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'Horse-adontist' Rides to the Rescue of Nagging Problems

By Janis Dice

He sets the machine in motion, using a forklift to raise the client higher. Opening the orifice of the sedated patient, he inserts a foot-long speculum into the gap, and then eases in a 15-inch stainless steel probe with a 2-inch round mirror affixed to the end. The examination begins.
    No, this isn’t a page from a Stephen King horror novel. It’s a typical activity in a day’s work for Tony Basile, 52, practitioner of equine dentistry.
    A resident of El Dorado Hills, Basile (“Bu-zeale” in Italian, or “Basil” in the American pronunciation) started working with horses 30 years ago as a private trainer at a rented facility in the foothills. The trail he was following in life took an unexpected turn when a veterinarian asked him to assist at a dental-related horse call and calm the beast during treatment.
    Happy to oblige, Basile was surprised by the antiquated equipment and methodology used in treating equine teeth and gum disorders. Spurred by curiosity, he casually researched horse dentistry, reaching back to publications printed in the 19th century, when human survival often depended on the health of equine work and travel partners.
    Under the supervision of a vet, Basile took on the routine job of floating — or filing down — horses’ teeth for $15 a pop. What was a tedious chore for veterinarians became an interesting job, as well as a steady source of income, to Basile.

Continued...

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