|
|
Post by Majors Minor on Dec 21, 2008 16:31:27 GMT -5
Power tools or hand tools
sedation or not
I have always had my horses done by hand with sedation(Only because sedation would be MY personal preferance)
I have been through 3 dentists.
Blue has really bad teeth, that I have had him done every six months. He still eats and drops food and I am thinking about trying someone who uses power tools.
Thoughts please
|
|
|
|
Post by TeachU2Ride on Dec 21, 2008 17:30:41 GMT -5
My dentist, certified by IAED (and a teacher for them), uses a combination of hand and power tools. He lightly sedates the horses for the best opportunity to do the job quickly, with the least amount of discomfort.
Getting incisors right is a BIG part of mouth work, and they're so sensitive even a great hand-floater usually can't do them without sedation.
|
|
|
|
Post by jenarby on Dec 21, 2008 18:30:48 GMT -5
My dentist uses power tools and sedation. He is certified and goes to continuing education classes and seminars all the time. I used to have a dentist come out who does hand tools and no sedation. I found that he was never able to get way in the back to the hooks on the far back molars. I had a problem with a horse tossing their head and when my new guy checked him out....that is what he found. So far (knock on wood) every horse he's done has gotten rave reviews from the vets that have done PPEs on them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Pam on Dec 22, 2008 7:35:28 GMT -5
I use a DVM who does only teeth. He sedates and uses both power and hand tools. My one experience with another "dentist" was with an old 30-something TB at the farm I use to manage. He was done every three months by hand. I finally talked his owner into trying our vet when the horse started losing weight, dropping feed and quidding his hay. When the vet sedated him and got the spec in, he found hooks top and bottom 1 1/2" long!!  That cemented the decision for me. |
|
|
|
Post by elizabeth_h on Dec 22, 2008 12:42:17 GMT -5
I finally got our dentist out to do Slim Jim a couple of weeks ago. He is in high demand and serves several provinces, plus does the Florida circuit in the winter, so it is hard to get an appointment even though he is close friends with my BO and lives just up the street. He uses power and hand tools, with sedation (except for the geriatrics). Poor Slim's teeth were much worse than I had been led to believe by my vet (who also does floating, but with hand tools). I wonder now if that contributed to his colic last month (when the vet pumped his stomach contents we saw pieces of poorly chewed hay). Anyway, he was able to do far more with the sedation and power tools (took 4 mm off the incisors!) than he would have been able to do just by hand. If your horse is showing signs of improper chewing I would definitely opt for the power tools - it appears he is not getting the work he needs with the hand tools.
Also, I thought it was pretty reasonably priced. For the big overhaul that Slim had, it cost $180 including sedation. That's about US$150.
|
|
|
|
Post by Majors Minor on Dec 23, 2008 10:25:56 GMT -5
Ok,Time to get to start looking again for a dentist. I don't think it took this long to find my children a good one  |
|
|
|
Post by easychoice on Jan 21, 2009 22:11:08 GMT -5
My Vet uses both and sedates, he does a really nice job. I think by sedating, the horse is much more comfortable and QUIET for the procedure.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dawn on Jan 23, 2009 13:43:09 GMT -5
If they are at the vet he sedates and uses power tools. When my dentist comes out he doesn't sedate, doesn't use power tools and can do whatever is required. In fact took that embedded wolf tooth out of MP (that the vet missed on the initial exam when he arrived and had his teeth done under sedation but had all the other things done too so was necessary anyway). Anywho he explains it that a horse can provide their own endorphins and pain management and with that he went in there touched a few spots and then within a few minutes had the wolf tooth out. Now we all know TB's and reactions and MP never really flinched even didn't fight it and was totally a nonissue.
We are lucky to have several good dentists in the area so I am able to pick/choose alternate and get 2nd opinions easily which is really nice.
|
|
|
|
Post by racenomore on Jan 23, 2009 20:02:36 GMT -5
My dentist never sedated and doesn't use power tools. There was only one horse in the barn he had a little trouble with. That horse has to get done every 6 months because he's so difficult. I'm sure it is the same as with all equine-related services...everyone has an opinion about the other guy, but I was very happy with my guy.
|
|
|
|
Post by Like-Wow on Jan 24, 2009 9:40:32 GMT -5
Thanks for the encouragement, Racenomore. Our dentist doesn't sedate or use hand tools either and I was beginning to feel like I was doing a disservice to our horse. Our guy is also in very high demand and as far as I know, our horse has never had a problem. One question I do have for you guys though is, do they have to have their teeth done every year? That's what we've been doing but with this economy, well, you know.
|
|
|
|
Post by racenomore on Jan 24, 2009 13:03:43 GMT -5
Depends on the horse's age and if they have any issues. My guy was old enough to get done annually, but due to some issues, was better to do him every 6 mos. My guy only charged $75. He felt that hands on was just a better way to go than with the machine. Too easy to take off too much, for example.
|
|
|
|
Post by Pam on Jan 24, 2009 16:18:08 GMT -5
I have all my horses checked twice a year. Most of them only need it once a year. I have a 22 year old gelding the gets done twice a year because he needs it and a boarder's horse is done twice a year too. Generally in the spring they all get done, in the fall, only Rusty and Chevy.
As far as economics, imo, it's better to pay the dentist once and use less feed for the rest of the year.
|
|
|
|
Post by CC on Jan 24, 2009 19:30:58 GMT -5
We use a lay dentist who does not sedate (unless needed-like our pony) and uses hand tools. He uses a half mouth speculum and we have had no mouth problems in the 10+ years we have been using him. He comes every 6 months and checks everyone and does the ones who need to be done. He is a big guy but the horses just love him! They also respect him. And he prefers to work on TBs! ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by johnnysauntie on Jan 25, 2009 11:40:27 GMT -5
Jag's teeth were floated a year and a half ago by a guy who's pretty popular in the area - he uses hand tools and no sedation. Jag tolerated it well but it didn't alleviate some issue that I thought were related to mouth issues - namely, dropping food and a lot of rooting.
Had a dentist do him with sedation and power. The first guy had missed a bunch of nasty spikes and sharp edges. Horse was much better afterwards.
I'm a convert to the power tools/sedation approach.
|
|
|
|
Post by lolatwo on Jan 25, 2009 17:45:37 GMT -5
I go with the sedation and power tools. How ever I have to add that I have watch a ton of vet procedures and every time my horses need there teeth floatd I can barly watch cause the noise gets on my last nerve and makes my teeth hurt. I would rather watch or help with anything but this, so I personaly love when they come to do teeth when I am not there.
|
|
That cemented the decision for me. 
