Equine Dental Schools

Veterinarians, veterinary technicians and those with a general interest in dentistry can attend equine dental schools. If a horse requires sedation for a dental procedure, only a licensed veterinarian can legally administer the sedation. Equine dentists perform procedures such as floating, extractions, rounding off the bit seat, rasping rough edges and identifying disease or other abnormalities.

  1. Midwest Equine Dental Academy

    • Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, the Midwest Equine Dental Academy offers four-week sessions in January, March, July and October each year. Graduates earn a certificate as an equine dental technician. Students study the anatomy of the equine head, professional ethics, tooth identification and dental techniques. The program averages 25 horses per student for practice work and learning. Tuition is $6,000, as of February 2011.

    American School of Equine Dentistry

    • This private school offers a four-to-five-week program. Students study anatomy and physiology in the classroom before moving on to field work and additional study of equine dental occlusions, identifying and removing caps, wolf teeth and floating. Students also learn to use various dental equipment. By the end of the program, students have the knowledge to pass the Equine Dental Technician Certification Written Exam. This school is 1 1/2 hours from Washington, D.C., in Brunswick, Maryland.

    Texas Institute of Equine Dentistry

    • This school offers three programs for students. Equine Dental Equilibration Fundamentals is an introductory course with 280 hours of instruction; it takes at least nine months to complete. The tuition is $6,880, as of February 2011. Advanced Equine Dental Equilibration is for graduates of the fundamentals class. It takes a minimum of a year to complete. The Mastery Equine Dental Equilibration will take a minimum of three years to complete and is for those who have graduated from the advanced program. Tuition is $300 a session for the advanced and mastery programs, as of February 2011.

    Academy of Equine Dentistry

    • The Academy of Equine Dentistry offers four levels of education. Its 100-, 200- and 300-level courses combine lectures and work on skulls and live horses. Each level consists of two 50-hour weeks. For students to earn certification, they must complete the 100- to 300-level courses, a 150-level anatomy course and 100 hours working with an academy-certified equine dental technician. Most courses are two weeks and run from $500 to $4,300, as of February 2011. This dental school is in Glenns Ferry, Idaho.