Equine Dental Clinic Ltd

17/08/2026

Meet Nimo - When a cavity leads to an abscess…

Last week we welcomed Nimo into the clinic for further investigations after his vet found some cavities in his teeth. Nicole found 2 open pulp horns in the 211 tooth, so took some precautionary X-rays which confirmed that the tooth was in fact diseased.

Given this would have been causing Nimo some pain and poses a risk of sinusitis, Nicole has extracted the tooth under standing sedation. Nimo can return home a lot more comfortable now!

14/08/2026

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08/08/2026

Enthusing the next generation Ellighamshow2026

Come and see us on our stand near the main ring - find out what we do as a specialist-led equine dentistry vet practice - and give your kids a go at rasping teeth :)

08/08/2026

08/08/2026

All set up and ready for Ellingham Show! It’s going to be a lovely day so if you’re coming to the show pop in to have a coffee and meet our dental vets Matt and Matas who will be on the stand for most of the day - our specialists Chris and Nicole will also be along at some point as well :)

The Ellingham and Ringwood Agricultural Show show has been running since 1947 and has grown into a spectacle of main ring attractions, horse events, animals galore and lots of shopping! So if you’re in the Hampshire area it’s well worth a visit!

We have giveaways, quality coffee and friendly chat by our dental vets - come and visit for a sit down and a coffee in the shade and ask us anything about our world class equine dentistry services! Hope to see you there :)

03/08/2026

Incredible mixture of cases today in a busy day at the clinic - our CT scanner was busy including with this case - a 7yo referred for a suspected mandibular fracture - but we were not expecting to find such advanced dental disease of the mandibular teeth as well!

The ‘splat’ of white material you can see in the centre of the arcade as we scroll the CT images from left to right (lateral to medial) is a dysplastic (deformed) 309 cheek tooth with a large amount of calcified mixed dental tissue attached to the tooth.

Remember No Pain Check Again? Our campaign with the BHS running again with a focus period later this year and into next year stresses the importance of regular thorough dental examinations because your horse almost certainly won’t tell you!

We’ll update you on the treatment of this case in the future.

28/07/2026

Time lapse cheek tooth extraction - 6yo stallion, cheek tooth 108

Many people imagine that a cheek tooth extraction is a difficult and stressful procedure for the horse, but when everything is planned properly it should be remarkably calm.

This time-lapse shows one of our routine referral extractions carried out in our purpose-built clinic this morning. The horse remains relaxed on the head support throughout under carefully controlled sedation and regional nerve blocks while we work methodically using specialised instrumentation. Every piece of equipment is immediately to hand, the patient is continuously monitored, intravenous fluid therapy is available, and the whole team can focus on the procedure in a comfortable, air-conditioned clinical environment.

The aim is never simply to extract the tooth as quickly as possible. The aim is to perform the procedure as safely and atraumatically as possible. When the horse is comfortable, the clinical environment is organised, and all of the equipment and personnel are immediately available, the procedure naturally becomes efficient, and that efficiency helps minimise sedation time, reduces the risk of complications and ultimately benefits the patient. In this case the procedure was completed in around 20 minutes.

This is why we have no doubt - specialist equine dental procedures are best performed in a dedicated clinical environment.

22/07/2026

📣 Calling all vets - our Key Skills 3 Course is already half full!

Join us 7–9 October 2026 for our Key Skills 3: Introduction to Endodontic and Restorative Dentistry course at Equine Dental Clinic.

This intensive three-day CPD course is designed for veterinary surgeons wishing to develop practical skills and confidence in the diagnosis and treatment of equine endodontic disease and restorative dentistry.

The course includes:
• Diagnosis and treatment planning for endodontic disease
• Vital pulp therapy and pulpotomy techniques
• Infundibular caries assessment and restoration
• Restorative materials and instrumentation
• Case selection and long-term management
• Extensive hands-on practical sessions using specialist equipment and modern techniques

With small delegate numbers, you'll receive plenty of individual tuition from our specialist-led team in a supportive, practical learning environment.

📅 7–9 October 2026
📍 Equine Dental Clinic, Dorset, UK

Tutors:
Chris Pearce, Diplomate EVDC, MRCVS
Nicole du Toit, Diplomate EVDC/AVDC, MRCVS
Torbjorn Lundstrom, Registered Human Dentist, Founder NCED

⚠️ The course is already 50% booked, so if you're planning to attend, we'd recommend securing your place soon.

For further information or to book your place, please contact the Equine Dental Clinic team or visit our website.

14/07/2026

How much periodontal attachment do you think these teeth have left?

At first glance, many owners would simply see two extracted cheek teeth. What they actually demonstrate is years of progressive periodontal (deep gum) disease.

The green-stained areas represent the only remaining periodontal ligament attachment that was still holding these teeth in the jaw (coloured green for publication - actually red).

Normally, the periodontal ligament should extend much closer to the chewing (occlusal) surface and cover the majority of the tooth. In this case, almost all of that attachment had been lost following years of food impaction into periodontal pockets associated with diastemata (abnormally wide spaces between adjacent teeth).

What’s particularly important is that this horse was still eating reasonably normally.

There was:

* No obvious weight loss.
* No facial swelling.
* No dramatic signs that most owners would recognise.

The only subtle clue was slightly coarser, longer fibre in the droppings on close inspection.

Horses are remarkably good at compensating for dental disease. By the time obvious clinical signs develop, irreversible damage has often already occurred.

This is why regular dental examinations are so important. Diastemata and early periodontal disease can often be identified and managed long before they progress to the stage where the supporting structures are destroyed and extraction becomes the only realistic option.

Early diagnosis can mean the difference between:
✅ Preserving a functional tooth for many years
or
❌ Losing the tooth altogether.

These extracted teeth are a reminder that absence of obvious symptoms does not mean absence of significant disease.

Routine dental examinations aren’t simply about removing sharp enamel points—they’re about detecting pathology while it is still treatable.

02/07/2026

What are we doing here?

Every dental examination should begin with a fully relaxed assessment of the entire stomatognathic / masticatory system.

One of the first biomechanical tests we perform is the lateral excursion to cheek teeth contact assessment. This allows us to evaluate the relationship between the incisors and cheek teeth, assess symmetry and balance, and ensure that the dental arcades are functioning symmetrically.

In this horse, everything is beautifully aligned, with an excellent, symmetrical response. While this may look simple, it’s an important part of every comprehensive dental examination and should also be repeated at both the beginning and the end of treatment to confirm that normal biomechanics have been maintained or restored.

A balanced mouth isn’t just about how the teeth look—it’s about how the entire dental system functions 🦷🐴🐎

Biomechanics EquineDentalClinic