<body> <dl> <dt> title=AEDP Australian Equine Dental Practice Index. Written and designed by Peter Borgdorff</dt> <br><a href="http://www.equinedentalpractice.com/index.html">All about the horse's teeth, equine dentistry, correct treatment, training as a horse dentist</a></dl> <h1> <b>MAIN PAGE</b></h1> <b>Your browser cannot view frames.</b> <p>Unfortunately, this site is not designed to be viewed by your current browser. <br>To load a better browser please visit: <a href="http://www.mozilla.com/">http://www.mozilla.com/</a> <br>If you are unable to use a frame enabled browser <b>you may access the main pages below</b> <br>We warn you that you may not see all the links on these pages properly but hope you enjoy your visit anyway <h2> <a href="Frame2MainPage.html">MainPage<br> </a><a href="http://www.equinedentalpractice.com/Frame2KidsPage.html">KidsPage<br> </a><a href="http://www.equinedentalpractice.com/Frame2GuidePage.html">DentalGuide<br> </a><a href="http://www.equinedentalpractice.com/Frame2AlbumPage.html">PhotoAlbum<br> </a><a href="http://www.equinedentalpractice.com/Frame2BookShopPage.html">Bookshop<br> </a><a href="http://www.equinedentalpractice.com/Frame2AssocPage.html">Associates<br> </a><a href="http://www.equinedentalpractice.com/Frame2CareerPage.html">Career<br> </a><a href="http://www.equinedentalpractice.com/Frame2CalendarPage.html">HorseCalender<br> </a><a href="http://www.equinedentalpractice.com/Frame2BookPage.html">Bookings<br> </a><a href="http://www.equinedentalpractice.com/Frame2ContactPage.html">ContactUs<br> </a><a href="http://www.equinedentalpractice.com/Frame2CopyPage.html">MainPage</a></h2> Australian Equine Dental Practice TM © Peter Borgdorff 1984-2002 ® <p><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Foreword.</font></font></b> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>I hope you will gain knowledge from this site which I have written following 21 years of experience in equine dentistry. I hope it will help you and your horse. It is designed to give practical information to owners, equine dentists, equine veterinarians, veterinary technicians, research professionals, educators and students.</font></font> <br><font face="Verdana"><font color="#993366"><font size=-1>To save this site as a bookmark/ favorite press Ctrl+D</font></font></font> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>I have given priority to frequently requested information. It will make it easier to understand the way a horses teeth work, what can go wrong and the basics of dental treatment. Read more about <a href="http://www.equinedentalpractice.com/AboutTheAuthor.html" TARGET="_blank">the author, his background and new equine dental technology</a>.</font></font> <br> <font face="Verdana"><font size="-1">The American Journal of the Veterinary Medical Association reported about a study by Drs Traub-Dargatz, Kopral et Ors about the US national incidence of and operation risk factors for colic among horses from 1998-1999. It says:"The annual national incidence of colic in the US horse population was estimated to be 4.2 colic events/100 horses per year. Case fatality rate was 11% and 1.4% of colic events resulted in surgery." That colic is suffered by so many horses is a cause for deep concern when one considers the pain and trauma to both horses and owners. The report further states that it is costing the US an amount of AU$205.000.000 per year. Especially in older horses correct dental maintenance and dietary planning can vastly reduce the incidence of colic. A large number of calls to this practice are made by people who suspect that their horses' inability to masticate feed properly may have been the cause of colic. The author will add further comments and resources relating to this topic in the future.</font></font> <p><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>AWFA Inc. for Fans of Friesians.</font></font></b> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>The Australasian Warmblood Friesian Association maintains a register for the Friesian derived sporthorse. What is a Warmblood Friesian? The Warmblood Friesian is a purpose bred sporthorse carrying no less than 25% Friesian blood.</font></font> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Dressage, harness and other sports enthusiasts are drawn to these stunning horses. In recognition of the character of the Friesian breed you are provided with an example of a pure Friesian on <a href="http://www.equinedentalpractice.com/Frame2KidsPageHorses.html#Friesian">this page</a> . The AFWA provides articles, contacts and information about breed standards, studs and overseas organisations. Membership contributes to promoting this noble breed.</font></font> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>For information about Friesian derived sporthorses, visit the site of the AWFA Inc. and ask yourself if you should be involved. <a href="http://www.awfa.org/aboutawfa.phtml" TARGET="_blank">Click here</a></font></font> <p><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Australian Thoroughbreds</font></font></b> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>The Thoroughbred industry in Australia is one of the truly great industries especially in economic and social terms. No other industry can attract wealthy people to breed and race thoroughbreds at huge cost and so provide countless jobs in geographical areas where jobs are difficult to find. Australia is one of the world's great producers of thoroughbreds and is well served by Thoroughbred Breeders Australia. Their site is valuable for all horse owners.