Veterinary groups push for equine dentistry specialty

Domestic and foreign veterinary groups are taking steps that could lead to equine dentistry officially being recognized as a specialty.

It could also result in the creation of an equine dentistry college, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reported.

In September, the American Veterinary Dental College, European Veterinary Dental College, and Academy of Veterinary Dentistry announced their collaborative efforts after a period of communicating with veterinarians to obtain their opinion on the plan and to solicit nominees for an organizing committee, the article stated. After a qualified committee is formed, a formal petition will be drawn up.

Equine veterinary dental certification programs are offered and recognized by veterinary boards in the U.S. and Australia, but are not accredited, the article noted, nor are certificate holders considered specialists. As techniques developed for humans have been applied to horses, impacting their health and performance, the complexity of equine dentistry has had an increased profile, the AVMA said.

The creation of an equine dentistry college could also result in an organization fit to weigh in on the issue of dentists providing treatment to horses, the association added.