Alice Hughes Veterinary Equine Dental Care

Alice Hughes Veterinary Equine Dental Care BVMS CertAVP(ED)PgCert BAEDT MRCVS. Advanced Practitioner in Equine Vet Dentistry. Aberdeen& shire.

Alice is a fully qualified and insured Equine Vet and Dental Technician with over 15 years experience providing veterinary dental care for horses in Aberdeen and surrounding areas. She is a full member of the British Association of Equine Dental Technicians (BAEDT) and has recently completed the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice, Equine Dentistry modu

les. Yard visits for routine and advanced dental care (all undertaken whilst the patient is sedated) can be arranged by contacting her using any of the contact details above.

A very large blind wolf tooth (an extra tooth hiding under the skin where the bit lies) extracted from gorgeous Molly to...
21/02/2025

A very large blind wolf tooth (an extra tooth hiding under the skin where the bit lies) extracted from gorgeous Molly today! Hopefully she’ll now be more comfortable whilst training for her future driving career 🙌🐴

Great info on this painful condition we see more and more of in our older horses and need to keep a look out for 👀
08/02/2025

Great info on this painful condition we see more and more of in our older horses and need to keep a look out for 👀

EOTRH stands for Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis. 🦷

This is a painful and progressive condition that predominantly affects horses aged 15 years and older. It mainly affects the incisors and occasionally the canine teeth, but there has been some very rare cases of affected molar teeth.

The condition involves two primary processes:

Resorption: this is where the calcified dental tissue starts to break down by the horse’s own odontoclast cells reabsorbing the dental structures. This process is believed to be immune-mediated.

Hypercementosis: this is the development of excess cementum which occurs as the dental structures are reabsorbed. The body compensates by over producing cementum in an attempt to stabilise the tooth. This results in bulbous or club-like shapes forming at the apex of the tooth.

The presentation of EOTRH can vary greatly between horses. Some horses exhibit more dominant with hypercementosis, others are more dominant with resorption.
The disease may progress rapidly in some cases but slowly in others.

Due to its progressive nature, early clinical signs may be subtle or go unnoticed until the disease reaches an advanced stage.

Common symptoms include:
•Tartar buildup due to reluctance to use the incisors
•Bulbous dental structures beneath the gumline (caused by hypercementosis)
•Diastemata (gaps between teeth), leading to food entrapment, gingival recession, and periodontal disease
•Red, inflamed gums with draining tracts due to infection
•Loose, fractured, or missing teeth
•Halitosis

Affected horses often struggle to bite into carrots or pull hay from a haynet. Some may develop headshaking, and severe cases can lead to weight loss.

Diagnosis of EOTRH is confirmed through X-rays, which will reveal the extent of resorption and hypercementosis. Currently, the only effective treatment is the extraction of affected teeth by a vet. Each case requires an individualised approach depending on the severity of the disease. Horses adapt very well following extraction, and their improvement highlights the level of pain they were experiencing before treatment.

The cause of EOTRH remains unknown, current studies are exploring periodontal ligament strains, bacterial causes, occlusal pressures, and genetics, however it’s likely to be multi factorial. As our understanding of the disease grows with ongoing research we hope to develop more effective management strategies.

Regular incisor checks are super important to identify signs of EOTRH early. If you suspect EOTRH, consult your EDT or Vet, early intervention can help minimise discomfort for your horse!

Wolf teeth and caps out!
03/02/2025

Wolf teeth and caps out!

31/01/2025
Little and large kits all ready for to go for a busy day of patients of all sizes!
31/01/2025

Little and large kits all ready for to go for a busy day of patients of all sizes!

My new ‘Mini Super Deluxe Pony Speculum’ (tiny gag!) from Equine Blades getting its first use today on handsome Shetland...
28/01/2025

My new ‘Mini Super Deluxe Pony Speculum’ (tiny gag!) from Equine Blades getting its first use today on handsome Shetland pony Troy, 👍 from me and him!

