CF Equine Dentistry

05/30/2023

Update on the Woodward, OK dates.

We will be there June 22nd-25th. Friday, June 23rd and Saturday, June 24th still have availability. Call or text me to get scheduled!

05/23/2023

I’ll be in the Sand Springs area Saturday, June 3rd with spots still available if anyone needs their horses checked. 🐴🦷

Also, my summer schedule is filling up fast, so if you’re needing dentals please contact me to get on the schedule.

05/09/2023

I will be in the Stigler area on May 19th and 20th working on horses. We still have spots available. Contact Olivia Faith Allen or myself to be added to the list.

Rafter-O Performance Horses

05/03/2023

Woodward friends!
I’ll be coming to Woodward again soon in the next month or two. If you’re needing any horses floated or checked please let me know so we can start scheduling.

I hope everyone is ready for a great summer!

Text or call at 918-290-1010

04/29/2023

I’ll be making a trip to Kinta, OK May 19th and 20th and still have a few spots open if anyone is interested.

04/17/2023

Little miss future equine dentist in the making!

Just when you think they don’t pay attention and you get pictures like this! Her momma says this little pony gets “weekly check-ups” 😆 Her pony has top notch teeth!

01/27/2023

I will be in Cherokee, OK February 9th and have a few openings available. Must haul to location we will be working at. Message me for more information.

I also still have a few openings for Woodward on February 10th, 11th, and possibly 12th. Farm calls are available for these dates.

918-290-1010 call or text for scheduling or questions.

01/20/2023

🦷Fun Fact Friday🦷

Foxtails - not such a fun topic, but let’s discuss!

Foxtails are a type of grass with long stems and seed pods at the tip. The tiny bristles on the seed pods can break off and bury into a horse’s mouth. The foxtails then develop significant, painful ulcers in the gums of the incisors (front teeth), lips, cheeks, and tongue.

Signs of foxtail ulcerations include:
- Odor from the mouth (it will be a strong, foul odor)
- Difficulty chewing
- Excessive salivation
- Possible blood surrounding lips or found around the feeding area
- Decreased appetite
- Resistance to having their mouth touched

If you see any of these signs and have confirmed foxtails in the hay, you should remove the horse from the contaminated hay, if at all possible. Most mild cases will treat themselves if the hay is no longer available. In more severe cases, it is best to remove the embedded foxtails and rinse with a diluted antiseptic rinse recommended by your vet to assist in healing. Below are some pictures of a moderate case.

01/20/2023

Heads up to the Perkins area!
Foxtails have been found in the hay in the surrounding area. Please check your hay along with your horse’s mouths to make sure there are no foxtails causing any issues. For more information on what you should be looking for, go read my Fun Fact Friday post for this week! Hope everyone is having a great year so far!

01/18/2023

Hey Woodward area!

We will be back February 10th-12th and possibly the 9th if needed. Please let me know if you’d like to get on the schedule and what day works best for you!

We look forward to seeing everyone soon!

12/24/2022

Happy Holidays from CF Equine Dentistry!

Thank you to all who made this year amazing. We’ve enjoyed working with each and every one of you! We can’t wait to see what the new year has in store for us!

We will be out of the office from December 23rd - January 3rd. Please feel free to contact us about scheduling and we will get back to you in 2023!

Photo credit: Briana Wiker-Todd

12/16/2022

🦷Fun Fact Friday🦷

Muscles of mastication (chewing process)

There are 3 major muscles that help a horse chew.

Temporalis muscle - Used mostly to close during mastication. You can find this muscle on the forehead. If these muscles are uneven in size it can give us a clue that something is wrong in the mouth.

Masseter muscle - Found on the side of the cheeks. This muscle is very important during the mastication process and is the largest muscle of the 3. They are fibrous and complex with striations running in different directions to allow complex movements. Their main action is to elevate the lower jaw providing the power for mastication and side to side movement.

Pterygoid (the P is silent) - These muscles help with the side to side movement during
mastication and for front to back (nose to tail) movement of the lower jaw. These muscles are also fibrous and complex like the masseter. You can find this muscle on the inside of the lower jaw.

Have you checked your horses temporalis muscles lately?

12/10/2022

🦷Fun Fact Friday🦷

Last week we learned that horses chew in a circular, side to side movement for the perfect grinding surface. This week we will continue discussing the mastication (chewing) process in horses!

The group of molar teeth in each quadrant of the mouth are called arcades. Each tooth in the arcade is meant to stay tight and act as a single unit during the process of mastication. This ensures that each tooth is doing the best job it can to break down the food particles for digestion. The life span of the teeth all comes down to the integrity of each arcade working as one unit.

