation, and qualification — it should be picked up. Even short responses that include 3–5 of the phrases above are very likely to be correctly categorised in analysis of reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act.

01/01/2026

Wishing all my clients old and new a very happy New Year
🥳 🎉🎉🥳

25/12/2025

Happy Christmas to all my wonderful clients. Hope you’ve all had a lovely day🎄🎄🎄

23/12/2025

💙💛POLEWORK CLINIC💛💙

📅 Saturday 10th January
⏰ 10:00am – 2:00pm

📍 Derby College Equestrian Centre Indoor Arena

⸻

🔥 Let’s burn off those Christmas festive treats
Through purposeful polework exercises for horse and rider.

⸻

✨ Why attend?

🐎 Improve rhythm, balance & accuracy
💪 Build confidence for horse and rider
📐 Structured exercises with purpose
📝 Take-home homework to continue progress

☕️ Tea, coffee & cake provided

⸻

👉 Book now

⭐ Experience a polework clinic like no other
⏳ Limited spaces available

https://horsemonkey.com/uk/equestrian_event/80245/Winter+Polework+Series+with+BHS+Accredited+Professional+Coach-+Christie+Mott

16/12/2025

Does dentistry affect a horse’s performance?In this video, we join BAEDT member Matt Moister and event rider Andrew James as they explore how dental issues c...

16/11/2025

When did your older horse last have a dental examination?

As winter approaches, and there is less grazing available, it’s really important to address the dental health of your geriatric horses.

Older horses are more susceptible to dental issues due to natural changes in their teeth over time, so regular check ups are so important to ensure their comfort and maximum chewing ability.

Common dental issues found in geriatric horses include: Sharp enamel points, senile diastemata, periodontal disease, wear abnormalities, displaced teeth, mobile teeth, absent teeth, infundibular caries and equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH).

Equine teeth naturally wear down over their lifetime due to having hypsondont dentition. As the tooth wears apically, the enamel thickness decreases, resulting in a thinner enamel layer on the chewing (occlusal) surface. Another structural change, which affects the upper teeth, involves the infundibula. Infundibula only extend through 80-90% of the reserve crown; over time these infundibulum will wear out. With thinner enamel and worn infundibula, the teeth become more prone to wear, leading to a faster rate of attrition. This results in smoother teeth surfaces, which can reduce the efficiency of chewing hay.
These age-related changes create irregular wear patterns, contributing to uneven crown height and therefore further compromising chewing effectiveness.

Another physiological age related change is the natural tapering of the teeth which will lead to the development of gaps between the teeth which can trap food and lead to periodontal (gum) disease, mobile teeth and even tooth loss. These gaps are called senile diastemata. In cases of senile diastemata, treatment should be on a case by case basis. Early identification and long term management is really important to ensure the comfort of your horse.

If your older horse does have difficulty chewing hay due to compromised grinding surfaces, dietary changes may need to be considered such as switching to fibre mashes to ensure adequate nutritional intake. It’s important to discuss with your EDT or Vet if this is the case.

Horses are known for their stoic nature, which means they often don’t show obvious signs of discomfort until dental issues are advanced. This highlights the importance of frequent dental care, ideally every six months for older horses, to ensure their comfort and identify any problems early to give them the best chance of prolonging their chewing efficiency.

Visit www.baedt.com to find a qualified equine dental technician near you!

05/10/2025

12/08/2025

Even though your broodmare isn’t in active work, regular dental treatments are still an important part of their welfare. Regular routine treatments will ensure they are comfortable, identify any dental problems early, and avoid any other potential dental problems in the future, this will allow efficient mastication and therefore ensure they receive adequate nutrition.

Broodmares are often overlooked, but it’s important to prioritise their dental care when it’s safe to do so. Waiting for dental problems to arise may lead to problems becoming more difficult to manage.

Don’t let your broodmares be forgotten, make sure you schedule their dental checks regularly with a BAEDT member!

www.baedt.com

06/08/2025

15/07/2025

03/07/2025

To sedate or not to sedate

The question of sedation for routine equine dental procedures is one that often sparks discussion, and for good reason. Every horse is an individual, and ensuring their safety, comfort, and welfare during dental work is always the priority.

With the advancements in modern equipment, routine equine dental care has become far more precise and thorough than ever before. Many horses are able to comfortably tolerate comprehensive dental examinations and treatment without sedation, particularly when handled by skilled and experienced practitioners. BAEDT members are highly proficient not only in their dental work but also in equine behaviour and handling, allowing them to work calmly and effectively in a wide range of situations. Our members work day in, day out with unsedated horses, where horsemanship, patience, and handling skills are fundamental to carrying out thorough and precise treatments.

It’s also important to understand that carrying out a routine dental on an unsedated horse requires a different set of skills compared to working on a sedated horse. The ability to assess, reassure, and work with a horse that is fully conscious is a testament to the horsemanship, experience, and sensitivity our members bring to their work.

That said, sedation absolutely has its place, and for some horses sedation is essential to ensure dental procedures are carried out safely and thoroughly. There are a number of reasons why horses may require sedation for dental treatments, including if the horse is in pain, if they are anxious and their behaviour. BAEDT members are able to recognise when sedation is in the horse’s best interest and will always discuss with the owner and their vet to determine the most appropriate course of action.

All BAEDT members undergo rigorous training and examinations to ensure they meet the highest standards of equine dental care. With dental mirrors, high-quality head lights, and dental picks and probes, our members can carry out detailed examinations. When issues are identified that require further investigation or referral, members hold strong working relationships with equine veterinary surgeons and dental referral specialists, ensuring your horse has access to the level of care they need.

We’re proud to have 21 veterinary surgeons among our membership who have completed the BEVA/BVDA examination, further expanding their knowledge, expertise and are dedicated to providing the highest standards of equine dental care.

Ultimately, whether a horse requires sedation should be a case-by-case decision, based on their individual temperament, comfort, and the dental work required. With BAEDT members, owners can feel confident they are in skilled, compassionate, and highly trained hands.