Adelaide Equine Veterinary Dentistry

06/10/2023

Thanks for having me back again Matt & Lauren!! Lovely to catch up in the sunshine and also meet some of your fab agisters this trip 🦷🪥🐴😁

DENTAL DAY @ OOH 🙌

Always a treat to catch up with Simone!! Thank you so much for taking excellent care of our ponies teeth.

06/08/2023

🦷🐴👩‍🏫 Toothfest 2023 🤓🪥📚

Last week vets from all over the world (including myself!) converged on Coffs Harbour to learn from a brilliant group of international equine dentistry specialists. This conference happens once every 5 years and is a truly epic event 🙌

The latest research and techniques were presented plus panel discussions really sparked great debate on current topics in equine dentistry.

It was also great to see so many South Australian vets in attendance, just highlighting how we are collectively progressing veterinary dental care in our awesome state 🩵🦷👍

23/09/2022

Norwegian Fjord chats on cold wet Friday afternoons are just the best 🥰🥰🥰

25/08/2022

Persistence - Patience - Perseverance was todays mantra for a slightly stressful 104 (canine) extraction due to EOTRH.

The fragility of this tooth became obvious very early on when the crown broke off…

shortly followed by the mid segment of the tooth…

and finally by the root 😩😩😩

EOTRH is a degenerative condition that causes resorption of the tooth (think Swiss cheese 🧀 in tooth form) which makes them highly unstable and prone to fracturing.

The root also had a bulbous shape (another part of the EOTRH process called hypercementosis) to it which necessitated widening of the alveolar bone socket to facilitate its “square peg out of a round hole” extraction. I was one very happy veterinarian to see that little troublemaker piece out of there!! 😈

And did I mention that it also rained 3 times during this extraction … 🫤🌧🤷‍♀️

Doc was an absolute superstar and was seen happily munching away on grass 2hrs afterwards. The 204 also needs extraction but we will tackle that one another day … after a hot shower and a glass of wine 🚿🍷😁

01/08/2022

Love this awesome crew of horses and so honoured to be involved in their continued care 💕👮‍♀️🐴🦷🥳

15/07/2022

Caesar enjoying his best this morning - such a poser with the incredible background behind him and loves giving cuddles … 100% recommend 💞🤗

05/07/2022

Loving these crisp winter mornings up in the Adelaide Hills 😀❄️💕

11/06/2022

I had a great week away tutoring at EVDS in Grafton last week. Got to catch up with some fabulous colleagues who also share my passion for everything enamel 🦷💙

An awesome group of registrants attended who were super keen to learn more and develop skills in this field - this is the second full course (28 people) that’s run this year which confirms this area of veterinary medicine is on the rise 🙌🙌🙌

25/05/2022

Just a heads up about 2022 bookings 🗓

I’m now fully booked until Friday 21st October with the remainder of 2022 almost 75% booked up.

If your horse’s teeth need to see me this year please get in touch soon as once I’m booked up there’s no other spaces to squeeze horses in!!

And as always, thank-you so❣️so❣️so❣️much for supporting my business and my enthusiasm of all things enamel 🦷🦷🦷😁

17/05/2022

🦷🪥 Donkey Dental Day 😃🤍

Fabulous day out with Peter and Barb Young and their 4 rescue donkeys. Muriel, Albert, Forrest and Gordon all had their teeth checked plus vaccinations and worming done.

Gordon was showing off his confident crush loading skills having been in the crush a few times already with some interesting dental pathology that I’ve been managing for the past 12 months (which is looking amazing today!! 🙌).

So great to see the care and attention this beautiful herd receive from their devoted owners …. And I couldn’t help but fall in love with Muriel’s gorgeous big ears 💕💕💕

13/05/2022

Thanks Clare and Riverton for another interesting regional dentistry trip 🙌🐴🦷🚙

25 horses were seen over 3 days and most mouths were in great shape having received semi-regular dental care in the past …. But there were a few interesting ones that popped up including a 29yo mare with 4 loose teeth, a 12yo brood mare with an impressive rostral hook and a 16yo mare with a palatal overgrowth on a supernumerary molar (111a)!

Great to also catch up with a few relocated clients as well as meeting lots of new faces 😁

Next trip planned for Wed 10/11 & Thurs 11/11 - get in touch if you’d like to be added to this trip as spots are already booking up 🗓

10/05/2022

🗓🦷❄️Winter Bookings are almost FULL!!

I have a few scattered spaces left for appointments in June, July & August but the bulk of these 3 months are now completely booked 😱

I have been trying desperately to keep up with demand and have done over 350 routine dentals (in addition to extractions, X-rays, periodontal treatments etc…!!!) since January but I think it’s time to now say that we all need to start planing a few months ahead for appointments. Gone are the days of messaging and hoping for a booking in the next week or two!