</font></font> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>To find out more about Thoroughbred Breeders Australia, <a href="http://www.tbaus.com/" TARGET="_blank">click here.</a></font></font> <p><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Find Horse Info the Easy Way</font></font></b> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>For those of you who scratch their head trying to find good horse information on the Internet, here are some hints.</font></font> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>As voluntary editor for the Open Directory Project, the world's largest human edited directory, I recommend it to view information by category. You can also search at the top of each page. Here are some interesting categories from <a href="http://dmoz.org/" TARGET="_blank">DMOZ</a>:</font></font> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1><a href="http://dmoz.org/Sports/Equestrian/" TARGET="_blank">Sports-Equestrian</a><a href="http://dmoz.org/Health/Animal/Veterinary_Medicine/" TARGET="_blank">Health-Animal-Veterinary Medicine</a></font></font> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1><a href="http://dmoz.org/Sports/Equestrian/Health_Care/Dentists/" TARGET="_blank">Sports-Equestrian-Health Care-Dentists</a></font></font> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Another very good way of finding information is to use the extensive search features of:</font></font> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1><a href="http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en&lr=&safe=on" TARGET="_blank">Google Advanced Search</a></font></font> <p><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Exmoor Annie</font></font></b> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>When I stumbled across the UK site of the International League for the Protection of Horses and read about <a href="http://www.ilph.org/UK%20news/Annie%20owner%20in%20prison.htm" TARGET="_blank">Exmoor Annie</a>, a neglected pony, (note the before and after photos) I thought the work of the ILPH rescuers was worth a mention.</font></font> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>The ILPH has improved conditions worldwide for horses transported long distance for slaughter and continues to lead the campaign to ban this trade. Five Rehabilitation Centres re-educate and re-house cruelty cases in the UK while the ILPH's active training program improves the lives of horses in the developing world. <a href="http://www.ilphnews.org/items.asp" TARGET="_blank">Visit ILPH</a></font></font> <p><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Veterinarians and Dentistry</font></font></b> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>All over the world veterinary surgeons endeavour to inform their clients about the teeth of the horse and appropriate treatment. Although many veterinary colleges are unable to give in depth instruction on the subject, it is good to see many veterinarians make an effort to inform both themselves and subsequently the public. One such veterinarian is Dr David Becker, DVM MEng, who practices in Jeffersontown Kentucky US, who put a page with some nice photos on his site.</font></font> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Check out <a href="http://www.hast.net/dental.htm" TARGET="_blank">www.häst.net</a>.</font></font> <p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>A veterinarian practising in the UK, Hanne Engstrom MRCVS has put together a comprehensive site.</font></font> <font face="Verdana"><font size=-1> There is a section on determining a horse's age and an interesting photo section. (enlargements can only be viewed in Internet Explorer). The focus is on treatment styles originating from the US.</font></font> <p><b> <p><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Dental Function and Treatment</font></font></b> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>The filing of molar teeth needs to be rendered with care in order to preserve the horse's ability to chew. These grinding surfaces, also known as tables, are shown here and you can enlarge them by clicking on them:</font></font> <p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>The upper and lower molar tables meet together and are naturally rough to enable the horse to grind the feed into small particles. They consist of materials of different hardness which cause higher and lower areas. The objective of correcting molar bite abnormalities is to keep these grinding surfaces as intact as possible. A horse without molar table roughness cannot grinds its feed. The Australian Equine Dental Practice promotes 'staged treatment'; this means bite abnormalities are corrected over a longer period of time. This could be the case when a horse is treated for wave mouth or shearbite.</font></font> <p><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1> Dentistry Training with the AEDP.