Qualified Equine Dentist - Kim Neill
Kim qualified with the American School of Equine Dentistry in Ocala, Florida in February 2006, having completed a year on the road with her father Bruce Neill who is also an Equine Dentist.
Bruce and Kim still work in conjunction with each other when required and both agree it is a huge asset having another dentist to bounce off and also assist with the more major dental extractions when necessary. The arrangement also allows them to get through the bigger stables in a shorter time – freeing up stable staff and keeping costs to a minimum.
Both Bruce and Kim travel throughout New Zealand and the Pacific as required and are dedicated to promoting excellence and awareness to all aspects of Equine Dental Health.
Why Equine Dentistry plays such an important role
The mouth of the horse has a huge impact on its overall wellbeing, longevity and often performance of your horse.
If your horse suffers from one or more of the following it is likely that after a visit to the dentist you and your horse will both be much happier.
Symptoms that may indicate Dental Abnormalities include:
· Lack of condition when all other maintenance programmes are in place
· Excessive saliva or drooling
· Choking
· Bumps or enlargements of the jaw or face
· Bad breath or odour from mouth or nostrils
· Bleeding from the mouth
· Stiffness on one rein when ridden
· Head carriage tilted when eating or being ridden
· Teeth that are sensitive to touch when palpating from cheek area
· Punctures or ulcerations to cheeks, soft palatte or tongue
· No changes in performance when changes made to equipment
· Weight loss
· Quidding
· Bridling problems
Benefits of Effective Dental Care
The horses ability to masticate (grind) its food properly has a direct bearing on it being able to gain required nutrients, minerals and vitamins for it overall wellbeing.
We all know that feeding horses doesn’t come cheap but by ensuring that what we are feeding and supplementing is being able to be fully absorbed can make a huge difference to the monthly food bill.
Horses suffering from pain or discomfit in the mouth or TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint) due to dental abnormalities are often mistaken for having a bad attitude or an unwillingness to learn, when really they are just more focused on getting away from the pain rather than the task or training aide they are being given. I am sure that anyone who has suffered from toothache can relate to this.
Common Malocclusions within the Mouth
Molar
Sharp Edges (Buccal or Lingual cusps)
Sharp buccal cusps create soreness, ulcers and or laceration on the inside of the cheeks, while lingual cusps affect the tongue, when this happens horses often pack grass or hay to provide temporary relief. Unfortunately this can create long term periodontal gum infection which if left untreated can eventually lead to the loss of tooth.
Ramps and Hooks
These occur on both upper and lower arcades and can be found anywhere along the arcade. They generally develop due to a misalignment of the arcardes and can put pressure on the TMJ. They are usually present when there is an overbite or underbite (parrot or sow mouth). If left untreated eventually they will keep protruding until there is a complete lateral block to the mastication pattern of the arcade or wear out the opposing tooth.
ETR’s Excessive Transverse Ridges
These are ridges that form on the grinding surface of the tooth. They when excessive restrict the movement of the TMJ forcing the horse to open its mouth to get lateral movement and are often the cause for dropping feed.
Step Molars
Prevents the lower jaw from moving forward, backwards and side to side which results in uneven and improper wear to both molars and incisors.
Diastema
This is the space between two adjoining teeth that allows food to get trapped resulting in periodontal disease.
Periodontal Disease
Gum disease that destroys the periodontal ligaments. Bacteria from this disease can travel through the bloodstream spreading to all organs of the horse. It is also a common cause of premature tooth loss.
Molar Abnormality - pictured above
Incisors Abnormalities
Ventral Curvature (Smile)
When the incisors are curved upwards on both sides when viewed head on. This creates a camming affect forcing the molars to part to early restricting the lateral excursion and the grind of the cheek teeth. Often the table angles of the cheek teeth are out creating a shear mouth and other problems.
Dorsal Curvature (Frown)
The opposite to the smile with the incisor curve downwards, but creating similar problems with the cheek teeth.
Offset (Diagonal Bite)
The incisors should look almost level, in some case they are clearly on a slant, created by longer teeth on one side of the mouth. This also has a huge effect on cheek teeth.
All of the above incisor abnormalities are corrected by the use of power tools while the
horse is sedated.
Decidious Teeth Problems
Between the ages of two and a half and four and a half years horses change 24 teeth (12 molars and 12 incisor). These are often referred to as caps. Sometimes horses have problems shedding the deciduous teeth, creating problems with the permanent teeth coming through and leading to problems later on. Your dentist will be able to remove these eliminating further problems.
Wolf Teeth
These are the small teeth often found right where the bit sits and are removed so as not to affect performance problems later on. Not all horses have wolf teeth and if they are going to they will be present by the time your horse is one. Sometimes these teeth do not erupt fully and are termed blind wolf teeth, however they will create the same problems and should be removed.
Bruce removing wolf teeth – pictured above