Equine Dental

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

Contact:  Jan Williams, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, 612-624-6228, willi320@umn.edu

U of M Hosts World’s First Equine Dental Symposium

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL  (March 16, 2005) – The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine held the world’s first equine dental symposium on Feb. 25-27 in St. Paul, Minn.

The three-day symposium covered topics in dental radiology, periodontal disease, endodontic disease and root canal therapy, dental restorations, and orthodonics -- all applied specifically to horses. Also included were daily hands-on wet labs in which the participants -- 26 equine veterinarians from 15 states and 5 countries -- could learn these skills.

The leader of the symposium was Gary Goldstein, D.V.M., an associate clinical professor at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center and director of the Veterinary Dental Service. The main speakers were Dr. Ian Dacre, a veterinarian from New Zealand who specializes in equine dentistry, Dr. David Klugh, an equine veterinarian from Oregon, and Dr. Mike Lowder, an associate professor at the University of Georgia.

“Many horse owners – and their veterinarians – don’t fully appreciate the importance of healthy teeth and gums in a horse,” said Goldstein, a 1984 graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine who is one of only two board-certified veterinary dentists in Minnesota. “So many troubling conditions can be caused by dental problems, including behavior and performance problems, colic, and weight loss. Malocclusions, fractured and abscessed teeth, and other oral problems can cause a great deal of pain. We believe that this symposium and others we are planning will increase understanding of equine dentistry among veterinarians – who in turn will educate their horse-owning clients.”

The Veterinary Medical Center’s Dentistry Service offers endodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, restorations and prosthodontics, orthodonics, radiology, and treatment of oral disease, tumors, and jaw fractures for dogs, cats, horses, and other animals.

Serving Minnesotans and their animals for more than 50 years, the Veterinary Medical Center (VMC) comprises the Lewis Hospital for Companion Animals and a large animal hospital that mostly serves horses and cattle. The VMC treated more than 42,000 animals in 2004, the largest caseload of any veterinary hospital in the nation. For more information about VMC services, call 612-624-1919 or go to http://www.cvm.umn.edu/vmc/

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