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Specialist equine dentist praises her own dental makeover

Specialist equine dentist Michelle Thompson said she felt that the tables had turned when she recently found herself having her own teeth scrutinised and straightened by award winning Dorset dentist Murray Hawkins.

Michelle Thompson Is an equine dental technician specialising in full mouth equine dentistry and treating horses in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire. She helps to treat a vast number of equine dental problems, from rasping to dental extractions including the use of power instrumentation.

Michelle explains the majority of problems that occur in horses are mainly due to lack of regular dental maintenance. "If the horse is not assessed every six months, there is an increased risk in the horse suffering dental disorders. These include uneven wear of teeth (hooks, ramps and protuberant teeth), fractured and loose teeth, tartar, decay, ulcers and bitting injuries."

Michelle's own problems with her teeth were genetic rather than a lack of dental maintenance and she decided to see if the Six Months Smiles programme could help achieve the smile she had always wanted. Murray Hawkins was able to straighten Michelle's upper teeth using tooth coloured train track braces.

Murray said, "Over the past ten to fifteen years there has been a dawning realisation that no one has to live with crooked or misshapen teeth. Celebrities like Tom Cruise had white train track braces, similar to Six Month Smiles which is a rapid cosmetic alignment system available at Winning Smiles; Cheryl Cole had invisalign braces which are practically invisible and the Duchess of Cambridge used lingual orthodontics - a technique that works by straightening the teeth from behind so making it invisible to any onlooker. All of these techniques are now available to Winning Smiles patients."

Michelle said she is delighted with her new smile. "It was interesting being on the receiving end of dental treatment and to see the developments in human dentistry which, like those in equine dentistry, have evolved considerably in the last decade."

Michelle qualified through the academy of equine dentistry in 2008 based in Idaho (USA). The Academy is a place where all the equine dentists from around the world can share their experiences and knowledge.

Michelle explains that a horse's teeth are known as hypsodont which like beavers and other rodents keep erupting throughout their life, which with horses can be a growth of 2-3mm a year. The lower teeth grind against the stationery upper rows of teeth throughout the year, which keeps the dentition in order. The teeth are designed to be abraded against each other (chewing) for approx. 18-20 hours a day. However, taking the horse out of his natural environment - for example stabling him on hay, haylage or concentrates reduces chewing time to as little as 8-10 hours a day. As a result, this has a huge impact on the dentition causing over eruption of the teeth. This highlights the importance of having equine dental technician to float (rasp) the horses' teeth every six months to avoid over eruption or other problems occurring.

For further information contact Winning Smiles Dental Care, T/: 01747 826222 or E/:dentist@winningsmilesgillingham.comor check out:www.winningsmilesgillingham.com

For further information on equine dentistry, contact: Michelle Thompson atbluefishcontractors@yahoo.co.uk

Further press information and images from: Jane Adkins, T/: 01935 813114 or M/: 07960698089 or E/:jane@aheadforpr.co.uk

Editor's Notes

To maintain Michelle's qualification, she has to return to Idaho every 18months to keep her qualification. This involves working on two horses and passing the practical. Michelle also helps the up and coming students in there practical examinations of horses.

Michelle has worked in a number of fields within the industry from working in competition yards (dressage, show jumping, eventing, endurance) to riding for the disabled at Handford School. Working with these different disciplines means that she has a vast knowledge of horses and horse handling.

Working alongside many veterinary surgeons, physiotherapies, chiropractors and other practitioners' owners and clients, Michelle treats horses in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire.

As a practice Michelle is working on horses teeth to maintain a natural balanced mouth for the wellbeing of the horse and owner.

July 2015 (WS 18)