At Allossery Equine, we’re passionate about equine dentistry and are constantly upgrading our knowledge and equipment to provide top-quality dental care for your horse.
Recently, our clinic purchased an oral endoscope and a set of improved-design dental instruments that allow us to perform complex tooth extractions on the standing, sedated horse via a minimally invasive transbuccal screw technique.
Traditionally, complex equine tooth extractions were performed under general anesthesia using repulsion methods. In a Cornell University study†, researchers found that up to 50% of cases had complications associated with the procedure and 20% persisted in the long term. The increased risk to the horse from complications due to the use of general anesthesia must also be considered.
However, improvements in dental equipment and methods, including the development of the transbuccal screw extraction technique, have led to significant advances in the quality of dental care that can be provided through standing dental procedures.
Dr. Matthew Allossery has completed extra training on these procedures to enable him to perform more complex extractions on difficult teeth, including incisors and cheek teeth, and he continues to expand his knowledge and skill set in this area.
This allows us to provide our clients with an alternative to surgery under general anesthesia for many complex dental procedures.
Compared to dental surgery under general anesthesia, standing tooth extractions pose a lower risk associated with anesthetic medication and other potential complications.
Standing tooth extractions are also a more affordable option for the client.
Horses can be stoic about dental pain and problem teeth are sometimes hard to detect without proper equipment. Consequently, it can be difficult for their owners and caregivers to know when a problem has developed and a tooth extraction may be required.
For this reason, we advocate regular dental exams for your horse. If you identify oral issues early and treat them appropriately, your horse will be healthier, happier and more willing to perform.