Please 🙏 Please 🙏 Please 🙏 THINK AHEAD!!

I’m now taking bookings for September onwards and to be completely honest I’m already 35% booked from September to December. If your horses are due in the second half of the year please get in touch sooner rather than later and book in. Once the spaces are gone I can’t magic up any more time to fit extra horses in and I don’t want anyone to miss out if I can avoid it 🤞

22/04/2022

🐴👅🐛 Bot fly season is upon us again !!

I was called to see a miserable 13yo palomino mare this week who’d been uncomfortable on the bit and salivating for the past 2 weeks.

Her tongue was swollen (especially on the right side) and thick cording streaks could be felt along the length of her tongue. There was also an area of ulceration in the right cheek from self trauma as she’d been altering her chewing action to minimise pressure on the tongue.

Needless to say she was very very unhappy with me handling her tongue despite being sedated for examination.

It’s always worth getting a full oral examination for any horse showing discomfort in the mouth … you never know what you’re going to find!!

Bot fly management tips:

🪰 Boticide de-wormer in the winter months to kill the adults in the stomach (remember wormers only work on the adult stage!)
🪰 Bot Knives/Shedding blocks to reduce the egg load on legs/manes etc
🪰 Fly spray to keep the pesky flies away

11/04/2022

🐴🦷🩸 End stage EOTRH extraction case

Cruise is a lovely 21yo TB gelding with advanced equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH). Today he had his last 6 remaining incisors removed today as part of an ongoing 3 year management plan.

I have been sequentially removing the loose incisors at each dental check up since 2019. At the most recent examination in January 2022 it was decided that the remaining teeth should be extracted all in one go as there was limited occlusal contact remaining and the owners were noticing some discomfort when the incisors were touching/connecting during grazing.

Under sedation, pain relief, nerve blocks and local anaesthetic these last 6 teeth were extracted. As much of the gum was sutured closed as possible and the cavities will granulated and heal quickly in 2-4 weeks time thanks to the awesome blood supply the mouth has.

It may seem a bit barbaric to take out all the incisors but in all honesty these horses are soooo much happier 24-48hrs after extraction once these painful teeth are removed - proof of this is the fact that Cruise has his head down trying to graze as soon as he came out of the crush. His gum margins will harden over the coming months to assist his strong tongue and lips in prehending (grabbing) his hay, grass and hard feed 💕🌾🌱😁

11/03/2022

🚙🧳 Final 2 days of the dentistry road trip were spent in Kadina and there were interesting cases everywhere!!

It’s important to note that all these horses were booked in for routine dentals, highlighting to importance of a thorough examination of the mouth as problems can be lurking 👀 🔦🕵️‍♀️

Some of the cases seen include (in order with the photos):

🐴 Pulp exposure ( #4) with caudal root bluntening on 108
🐴 Dental caries on 209
🐴 Periodontal disease and diastemma treatment
🐴 Re-assessment of a peripheral cemental caries case from September 2021
🐴 402 fracture with food impaction - extracted
🐴 401 Sagittarius fracture and pulp exposure

🙌🏆 Massive thanks to my amazing organiser Khara for once again setting up a fantastic few days of dentistry. I couldn’t have gotten through the 2 days without my helper extraordinaire Julia - you are a champion!! 🥇 And lastly to Lee and Sean for allowing me to take over their carport for 2 days - it made such a difference!! 🏡☀️

See you all in early September 2022 - Khara is already taking bookings and looks like we may need 3 days on the Copper Coast next time 😁😁😁

09/03/2022

🚙🧳 Rural road trip continued today to Port Pirie - great to see so many happy mouths for routine rasps as this is the third year I’ve been coming up to see horses here 🙌

The last horse of the day had a sneaky sialolith in the right parotid salivary duct which had been causing problems with the bridle when ridden.

Extraction was performed under local anaesthesia and sedation. An intra-oral incision was made in the cheek mucosa and the sialolith was able to be manipulated out.

The oral cavity is well supplied with blood so healing usually only takes 5-7 days, so this lovely mare will be back barrel racing in no time 🏇🛢🤞

Many thanks to Ali for the loan of her 100 year old gum tree to set the crush up under and special thanks to the wonderful Ellouise for organising another great dental day up here 💗

08/03/2022

🚙🧳 Rural dental trips are always full of interesting cases and today’s cases in Quorn were wide and varied (and fabulous!) 😁

There were (in order with the photos):
🐴 Nasty caudal mucosal ulcers
🐴 Peripheral cemental caries
🐴 Canine fracture (304)
🐴 EOTRH (moderate case)
🐴 Supernumerary incisors (303a)
🐴 Caudal hooks (311)
🐴 Devitalised (dead) and fractured 102 incisor
🐴 Enamel lesions of 101/201 with smile confirmation due to missing teeth (103/203)

Many thanks to my wonderful hosts Lynn and Amelia for organising the trip and then keeping me fed and watered throughout the day (J&M Deli in Port Augusta is a little bit awesome!).