27/01/2025

We found wee Bubbles had an infected tooth when she first arrived at World Horse Welfare Belwade Farm - this would have been uncomfortable and the disease would have progressed (often leading the tooth to fracture) if left. See how we extracted it here! 🎥

A ‘slab fracture’ here causing some nasty ulceration to the cheek. With the displaced slab now removed, thankfully the c...
23/01/2025

A ‘slab fracture’ here causing some nasty ulceration to the cheek.
With the displaced slab now removed, thankfully the cheek will heal quickly.
The remaining tooth appeared healthy, so this can either be closely monitored or investigated further for signs of disease 🙏🏼

I’ve really enjoyed helping out at the SRUC (Scottish Rural College) over the last couple of months, interviewing potent...
22/01/2025

I’ve really enjoyed helping out at the SRUC (Scottish Rural College) over the last couple of months, interviewing potential vet students. So many amazing young passionate people, it’s been a joy to be involved 🙌💪🩺

I’m being spied on from the neighbouring stable! 👀
21/01/2025

I’m being spied on from the neighbouring stable! 👀

18/01/2025

My order is in so hopefully I will be up and running with this shiny new wireless oral camera soon! 🎥

Ozzy helping with his dental chart today! 📝
17/01/2025

Ozzy helping with his dental chart today! 📝

A lovely interactive evening lecturing on equine dentistry to UHI North, West and Hebrides students at Newton of Fintray...
15/01/2025

A lovely interactive evening lecturing on equine dentistry to UHI North, West and Hebrides students at Newton of Fintray Dressage and Eventing Training Yard🧑🏼‍🎓

08/01/2025

An interesting set of incisors found on this gorgeous Shetland today whilst out in the winter wonderland!
(Probably the result of a kick or other trauma when the teeth were forming many years ago, but luckily they function well and don’t seem to bother her 🥰)

Watching your food being eaten whilst waking up from your dental sedation 😵🐐
07/01/2025

Watching your food being eaten whilst waking up from your dental sedation 😵🐐

Happy New Year! 🥳Looking forward to another busy year of lovely horses and clients 🥰 (Hopefully looking less like a deli...
01/01/2025

Happy New Year! 🥳
Looking forward to another busy year of lovely horses and clients 🥰
(Hopefully looking less like a delivery driver now with my new branded van!)

Merry Christmas and happy new year! Thank you all for your support 🥰Off for a wee rest like Olive here… Bring on 2025! 🎉
23/12/2024

Merry Christmas and happy new year!
Thank you all for your support 🥰
Off for a wee rest like Olive here… Bring on 2025! 🎉

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Aberdeen

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+447944273344

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Videos

We found wee Bubbles had an infected tooth when she first arrived at World Horse Welfare Belwade Farm - this would have been uncomfortable and the disease would have progressed (often leading the tooth to fracture) if left. See how we extracted it here! 🎥

Busy day at NMW Riding Academy with a production line of routine dentals, then the sleepy horses being clipped and pampered 🥰

An interesting set of incisors found on this gorgeous Shetland today whilst out in the winter wonderland! (Probably the result of a kick or other trauma when the teeth were forming many years ago, but luckily they function well and don’t seem to bother her 🥰)

Busy day at Aberdeen Riding Club leaving some sleepy, but happy ponies with shiny teeth! A much appreciated pizza and coffee break half way, thank you! 😁

A baby tooth that needed a bit of extra help to shed! The gap left between the two adult teeth will close together in no time 😁👌🏻

A very nasty tongue ulcer caused by this loose bit of fractured tooth 😱 With the razor sharp culprit removed, the tongue should heal nicely 👌🏻

Gorgeous Dazzle had an interesting corner incisor that had erupted in 90 degrees rotated and completely flat against the jaw! Mini Shetlands are often found to have slightly ‘different’ teeth coming in at all angles, and the rest of this wee guy’s herd were hosting a variety of interesting teeth presentations! Luckily no food was getting trapped around this tooth and it didn’t appear to be causing any pain, so other than smoothing the edges so it didn’t catch on the lips, we can just monitor this one 😁

🌟 Alice Hughes Veterinary Equine Dental Care is now 2 years old! 🌟 Thank you very much to everyone who has supported me over this time, and to all the lovely owners and equines that I’ve met. It’s been a steep learning curve setting out on my own but have loved every minute. Roll on year 3! 🎉

A very well worn, ‘expired’ cheek tooth! This belonged to a lovely older Shetland pony who had used every last millimetre of the crown of this tooth! It was now so short that the roots on their own weren’t enough to hold the tooth in place and it needed very little encouragement to come out 🦷

This Shetland Pony appeared to be eating well, with no obvious signs of discomfort, so hadn’t had his mouth checked for years. However, when the gag was put on, it was obvious to see that he has been suffering with large dental overgrowths digging into the soft tissues causing ulceration, as well as multiple diastemata (food trapping between the teeth) causing painful gum disease. As prey species, horses (especially more stoic native breeds) often don’t show external signs of pain, and suffer in silence #nopaincheckagain

A pretty gruesome incisor I extracted today affected by EOTRH - showing both marked signs of Tooth Resorption (the big hole in the middle!) and Hypercemtosis (big bulbous end that should have been tapered)

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