Why do we use sedation for dentistry?

The most important reason we would choose to use a sedative is safety; for the horse, the handler and the vet. The heavy metal speculum and long handled dental instruments can easily cause injury if a horse suddenly moves its head. This could be anything from a painful laceration to the horses cheeks or tongue, to a serious head injury to the vet or handler. Horses which will not stand calmly for a dental examination should be sedated to reduce the risk of harm to everyone involved.

Many horses are understandably nervous when undergoing a dental examination. As well as making the procedure safer by reducing the likelihood of a horse acting unpredictably, sedative drugs have an anxiety reducing effect which makes the experience much less stressful for the horse. Over time, this can increase the horses confidence so that future dental checks are better accepted by them.

Part of our standard sedative drug combination is an opioid, which provides mild pain relief in addition to its sedative enhancing effect. In cases of dental disease such as diastemata (gaps packed with trapped food material) or fractured teeth, this can be useful either alone or in combination with local anaesthetics or injectable pain relief to minimise any discomfort. Horses are very good at hiding dental pain, so even those without outward problems can have issues which require this kind of intervention.

Some horses will try to chew on the speculum or move their tongue constantly, making the use of dental mirrors and instruments difficult. Sedation causes muscle relaxation so it can be used to relax the cheeks and tongue, allowing the whole mouth to be accessed and examined thoroughly.

In some situations, a horse may willingly allow a full examination of the mouth but we may decide that the amount or nature of work required would be better performed under sedation. Even the most tolerant horse will only stand completely still for so long! Sedation means that we can perform any necessary treatment to the highest possible standard, ensuring the best outcome for your horse.

Sedation is very well tolerated by the majority of horses and the dose can be adjusted to their size, temperament and individual sensitivity. The effects are relatively short acting and most horses will be fully alert again within 45 minutes to 1 hour. To ensure that cost is not a barrier to sedation when it is needed, we charge a fixed amount of £73 for a routine dental including sedation. This is only £20 more than our routine dental without sedation and we think it represents excellent value.

Please call the office for any further information or if you have any concerns with your own horse 0808 168 5580 or 01254 888 600