Equi Dental

16/04/2026

What is Infundibular Caries in horses?

Infundibular caries is a common dental disease affecting the upper (maxillary) molars of horses. Each upper molar has two infundibula, which are tubular, crescent-shaped structures on the chewing surface, normally filled with cementum.

Sometimes, the infundibula aren’t fully filled with cementum due to cemental hypoplasia (also called hypocementosis).

As the tooth erupts and wears down, this defect is exposed, allowing food and bacteria to enter.

Bacteria ferment carbohydrates, leading to acid production, which demineralises dental tissues, this is called caries.

Why is it a problem?

Decay can spread from the cementum to enamel, dentine, and even the pulp.

Severe lesions can cause the two infundibula to coalesce, weakening the tooth and leading to fractures.

Advanced cases may result in endodontic infections, leading to apical disease, sinusitis, or even tooth root abscesses.

Grading of Infundibular Caries (Modified Honma Scale):
• Grade 0 – No caries
• Grade 1 – Caries limited to cementum
• Grade 2 – Caries extends into enamel
• Grade 3 – Caries extends into dentine
• Grade 4 – Pulp exposure and/or tooth fracture

Risk factors:
• Age – Older horses are more likely to develop caries
• Cemental hypoplasia – Poor cementum formation predisposes the tooth

Treatment:
• Infundibula restoration (filling) by a veterinary dental specialist to protect the pulp and restore tooth function
• Regular dental exams are important to detect and monitor caries early

Progression is usually slow, but if left untreated, it can sometimes result in severe complications. Regular, thorough dental examinations can help identify infundibular caries early, enabling your EDT to monitor progression and, if necessary, provide appropriate referral recommendations.

To learn more about infundibular caries and other common dental abnormalities watch our YouTube video 👇🏼

https://youtu.be/DlXfJpbKF5g?si=Knch5Anc-4gnKmOh

24/02/2026

Let’s Talk About Sedation — The Real Sticking Point

To the veterinarians who are firmly opposed to expanding equine dental licensing, one concern seems to rise above all others:

Sedation.

It’s often presented as the ultimate dividing line — the proof that non-veterinary professionals should not be involved in certain procedures. If I even mutter the “S-word” on this platform in my educational dental posts, the vet world trembles with disdain. So, let’s slow down and examine that calmly.

Every day in this country, thousands of college students complete advanced coursework in:

- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Pharmacology
- Pathophysiology
- Emergency management
- IV catheter placement
- CPR and resuscitation protocols

They are not veterinarians. They are nurses, CRNAs, physician assistants, paramedics, anesthetists, and medical specialists.

The existence of structured pharmacology education outside of veterinary school is not radical. It is normal in every other branch of healthcare. A paramedic who you may use to save your life did not go to medical school!

So the real question isn’t:
“Is sedation serious?”

Of course it is.

THE REAL QUESTION IS:
Is sedation so uniquely mystical that it cannot be taught, regulated, supervised, audited, limited in scope, and competency-tested outside of a four-year veterinary curriculum?

Standing equine sedation for routine equine dental procedures is not general anesthesia. It is not abdominal surgery. It is not managing a colic referral hospital. IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!

It is a defined pharmacologic state with known drug classes, known dosages, known contraindications, and known emergency responses.

Those elements can be standardized.

If the objection is safety, then let’s talk about measurable safety:
- Defined drug lists
- Proper dosage calculation
- Supervised case requirements
- Mandatory emergency certification
- Strict exclusion criteria
- Audit and reporting requirements

That is how risk is managed in every other healthcare field.

When sedation becomes the sole argument used to halt an entire conversation about access, specialization, and workforce strain, it begins to look less like a safety discussion and more like a boundary defense. That’s where the veterinary profession is losing credibility with horse owners.

No one is suggesting unlimited prescribing authority. No one is suggesting independent medical practice. No one is dismissing pharmacologic responsibility or liability.

The discussion is about whether a narrow, tightly regulated, limited sedation credential could exist safely within a structured framework.

If the answer is automatically “no,” then the burden shifts to explaining why equine pharmacology is uniquely untouchable compared to every other healthcare system that has successfully diversified roles.

Progress does not come from pretending complexity doesn’t exist.
It comes from designing systems that account for it.

Sedation is not a trivial topic. But neither is it an unsolvable one.

If we can move beyond reflexive resistance and into structured design, we might find that the perceived stumbling block is actually a manageable step.

The horse deserves thoughtful solutions — not stalled conversations.

22/02/2026

“If you want to do vet things, go to vet school.”

I’ve seen this comment more than once. On the surface, it sounds simple. Logical, even.

But here’s the reality: If “just go to vet school” were the solution to the declining equine veterinary population… we wouldn’t have a declining equine veterinary population.

Veterinary schools already exist. Seats are filled. Tuition is high. Graduates are produced every year. Yet large-animal and equine practice continues to shrink.

So maybe the issue isn’t that people don’t know vet school exists. Maybe the issue is that the single-license model isn’t solving access problems fast enough.

Human healthcare figured this out decades ago. When demand outpaced supply, medicine didn’t respond by telling everyone to become a physician. It diversified:
- Physician assistants
- Nurse practitioners
- Dental hygienists
- Anesthetists
- Surgical techs
- Physical therapists

Shorter, focused programs were created to handle DEFINED scopes of care safely and effectively. Not because physicians weren’t valuable. But because one pathway couldn’t meet all needs.

Shorter programs are not inherently inferior. They are narrower by design. The programs dedicated entirely to equine dentistry produces deeper dental repetition than a broad veterinary curriculum that must cover surgery, reproduction, pathology, internal medicine, pharmacology, herd health, and more. Adding an element of sedation to the already-existing equine dental programs only makes sense. The system is already in place and ready to be expanded.

That isn’t an insult. It’s math.

Diversifying animal healthcare licensing doesn’t weaken veterinary medicine. It strengthens the system by:
- Increasing access
- Reducing bottlenecks
- Allowing veterinarians to focus on advanced and complex cases
- Creating structured, regulated lanes instead of gray areas

The goal isn’t to replace veterinarians.
It’s to build a system that reflects reality. Right now, we expect one professional license to cover an entire species’ healthcare needs in an era of growing horse populations and shrinking large-animal participation. That model is under strain. When systems are under strain, smart industries evolve. Refusal to embrace evolution leads to extinction.

“Go to vet school” is not a strategy.
It’s a slogan.

The real question is this: Are we willing to design a diversified, structured, accountable animal healthcare model…
or are we going to pretend that ONE EDUCATIONAL PATHWAY can solve a workforce problem it hasn’t been able to solve so far?

The future of equine care will depend on how honestly we answer that.
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If this content makes sense, please share it to your own pages. This conversation truly needs to involve the ENTIRE equine industry.

04/02/2026

24/12/2025

Merry Christmas wonderful people! Thank you for all your support and see you in 2026! 🎄🍾🎅🏻 ###

28/11/2025

📣 "ANATOMICAL” has become one of the most frequently used buzz terms in contemporary bridle design. But is an off the shelf bridle truly anatomical for every horse or indeed any horse?

Check out our latest article, free to read 👉 https://equinepartnership.ie/bitless/anatomical-bridle-fit/


Image Credit: Micklem Bridle

18/11/2025

18/11/2025

We have had several horse-loving D.D.S.s attend our school that now enjoy working on horse dentals... and many hygenists too. Some stopped working on people to focus on horses - more fun and sometimes more $.

10/07/2025

20/12/2024

Happy Christmas to my lovely clients and their equine family! Wishing you a super new year too x