Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
by Dr Kirsten Jackson, Dental Vet, Forrestdale, WA
We are an equine veterinary dentistry practice and use this tool daily to treat periodontal disease in horses. The Water Pick is a great way to remove feed material trapped between horse’s teeth which causes painful periodontal disease.
What’s good about it
We have our Water Pick hooked up to a tank with a pump and some dilute chlorhexidine in the water. This allows us to flush right down into the periodontal pockets and remove the rotten food and infection. Additional tools are often needed to remove all the feed, but this tool significantly reduces the time to clean it out while the chlorhexidine disinfects the pockets. We use it at our clinic and with our mobile service.
The unit can also be attached to a tap with a standard hose fitting or to a garden sprayer if you’re out in a paddock. The pressure isn’t as strong, but it will still remove food material.
All our patients are sedated for dentals but in cases of severe periodontal disease, they receive additional pain relief. For some horses with deep periodontal pockets, the treatment can be uncomfortable and additional pain relief and sedation may be needed. The Water Pick is around 60 centimetres long, allowing for access to the back of the horse’s mouth. The trigger mechanism can be locked which takes the strain off your hands and fingers.
Around 60 per cent of horses over 15 years of age have periodontal disease. This Water Pick is an effective tool in fighting this common, painful disease and improving the quality of life for the horse.
What’s not so good
It’s a finger trigger pull that takes a bit of getting used to and it can be difficult to hold on. It has a locking mechanism which is helpful, but I feel a palm trigger would be a lot easier to use.