Next Quorn trip planned for early September 2022 - get in touch if you’d like to book in 😀🗓🦷🐴

03/03/2022

🗓⏰🦷 Appointment Availability Update

2022 is already whizzing along … I can’t believe it’s March already!!

I am now completely fully booked for routine dentistry appointments for March, April and May.
I have a few spaces available for emergency/urgent cases if needed but otherwise I’m completely booked out for the next 3 months !!

I’m away tutoring at EVDS in Grafton again in June (6-11th) plus having a week off afterwards (12-19th) so I’m now taking bookings for 20th June onwards.

As the weather tends to be unpredictable in the winter, I will only be taking bookings on mondays, wednesdays and thursdays for June, July and August just so that I’ve got some wiggle room should a day have to be postponed and rescheduled.

Please think ahead for bookings during this time and get in touch as spots are already filling up!

Thank you again Adelaide for entrusting me with the dental care of your horses and for keeping me so busy - I really do love it 🙏💗🙏💗

02/03/2022

💉⏳💊 SEDATION SWABBING TIMES

Just a quick reminder that sedation used for dentistry has a 4 day (96hrs) withholding period for competition.

Please take this into consideration when booking any routine dentistry appointments and ideally plan for work to be done out of your competition season.

It should also be noted that filling out a treatment sheet does not exonerate the use of these sedative drugs as their administration for preventative health procedures is non-essential and appointments can and should be rescheduled 😀🐎

01/03/2022

🦷🦷🦷 EOTRH (“eeee-awww-thhh”)

Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis

It’s a mouthful of a diagnosis to say but it’s a painful condition that often results in extraction of all incisors.

Today’s case was Mr Tom, a lovely 29yo TB gelding recently relocated to Windemere Horse Haven in Mt Torrens. After initial assessment and X-rays by Equus Vets he was referred for extraction of the remaining 10 incisors. Under local anaesthetic and sedation these teeth were able to be removed by elevation alone due to their already compromised/weakened root state.

The exact mechanism of EOTRH is still largely unknown but is thought to have an auto-immune origin. Older thoroughbreds seem to be predominantly affected but the condition is not limited to this breed. Changes and remodelling in the tooth roots causes a normally slender structure to become bulbous (like an onion root) and this distortion causes a weakening of the supporting alveolar bone and infection/pain/tooth loss.

Mr Tom’s incisors are an example of advanced/end stage EOTRH. Extraction of these painful teeth usually results in visibly happier horses in 24-48hrs. Subsequent hardening and callus formation of the gum lines will enable him to still effective grasp hay and longer length grass (you’d be amazed what they can do with their tongues to help get grass into their mouths!).

Best of luck with your new life Mr Tom - there are some really lovely people at Windemere working hard to get you back on track 💗🍀🐎

25/02/2022

🔵⚪️⚫️ Port Adelaide supporter Barney gets Colgate smile make-over 😀🦷👄☑️

Barney is a 6yo OTTTB gelding who must have been involved in some sort of epic pub brawl as a youngster!!

He’s missing a tooth (201), has displaced a tooth (301) and has damaged the developing teeth buds of 302 and 303 resulting in their malformation.

Today I’ve taken out 301, 302 & 303 under sedation and a mental nerve block. Additionally I’ve done a bit of incisor filing (odontoplasty) to correct the slant on the right side of his incisors and allow his jaw to move more freely.

Hopefully this will help Barney with his chewing and hay grabbing (prehension) abilities…. And not to mention his improved charm with the ladies now that he’s got a suave smile going on 😁😁😁

17/02/2022

🚨 PSA (and a slight grumble ….. 😩😬)

I need to make everyone aware that I am super busy at the moment and booked solid until late May at this stage…. I’m trying my best to fit everyone in and am working some crazy long days!!

Please, please, please be considerate if you have to cancel an appointment and give me as much notice as possible - one hour is NOT enough!!
I know life happens but in the last 2 days I’ve had 2 late notice cancellation spots that could have been filled!!

I have a list of people DESPERATE for an appointment but I need to organise any changes at least a day beforehand so that other clients can make appropriate arrangements etc.

I have now instituted a $50 per horse cancellation fee if less than 48 hours notice is given. Please help me to keep servicing the horses of the Adelaide Hills by honouring appointments made 🙏

01/02/2022

Great article about the link between oaten hay and cemental caries - a condition that I commonly see in horses north of Adelaide and out on Yorke Peninsula 🌾🐴🦷

Oaten hay is commonly fed to horses. Recent research by Jackson et al (2018)1 suggests however that we should be cautious with oaten hay as it may be negatively affecting our horses’ dental health! The Study Dr Kirsten Jackson (https://dentalvet.com.au) and her co-researchers found in a study of 5...