</font></font></b> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Training with the Australian Equine Dental Practice has been a stepping stone to a career as an Equine Dentist by a number of people. Where consideration of the horse takes priority and the manner of treatment is widely respected, there are valid grounds to consider this training. Not professing to be the guru who knows all, <a href="AboutTheAuthor.html" TARGET="_blank">Peter Borgdorff</a> endeavours to teach genuine candidates a caring approach that uses effective methods which respect the natural structure of equine dentition whilst aiming to correct abnormal conformation. No other persons are accredited by Peter to teach these methods. The word 'academy' or 'school' is not used, because like other private organisations there is no government accreditation.. Check <a href="IndexAEDPCareerPage.html" TARGET="_parent">Career Choice</a></font></font> <p><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Our Policy -Drugs</font></font></b> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>It is the policy of affiliates of the Australian Equine Dental Practice not to break the law by supplying or administering 'supply restricted' drugs to your horse. Rarely does a horse need to be sedated due to experienced handling and limited treatment duration. However, if this is necessary an equine veterinary surgeon can be arranged on your behalf.</font></font> <br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>If you want to report unlawful veterinary drug supply or use in Australia </font></font> SUBMISSION TO THE PROPOSED VETERINARY PRACTICE REGULATION 2006 UNDER THE VETERINARY PRACTICE ACT 2003 by the ASSOCIATION OF EQUINE DENTAL PRACTITIONERS (AUST) INCORPORATED Kurt Boegel, Secretary, P. O. Box 166, Macedon, VIC 3440. E-mail: kurt@equinedentalpractice.com Preliminary Note The Association has members throughout Australia and has several members who conduct practices in NSW. Advice about the proposed Regulation was received at the eleventh hour, giving us less than 2 weeks to prepare this submission and liaise with our members. It is for that reason we did not address all points of the proposed Regulation in detail. 1. INTRODUCTION Historically, the filing of equine teeth and tending to other oral disorders has been conducted by a variety of people, some were experienced and knowledgeable, many were not. Over the past hundred years or so there has been less and less veterinary involvement in equine dental treatment and public education. Indeed, a 2003 survey by the RIRDC contains ample reflections that highlight reasons why equine veterinarians had not pursued gaining equine dental treatment skills nor intended to pursue them in future. In recent times more veterinarians and so-called equine dental technicians have taken up adapted industrial power tools which require sedation. The introduction of power tools is often combined with expensive courses commonly lasting as little as 2 days or 2 weeks. This illustrates the fact there is money in ‘new age’ equine dentistry. Some veterinary tutors proclaim ease of use, convenience and are even actively involved in marketing power equipment which suggests questionable ethics. Astonishingly, it has been reported that as little as two minutes of power grinding without water cooling can irreversibly damage the tooth pulp (G. Baker, Uni. of Ill.) Many trained dentists and more experienced veterinarians frown on the use of power tools and the sedation of every patient. There are currently 2 equine dentistry schools in Victoria who do not advocate the routine use of power equipment. If high speed diamond cutters are used continuous water cooling is to be applied. Many veterinarians testify that undergraduate education in equine dentistry is extremely deficient and does not even equip a veterinary surgeon for basic equine dental procedures. Compare this to the 5 months theoretical and practical training (preceding industry experience) which is now considered a standard for certified equine dentists in the south of Australia. It is the minimum standard required for graduates requiring membership of the Association of Equine Dental Practitioners (Aust). However, we need little debate about the substantial role a veterinarian can play in collaborative patient management. Much suffering of the horse is prevented when professionals in different fields work together. There are many such examples that testify to the success of such ‘patient comes first’ processes. 2. OBJECTIVES The welfare of the horse must come first. Legislation must provide a workable solution to facilitate those properly trained to be continuously scrutinized in the performance of their duties. The proposed legislation fails to safeguard horse welfare and is not a reflection of reality. The blunt ‘all vets are trained to do teeth’ leaves horses prone to become victims of the unskilled. We have averted many a court case by placating owners who had unrealistic expectations and found serious issues went unaddressed. We strongly support veterinarians who operate within the bounds of their knowledge and each of our members has built extensive networks based on exceptional horse care and professional respect. Assisting owners making a correct choice is now also being addressed by the our Association. 3. EQUINE DENTAL PRACTITIONERS BOARD The Association of Equine Dental Practitioners (Aust) has instituted a process which provides for a governing body, the Equine Dental Practitioners Board, for which we are currently calling candidates. Those being invited include equine dentists, veterinarians, RSPCA delegates, Australian Veterinary Dental Society members and senior judicial officers. The seven member Board will govern the process of initial examination and the annual licensing of equine dental practitioners. It will also oversee annual member evaluations to ensure adherence to the Code of Practice as established by our Association. It will also have a range of sanctions available to it. Suitably experienced or qualified equine dentists and veterinarians may apply for examination and licensing. Licenced members will never be able to perform surgical procedures or administer drugs unless they are registered veterinary practitioners. Licensed members may only operate within clearly defined pain threshold guidelines. The operation of the Board will ensure treatment integrity within a framework of collaboration with other professionals such as veterinarians who do not wish to become licensed but focus on other equine care instead. It will also channel educational processes and research grants. 