When we find an unnatural space in between two teeth, it typically will start trapping food. When food or debris is stuck between two teeth for a long period of time, the space between the gums and tooth will become deeper, creating a periodontal pocket. These pockets of infection happen
when the periodontal ligaments, or PDLs, detach from the tooth and eventually cause bone loss due to the bacteria infecting the surrounding area. The tooth or teeth affected will become mobile (loose) and need extracted.

12/02/2022

🦷 Fun Fact Friday 🦷

Let's talk about the mastication (chewing) process in horses!

I can discuss the steps a horse's mouth takes to grind down their food all day long. So, I will be splitting this topic into multiple parts.

Horses have an anisognathic jaw. This means that the lower jaw is smaller and sits slightly inside the upper jaw. Due to this positioning, the teeth work together moving in a circular, side to side chewing movement; therefore, creating the grinding surface for roughage, like hay or grain. This chewing process can result in sharp points on the outside portion of the upper molars and inside of the lower molars. As the horse ages, the eruption and wear of teeth can exaggerate the sharp points and may change the normal movement a horse uses to chew. When a horse starts altering this movement, it can cause malocclusions (e.g. waves, hooks, ramps).

WIld horses are not as lucky as domestic horses, because they don't have the services to address their medical needs. Their life span is often half of a domestic horse because of this.

It's important to make sure your horse's mouth is on the right track for a successful life. Keeping their teeth floated and well maintained is a great way to insure their teeth will continue to work in a proper manner.

11/28/2022

I will be traveling to the Okemah area soon and was wondering if I have anyone needing their horses worked on. I can take any of these routes shown below. Exact date is to be determined.

11/18/2022

🦷 Fun Fact Friday! 🦷

Let’s talk about dental cysts in horses today!

✨ What are they?
- Dental cysts are the round, bulging areas of bone found on the bottom of the jaw or top of the cheek.

✨ What causes dental cysts?
- As the permanent tooth is maturing, it applies pressure to the roots of the cap (baby tooth) making them resorb to force the tooth out of the socket. At the same time, the maturing tooth is applying pressure to the bottom of the jaw bone or top of the cheek bone. This pressure results in the bony bulging area we can feel and see known as a dental cysts.

✨ Where do we see dental cysts?
- Dental cysts are typically found in young, smaller headed horses. Their bone mass is slightly smaller than a large headed horse, while their teeth are around the same size. The smaller the bone mass, the larger the dental cysts will be.

✨Do dental cysts go away?
- Yes! As the maturing tooth continues to develop and erupt through the gums, the roots of the tooth (which forms the dental cysts) will proceed with the rest of the tooth, lessening the pressure on the bone.

11/17/2022

We had a great time this past weekend in Woodward! The chilly weather couldn’t slow us down. We look forward to seeing everyone at our next trip in February. Further details coming soon!

11/09/2022

I have 1 spot left for Friday and Sunday!

Hey Woodward friends!

I will be in town November 11th-13th working.

$125/horse
$10/wolf tooth extraction

Group rates available if there’s more than 5 head at the same barn! Please let me know if you’d like to get scheduled. Spots are filling up fast! You can text me at 918-290-1010.

11/04/2022

🦷 Fun Fact Friday! 🦷

Todays topic is the canine teeth!

This tooth has been the center of a lot of conversations lately, so let’s talk about it!

- It’s apart of the incisors (front teeth or also known as smile teeth in humans 😁).
- They were originally used in horses for fighting.
- Most canines are found in studs or gelding horses.
- Mares can have canines too, but they will be less developed than males.
- Most canines are nonfunctional now, unless you have a stud that will use them when stand breeding.
- Canines should never interfere with the placement of your bit.

10/28/2022

🦷 Fun Fact Friday! 🦷

Horses get the most out of their nutrition when their teeth are balanced correctly.
What does this mean? It means that they need to be checked and/or floated by an equine dentist every 6-12 months to make sure their occlusal surfaces (top area of their teeth) have maximum contact present, along with addressing other issues they may have. Horses have to grind their food small enough to enter their epiglottis, which is smaller than a man’s pinky finger! Correct occlusion is important for your horses overall health and the digestive process starts with mastication (the process of by which food is crushed and ground by teeth).

Winter is almost here and this is the perfect time to make sure your horses get the most out of their nutrition! A little investing can go a long way this winter. ❄️☃️

10/26/2022

Hey Woodward friends!

I will be in town November 11th-13th working.

$125/horse
$10/wolf tooth extraction

Group rates available if there’s more than 5 head at the same barn! Please let me know if you’d like to get scheduled. Spots are filling up fast! You can text me at 918-290-1010.

10/22/2022

…………………🦷 Fun Fact Friday!)🦷…..………..
……………….(A day late 😂)……………

Did you know the major morphological evolution of the equine skull happened between 15-20 MILLION years ago? This resulted in a morphology adapted particularly for grazing. The molars became longer and their skull and jaws became deeper to make room for high crowned teeth called hypsodont teeth. These types of teeth are also found in cattle.