31/01/2022

🚙🦷🐴 CLARE DENTAL TRIP - Wed 11th & Thurs 12th May 2022 🚙🦷🐴

Just letting people in and around Clare know that I’m heading up your way!

I currently have enough horses booked in for a 1-day trip but thought I’d see if anyone else wanted to book at spot as I can easily extend to a 2-day trip if there is enough interest.

Please PM me with your location and number of horses if you’d like to book in 😀

27/01/2022

🦷🦷🦷 There’s never a dull moment in equine dentistry and today was no exception!

First up was a 14yo gelding with a 201 extraction. This horse must have sustained an injury to its upper lip area as a youngster (obvious scar on the muzzle) resulting in malformation of 101 and 201. 201 was extracted today due to a pulp exposure and apical infection.

This afternoon was a 27yo mare with a lot of quidding noted recently. She had 5 loose maxillary (upper) cheek teeth that needed removing as they were expired and only had small root structures holding them in place.

Both horses are hopefully grazing a bit more happily tonight and this vet has gone home for a well earned shower after working in some crazy Adelaide heat and humidity 🥵

20/12/2021

And that’s a wrap on 2021!!!

Today was my last day of dentals for this COVID 😷 crazy year and it was great to spend it with the gorgeous ponies from Nolton Park - check out their Facebook and Instagram pages to see the amazing work these ponies do 💗

Pictured in the crush is 2yo Bella who at 67kg in weight had 2 wolf teeth taken out that were comparable in size to ones I take out of 500kg sized horses!! (see photo for comparison)… there’s never a dull moment in dentistry when miniature horses are involved 🦷🤩🤓

The crush is having its annual service and I’m having a 3 week break over Christmas and will be back on deck on Monday 10th January 2022 (provided I don’t get COVID in between!!). January and February are fully booked already so please think ahead and book in for March as spaces are already filling up 📔⏰

And most importantly - a massive thank you to everyone who has supported my passion for equine dentistry in 2021 … your enthusiasm and interest in everything enamel has blown me away and I’m amazingly grateful to be able to do a job that I love every single day❣️❣️❣️

Merry Christmas and catch you all in 2022 - Simone 🎄🦷😎🐴💗✌️

10/12/2021

Any day doing a Norwegian Fjord dental is a good day 🇳🇴 💙💛

03/12/2021

It’s been a fabulous 2 weeks hosting 4th year DVM student Christy for placement.

We’ve extracted cheek teeth/incisors/wolf teeth, burred diastemmas, probed open pulps on canine teeth, treated shear mouth issues, corrected incisor alignment issues and chatted about all things periodontal (as only 2 dentistry enthusiasts can!🤣) … in addition to lots and lots of routine dentals 🦷💪

I’m so excited for Christy’s future as she is VERY keen to persue a career in equine dentistry upon graduation from Roseworthy Vet School 🎓👩‍⚕️🩺🦷

22/10/2021

📣📣📣 Limited bookings available 📣📣📣

***EDIT - 2021 is now fully booked out ***

Just letting everyone know that there’s only a handful of appointments left before Christmas so get in quick if your horse(s) need seeing in the next 8 weeks:

Available times and numbers of spaces:
🦷Friday 12/11/21 (4-5 dentals; 10.30am onwards ) ***BOOKED***
🦷Thursday 9/12/21 (3-4 dentals; 10am-2pm)
***BOOKED***
🦷Friday 10/12/21 (1-2 dentals 11.30am-1pm) ***BOOKED***
🦷Monday 13/12/21 (5-6 dentals; 10.30am onwards) ***BOOKED***

I will be on holidays from 22/12/21 to 11/1/22 (3 weeks) and January bookings are already filling up so if you wanted a space during the school holidays let me know soon!

🙏🙏🙏 And massive thanks to everyone for supporting my business and embracing equine dentistry in 2021 - I’m absolutely loving it and I hope your horses are too! Simone 😎💗🐴🦷

14/10/2021

🛑 🐴 Dental exams aren’t just about checking the teeth 🦷👀🔦

Yesterday I started a routine dental examination on a 4.5yo Arabian WB mare and before I’d even opened the mouth this soft tissue mass was identified sitting just behind a small mare canine (404).

Radiographs confirm no involvement of the underlying mandibular bone (purple arrow pointing to mass location). A biopsy was taken and results are currently pending but the most likely diagnosis is a squamous cell carcinoma.

These tumours are aggressive and can metastasise so laser surgery/vaporisation and local chemotherapy will be performed at Roseworthy Equine Health and Performance Centre early next week🤞🤞🤞