Heart of the country: Producing a winning smile

By ROSALEEN MACBRAYNE

Take it from the horse's mouth - dental care is not just for humans.

Shirley Calder, of Te Puke, is the Bay of Plenty's only qualified equine dentist and one of about 10 in New Zealand.

Her expertise is sought from Wellsford to Wellington, as horse breeders and trainers increasingly realise that their animals will perform better if their teeth are tended regularly.

She says many domestic horses have poor tooth alignment and irregular chewing patterns, which can cause pain, digestive difficulty, colic, behavioural problems and even lameness.

The dentist may need to do anything from extracting an abscessed molar to filing away sharp edges.

It is specialised work and takes considerable care, patience, a deep love of horses and good handling skills.

Rounding the rough points with an extra-long-handled file doesn't hurt horses, although their mouths might be tender if they have ulcers.

"Their nerves are quite deep seated so you can do quite a bit of work without causing too much pain," Shirley Calder says.

But if the drill is needed, the patient will be sedated by a veterinarian.

Like people, horses can have smelly breath if food is trapped between their teeth or if they have infections.

Ms Calder removes tartar but doesn't use a toothbrush - hay works like dental floss and apples or carrots are good.

Her patient Matter of Faith (fondly known as Lenny) seems relaxed as he is gagged with a medieval-looking device called a speculum.

Its crescent-shaped plates support the three-year-old racehorse's teeth when his mouth is ratcheted open for examination.

He stands calmly as Ms Calder gently slides her bare hand the length of his grey and pink tongue until her entire forearm is in the mouth.

She is feeling for "caps" left if the milk teeth have not been re-absorbed to make way for permanent teeth.

Pedro is next. The five-year-old appears to enjoy having his teeth filed, despite the menacing-looking equipment made of tungsten chips and carbide steel.

Most horses have 42 teeth which keep growing each year, developing sharp points that can cause abrasions.

Herbie, aged 3, has a little ulceration but it will clear now his pointed teeth are levelled.

He kisses Shirley Calder's cheek.

"He feels better instantly and is grateful to me."

Involved with horses all her life and a national dressage title holder, Shirley Calder is a pony club instructor and New Zealand Equestrian Federation coach.

Now in her 30s, she learned the rudiments of equine dentistry from her father, a Manawatu farmer and racehorse owner-trainer, and practised part-time for 15 years while working as a veterinary technician at Massey University in Palmerston North.

In 1999, she earned a diploma from the American School of Equine Dentistry in Virginia.

This year, she invited Dr Raymond Hyde from the school to hold a course in New Zealand and was a tutor herself. She is keen keen to get more graduates to share the workload.

She is accompanied on home visits by her Dalmatian dog, Fletcher.

The starting rate for a routine 30-minute examination is $50.

"I'm still looking for my first human patient," the equine expert quips.

But no-one wants to say "aah" so a 30cm grinder can be put in their mouth.