All Ruffian Services

Horses presenting for both routine oral health checks and advanced dental conditions have complete oral examinations performed utilizing dental diagnostic tools and a rigid endoscope. Identified pathology is thoroughly discussed with the owner and an appropriate treatment plan devised. Power and hand instrumentation is used to reduce sharp enamel points and contour abnormal dental surfaces. Detailed dental radiographic imaging and computed tomography is available for horses with more advanced oral, dental, and sinus pathology. When necessary both intraoral and extraoral extraction techniques are available to remove diseased teeth, and years of experience have refined these techniques to maximize safety. In fact, the majority of dental procedures are performed with horses under standing sedation with regional and local nerve blocks; only a very small number of procedures require general anesthesia. Diagnostics and solutions for complex dental-oral-sinus related illnesses, oral masses, severe dental fractures and malformations, and oronasal fistulas are constructed and treatments performed as a team with the Equine Soft Tissue Service, and jaw fractures are handled in coordination with the Equine Orthopedic Service.

We also frequently partner and consult with other services in the hospital including anesthesiology, internal medicine, cardiology, dermatology, and ophthalmology to provide the most comprehensive care for your horse. 

Services Offered

• Complete oral examination with rigid endoscope
• Sinoscopy and rhinoscopy
• Occlusal adjustment (“float”)
• Regional nerve blocks
• Intraoral extraction
• Extraoral or surgical extraction via buccotomy
• Incisor and canine tooth extraction for tooth resorption and hypercementosis
• Sinusotomy for dental extraction and treatment of sinus disease secondary to dental pathology
• Oronasal fistula repair
• Conventional and surgical root canal treatment where appropriate
• Crown reduction with vital pulp therapy
• Crown restoration
• Periodontal therapy and surgery
• Management of traumatic occlusion
• Interceptive orthodontics
• Surgical biopsy and oral tumor staging
• Oral tumor/cyst removal
• Maxillofacial and mandibular repair post-trauma

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