Vet's
Exam Success Points Way To Higher Equine Dental Standards
The
first and only British veterinary surgeon to pass the prestigious
Equine Dental Technicians (EDT) examination has highlighted a growing
problem among horse owners of engaging the services of " cowboy"
equine dental technicians who are not properly qualified.
Christopher
Pearce, a partner in the five-vet Barn Equine Surgery, in Three
Legged Cross, Wimborne, Dorset, has passed the EDT examination,
recently set up and run jointly by the British Equine Veterinary
Association (BEVA) and the British Association of Equine Dental
Technicians (BAEDT). He is the only vet in the UK to have passed
the exam and be admitted to membership of the BAEDT.
The
examination was set up to promote the highest standards in equine
dentistry, following increasing concerns about the emergence of
so-called "equine dentists" - lay people who rasp horses'
teeth for a living - but who often have received only minimal training
or none at all. Some of these equine dental technicians have received
training by a self-regulating organisation in the USA, which is
not recognised in the UK.
Although
vets have traditionally rasped the teeth of horses while visiting
clients for other purposes, recent advances in equipment and techniques,
together with increased awareness among horse owners about the importance
of dental health, has resulted in the emergence of these so-called
equine dentists.
However,
whilst it is legal for dental technicians to undertake certain basic
treatments, they are not allowed to sedate horses with pain killers
or to prescribe antibiotics, which are often needed as part of dental
treatment. Equine vet practices also have access to full diagnostic
and surgical facilities where needed.
While
BEVA has been organising training courses on equine dentistry for
vets for some time, it is only the formation of BAEDT two years
ago that has resulted in the new examination, whose main purpose
is to ensure common minimum standards and regulate equine dental
technicians.
The
examination's aim is to set a very high standard of equine dentistry
in the UK. Out of 17 who sat the most recent examination in September,
only five were successful and, of the 12 that failed, one was an
examiner for the self-regulating US equine dental training school.
Chris
Pearce commented: " My main reason for sitting this examination
was to prove that, as a vet, I was as capable as anyone of performing
high quality equine dentistry. This not only makes good sense, but
also saves our clients money if we can undertake any necessary dentistry
while we are visiting their horses for routine examinations or to
diagnose any other ailments. I hope that many other equine vets
will become members of the BAEDT."
Web site: www.barnequine.co.uk
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