Right to Work, Right to ChooseScott Buchanan
Practice Coordinator Neel Veterinary & Emergency Hospital A critical argument for the supporters of current "equine tooth floating" legislation in Oklahoma is that teeth floaters should have a right to work in our state and that horse owners have a right to choose who works on their livestock and/or pets.
I couldn't agree more… these bills just have it WRONG.
A Right to Work:
A fundamental right in our country and our state is the right to work. Currently, all citizens have a right to become a police officer, a fireman, a doctor, a veterinarian, a teacher, a plumber, a hairstylist, a realtor, a baby sitter, a truck driver… the list goes on. Of course, as a consumer protection, the state regulates these professions by requiring some form of certification before that right to work can be exercised.
Oklahoma has multiple certifications to allow teeth floaters a right to work. They can of course be a Veterinarian, but that takes nearly a decade of education, and doesn't focus solely on dentistry. Oklahoma's Veterinary Practice Act also enables Veterinary Technicians the opportunity to practice some level of equine dentistry. These Veterinary Technicians are also certified yearly by the State of Oklahoma and can complete an education in just over two years.
What I question is the motives of a person or profession that believes they should not be regulated in any way and that consumers of their services should not have a right to any protections afforded to nearly every other professional service in the state.
A Right to Choose:
Another fundamental right of our citizens is to choose with whom they do business. That right is exercised daily by nearly everyone. If I need electrical work done, I choose which electrician to hire, if I need to get my hair cut, I choose my barber, if I need my truck repaired, I choose my mechanic.
My choice is only limited by the number of people and businesses who have earned appropriate certification or licensure as required by the state. I certainly don't feel slighted that I cannot hire JoBob that lives down on the corner to come re-wire a room in my business.
It seems to me that those making an argument for allowing equine dentists to practice without regulation are either implying that the act of floating teeth is so easy and uncomplicated that it should require no certification, or that they think that any regulation is fundamentally wrong, and that we should also begin deregulating all other professions as well.
Most veterinary professionals seem to see a value in specialized veterinary care, such as teeth floating, ultrasonography, reproductive activities, etc. In fact most veterinarians that work with large animals do desire the assistance of individuals that can float teeth… as long as they follow through with the proper training and licensure as required by the state to ensure appropriate consumer (and animal safety) protections.
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