4. SUMMARY The Association strongly opposes introduction of the legislation in its current form. Much as we support malpractices being addressed, the proposed legislation is ill-conceived and should be re-drafted. As outlined in the preceding paragraphs, we cannot support a regulation that prevents suitably qualified persons from rendering essential equine dental treatment procedures which have traditionally not been part of veterinary practice. Some of the treatment we currently render as equine dentists includes diagnostics such as evaluation of the bite surfaces and gingival health and treatment combined with removal of feed from gingival pockets, extraction of small tooth fragments, small wolf teeth and caps. We adhere to strict pain threshold guidelines. 5. RECOMMENDATIONS PART ONE We ask the Committee to reject the legislation pertaining to equine dentistry in its current form on the following grounds: a. The statutory objectives of the Veterinary Practice Act 2003 are not being met in that they fail to promote animal welfare: i. It negatively affects proper care by excluding many better trained and more experienced equine dental professionals. ii. The vast majority of those proposed to be put in charge of equine dental care are not skilled in equine dentistry, due to lack of education and experience. iii. It fails to outlaw the use of dangerous equipment or practices such as dental shears, molar cutting sliding bolts, Swayles mouth gags and the practice of suspending heads of sedated horses from the rafters. b. Inadequate stakeholder and public consultation. i. As stakeholders we have had less than 2 weeks to examine the proposal. This has also been inadequate to encourage public input that we may have otherwise provided to you. ii. We have not heard of any reports in equestrian magazines or letters to editors about the proposed Regulation. It would appear to fall short of what is reasonably expected under Regulatory Impact Statement guidelines. c. The Act’s statutory objectives are also not being met as it fails to provide a mechanism for informing the public about equine dental competencies required by those proposed to enact those competencies. d. Under the statutory objectives of the Veterinary Practice Act certain acceptable standards are required to be met, however: i. There are no standards set for education. The veterinary profession has long acknowledged virtual absence of theory or practical education covering equine dentistry. This is unlikely to satisfy the horse-owning public and is therefore not in their interest. There will be serious concern for animal welfare. ii. Standards are absent and veterinary operators are inadequately governed. Having a process where the quality control relies on complaints to be received from aggrieved members of the public does not come close to any international standards. e. Limiting equine dentistry by persons other than veterinarians to two basic procedures, namely filing and cleaning, effectively means: i. Conscientious equine dentists who took their jobs seriously can no longer practice as they cannot render a comprehensive service nor can they file young horses which have caps about to be shed. ii. This regulation will create a virtual veterinary monopoly. The rendering of these services by veterinarians, with their common sedation and use of power tools, will mean prices will increase by about 200%. A standard treatment now costs $50- to $60- and will cost between $120- and $250-. This is a reasonable estimate. f. It will affect international trade and local business activity. Several schools in Victoria have gained a reputation here and overseas and graduates are sought after. 6. RECOMMENDATIONS PART TWO The Association is putting in place regulation of equine dentistry by way of the Equine Dental Practitioners Board, Annual Licensing, Annual Quality Reviews and the Code of Practice. The process by which this may be formalized in the Regulation could be: a. Removing Pt 2 Clause 4 (1)(d)(xi) from page 7 of the Draft b. Adding Pt 2 Clause 7 to read:”No person attending on a horse for the purpose of conducting oral or dental examination or undertaking dental or oral treatment shall be deemed to be conducting an act of veterinary science provided such person is Accredited by the Equine Dental Practitioners Board to perform such procedures.” Important: No person is permitted under those controls to perform anything other than procedures below a prescribed pain threshold. No non-veterinary surgeon may ever administer drugs. All other equine dental procedures are to be conducted with a veterinary surgeon in attendance, or by an EDPB accredited veterinary surgeon. The controls proposed are similar to those that have been in operation among our members for a long time. We can provide a list a veterinary surgeons who can attest to the fact that this system of controls works extremely well. ----------------------------------- </body>