Ask the Expert - Dentistry

Remmy

Administrator
Nov 8, 1999
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uk
I would like to introduce Victoria Hammond EDT. Victoria is a BEVA/BVDA qualified Equine Dental Technician and member of the BAEDT. She will be here to help with any equine dentistry questions.

Please post your questions on separate threads :)
 
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Hello All,

My name is Victoria Hammond and I am a fully BEVA/BVDA qualified Equine Dental Technician and member of the BAEDT. I am here to answer any dental queries you may have relating to your horse, dental legislation, recommendations for EDTs in your area and any other queries you might have.
Here is a little bit about myself. I have a BSc (Hons) in Equine Science from Hartpury College and graduated in 2005, straight after this I went to the Academy of Equine Dentistry in Idaho USA to train as an EDT. After returning from the US I spent the next 4 years training towards my BEVA UK qualification which I achieved in early 2009, one of the hardest qualifications I have ever done in my life! In 2007 I returned to Hartpury College as the Lecturer in BSc (Hons) Equine Dental Science, which I did up until the end of 2008. Currently, I have a client base consisting of one horse owners right up to a number of well known international advanced event riders.
I am based in Somerset but cover the South West/South Central particularly Hampshire/Surrey for more information please see my website www.equinedental.co.uk I will look forward to hearing any queries you may have!
 
Here is a bit of information you may find useful:
Some horse owners are confused about equine dental technicians (EDTs), the governing bodies and who is qualified to do what, so here is some information that you may find useful when deciding who to choose to treat your horse.

In order to be a qualified EDT in Britain, an individual needs to have passed the BEVA/BVDA or the WWAED examination. Those EDTs who have passed the BEVA/BVDA examination then become eligible to join the BAEDT. Any EDT that has not passed these exams is not qualified and has no governing body regulating their work.

Every horse owner has the right to choose the person caring for their horses' teeth, but bear in mind that it is only possible to regulate the equine dental industry if horse owners choose an EDT that has proven their capabilities and abides by BAEDT or WWAED performance guidelines.

BEVA: British Equine Veterinary Association www.beva.org.uk
Essentially, an organisation to promote veterinary and allied sciences related to the welfare of the horse. Further Aims and objectives can be found on their website along with the current list of qualified EDTs.

BVDA: British Veterinary Dental Association www.bvda.co.uk
BVDA was established by a group of Veterinary Surgeons who had a particular interest in Veterinary dentistry. The aims of the association are to educate and train Veterinary and Dental Surgeons in animal dentistry and to promote practice, teaching and research of animal dentistry.

BAEDT: British Association of Equine Dental Technicians www.baedt.com
The BAEDT is an organisation for qualified professional Equine Dental Technicians, promoting the professional training of technicians and to provide greater understanding of the need for equine dentistry to the general public. Once EDTs have passed the BEVA exam, they then become eligible to join the BAEDT.

WWAED: WorldWide Association of Equine Dentistry www.wwaed.org
The WWAED is an independent association of equine dentists with DEFRA and RCVS approval. A list of WWAED members can be found on their website.
 
Here's one for you!

I have a pony with a very badly mal occluded mouth. He has, what I can only describe as a deformed jaw.

There is a bony ridge growing out of the gumline below his lower incisors, and the top ones are starting to over grow the bottom ones. He will be 4 in the spring.

Do you want photos?
He takes a bit without any obvious problems, no objections and no headshaking or evasion, he has never lost weight in spite of his bad mouth, he lives out in rough hill grazing most of the time, gets haylage in winter if needed. We feed from the floor, always.

So, what is the best way forwards with his teeth? I have not managed to get a good look at his molars to see if any dreadfulness is going on back there.

BTW we have vets, an equine dentist might visit once a year....if we are lucky. Through necesity I have had to do all our horses teeth, as the visiting dentist only started visiting about 2 years ago. This guys mouth is a bit special.
 
photos would be great so I can get an idea of what is going on!:)

Is this pony a miniature by any chance?

Yes it is v important that the cheek teeth are monitored as early as possible when there is visible malocclusion with the incisors.
 
No he's not a mini, he's about 36-37 inches. But sadly mal occluded jaws in Shetlands is rife.

He so good in every respect I think we must get his teeth sorrted so he can perform to his best, and not let his teeth hinder him any more than they might.


Will sort out some pics.
 
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here we go, house of horrors photos.

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It's a shame, because he's just such a nice person and tries his hardest at everything he does. When they are driven, it's this fellow who works in a better outline.
 
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Have you ever had x rays taken of those incisors? Sometime in the near future he will need to have those 3 upper left incisors reduced as they have no lower incisors to occulde against to wear them down - this in turn will affect his side to side movement of his lower jaw
 
Not sure we have the facilities here. I'l ask "Uncle Heriot" and see if he has an x-ray machine he can fit a pony in.....I suppose he'd fit into my dental practice, he has a very snazzy digital x-ray machine.
 
Not sure any of the vets here have the gear to do it. It might mean sending him south at MEGA cost to a vets south.

Would it be a plan just to keep his mouth in reasonable order, keeping his top incisors neat?
 
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