Hypsodont teeth are continuously erupting and wearing away by grinding food. Since they are constantly wearing the top surfaces of their teeth it’s important to keep up with their dental care to ensure the proper wear patterns of their teeth stay balanced.

Each tooth has an erupted clinical crown, an un-erupted reserve crown and the root of the tooth. (See picture below of a 4 year old horse)

Humans have bunodont teeth which are short, low crowns that do not continue to erupt.

Beavers and other rodents have hypselodont teeth meaning they grow continuously throughout their life. To keep their teeth from growing into their brains, they chew on very abrasive materials.

Teeth come in various shapes and sizes and they all have their own specific purpose!

Don’t forget we are still offering $15 off each float in October! 🎃

10/14/2022

Fun Fact Friday!

I’ve had the cutest little helper this week! 💜

We are still offering $15 off each dental float scheduled in October in honor of National Dental Hygiene Month! 🦷

09/30/2022

🦷FUN FACT FRIDAY🦷

October is National Dental Hygiene month and as most of you know I also work as a dental hygienist when I’m not working with horses! In honor of National Dental Hygiene month, I would like to celebrate by offering $15 off any floats that are scheduled in October.

Even though horses are unable to brush and floss their teeth like people do, their hygiene includes routine dental floats to reduce any sharp points, hooks, waves and/or any other occlusal concerns they may need addressed. Keeping your horses on a 6 month recall assures that these problems are maintained to keep your horse healthy and happy!

09/23/2022

Fun Fact Friday!

Did you know horses can have anywhere from 36-44 teeth? Humans usually only have 32 teeth!

Horses have:
🦷 12 incisors (front teeth or also known as smile teeth)
🦷 0-4 canines (these are more common in male horses but can sometimes be found in mares)
🦷 0-4 wolf teeth (these are usually extracted at a young age due to interfering with the placement of the bit)
🦷 24 cheek teeth (also known as their molars)

09/17/2022

Fun Fact Friday!

Did you know that horses can get cavities just like humans can?

Dental cavities (also known as dental caries) are the most common disease found in humans. Over 80% of Americans have/had cavities!

Horses teeth are formed with the same materials as our own teeth. When we eat sugar and carbs, we have a higher risk of getting dental cavities. Same goes for our horses. It’s important to have them on a well balanced diet to ensure that our horses cavity risk is decreased. It’s also important to have your equine dentist examine your horse for cavities at each check up!

07/27/2022

I will be in the Broken Arrow area on Monday, August 15th if anyone needs to get scheduled! Group rates are available at the same location.

07/11/2022

I had a last minute cancellation for tomorrow, July 12th. Any horses scheduled for tomorrow will be $15 off.

918-290-1010

06/14/2022

So thankful I get the opportunity to support these kids and their love for the sport of rodeo!

SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL SPONSORS FOR THIS 2022 RODEO SEASON!!

Thank you to each one of you for all you do for our contestants! We appreciate your support. ❤

05/09/2022

Thank you Arizona for another amazing trip getting to do what I love! We had a blast working in the mountains with the views. 🦷⛰

Thank you to all the previous and new clients we were able to take care of this round. We look forward to coming back in October. Let me know if you’d like to get on the schedule.

A special thanks to Briana Wiker for all the scheduling and holding you do for me! I couldn’t do it without you girl.

03/21/2022

Thank you Cross Brand Cowboy Church for inviting me to join in on the fun day this past weekend. We had a great turn out!

Thank you Rena Cheyenne Dollarhide for the picture. 💜

03/15/2022

I will be in the Woodward area March 27th-30th and still have some spots open. Call or text to get on the books!

9182901010

03/14/2022

02/22/2022

Thank you for such a fun day yesterday!

02/09/2022

Spring is around the corner and my schedule is getting full! Call or text to get booked. 🐴☀️

Let’s get your horse ready for an awesome year! ✨

01/01/2022

💥 Happy New Year 💥

From my family to yours, we wish you a happy new year!

Thank you to all who have given me the opportunity to be a part of your equine dental health. I look forward to working with everyone in 2022!

11/06/2021

🐴 Attention Woodward Friends 🐴

I will be in the area November 11-14th if anyone needs their horses checked or worked on. I have limited spaces left, so let me know if you want on the schedule!

918-290-1010

11/01/2021

🍁Happy November! 🍁

I’m thankful for all the horses I’ve been blessed to work on so far with this career.

In honor of this November, I am having a special deal. For every 4 horses floated, I will float the 5th horse for free! Multiple owners is allowed. This deal will only last for the month of November, so round up your friends and let’s get scheduled!

9182901010

10/13/2021

🦷 Happy Hump Day My Friends! 🦷

I am so happy to announce I’m back in Oklahoma and ready to start scheduling again. 🐴

I have a few spots still open this weekend and am now available on week days.

(918)290-1010