Equine dental technicians must have a natural affinity for horses and be comfortable around them. Additionally, they be able to communicate with the horse owner or trainer, explaining problems and procedures and putting them at ease. The technician uses both motorized and hand tools and is capable of performing common and rarely used procedures. States vary on what they allow technicians to do. Some no longer allow them to sedate horses or used motorized equipment without veterinarian supervision.
America’s oldest equine dental school, the Academy of Equine Dentistry in Idaho trains equine dental technicians all facets of horse dentistry from tooth structure and the dental numbering system to the complexities of the horse’s head and various dental problems horses face. Students spend at least 50 hours learning routine equine dental maintenance, practicing first on horse skulls and then on live animals. A three-day anatomy course costs $900 while the two-week dental blocks range from $4,250 for the first level to $1,650 for the third and fourth levels.
The American School of Equine Dentistry in Virginia hosts a concentrated four-week equine dental technician course with six to 12 participants. Students learn to use both motorized equipment and hand tools, the latter on horses that have not been sedated. The school has more than 200 horses on which students work and they have access to tools during the program, but need to purchase their own after finishing. At the program’s end, the school will help place students in internships or apprenticeships. A $750 deposit is required to reserve a class space.
The Midwest Equine Dental Academy in Michigan is a four-week program with a Monday through Friday schedule of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and two Saturdays available for additional training and experience. Each student has about 25 horses on which to practice and can inspect a classmate’s horse and work. The one-month accelerated program costs $6,000 not including housing and food and necessary tools that students will need to purchase during the course.
The Texas Institute of Equine Dentistry offers three levels of training plus a course on equine head and neck anatomy for $6,880, books included, which must be completed within 18 months. Students must complete the entire course, which totals 280 hours or seven full weeks of training. The institute runs four two-week class sessions during the year spaced about three months apart. Students must complete three sessions within 18 months to graduate. The institute is not an accredited school and does not offer a certificate, but is recognized by the State of Texas Workforce Commission.