Welcome To
Midwest Veterinary Dental Services
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About Us
Dental Care for Pets in Elkhorn
At Midwest Veterinary Dental Services, we are veterinarians who are passionate about providing the highest quality and most current dental care for our patients. We provide all aspects of dentistry from routine dental exams and equilibration to advanced dentistry such as fillings, endodontics, periodontal therapies, and oral surgery.
Our doctors are continually learning and researching the most current techniques in veterinary dentistry. We are dedicated to educating veterinarians and our clients in all aspects of dentistry.
We offer our equine services at our facility or yours, and at our referring veterinary clinics in Wisconsin, Illinois, Florida, and Arizona. Small animal services are performed on-site at our facility in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.
OUR ACCREDITATIONS & AFFILIATIONS
Our Veterinary Services
We recommend every horse be examined annually at a minimum. Sometimes more frequent examinations and care may be recommended. We perform a five-component oral exam on every patient, which helps us identify any potential problems.
- External Exam - We evaluate the horse’s face, nose, and eyes for any abnormalities. We focus on facial symmetry, facial swelling, and any drainage from the eyes, nose, or skin.
- Oral Soft Tissue - This includes the gum tissues, inner cheeks, tongue, and hard and soft palate.
- Occlusion - Occlusion refers to the grinding function of the teeth when the jaws are brought together.
- Periodontal - Periodontal status looks at the gums and other tissues surrounding the teeth.
- Endodontic - Endodontic disease involves the internal structures of the tooth. The two main issues we check for are exposed pulp chambers (decay in the sensitive part of the tooth), and infundibular caries (decay in the non-sensitive part of the toot
Early detection and treatment of certain endodontic problems may help prevent premature tooth loss in some horses.
If we find tooth decay on the oral exam, we will often recommend radiographs (aka X-rays) to help us evaluate the overall health of the tooth and determine an ideal treatment plan.
We are equipped for performing restorations and endodontics when indicated. We use equipment and materials similar to what might be used in your own dentist’s office.
If we find tooth decay on the oral exam, we will often recommend radiographs (aka X-rays) to help us evaluate the overall health of the tooth and determine an ideal treatment plan.
We are equipped for performing restorations and endodontics when indicated. We use equipment and materials similar to what might be used in your own dentist’s office.
Basic Extractions
Examples of basic extractions include wolf tooth removal or retained cap (deciduous or baby tooth) removal.
Advanced Extractions
A horse may need a tooth extracted for many reasons, including but not limited to severe decay, advanced periodontal disease, or fracture. Most of our advanced extractions are performed in a clinical setting for patient safety and comfort. In addition to standard extraction techniques, we are trained in partial coronectomy, tooth sectioning, and trans-buccal approach. These techniques allow us to extract severely decayed or fractured teeth in the sedated, standing patient.
Sinus Surgery
With some dental problems, the sinus may also be involved. Radiography and endoscopy are used to further diagnose the problem. Treatment therapies can include sinus lavage, antibiotics, and/or exploratory sinus surgery.
Most cases of periodontal disease (aka gum disease) in the equine mouth are due to food packing in areas between or among the teeth where it begins to decompose. This process is the primary event which triggers periodontal disease in the horse.
In cases where treatment is needed, we are capable of providing therapies to slow or stop the progression of this painful condition. If left untreated, periodontal disease can cause tooth loss.
Dental examination should begin at your foal’s first wellness exam. The anatomy of the mouth should be examined, looking for palatal abnormalities or conformational abnormalities such as overbite, underbite, or wry nose.
Identifying these abnormalities at a young age is important so that appropriate care can be recommended. In some cases, early intervention can minimize a negative impact on your horse’s quality of life and oral function later in life.
Dental Floats
Most horses should have their first dental float between 2 and 2-1/2 years of age. Wolf teeth, if present, may be extracted at the 2.5 to 3-year check. We generally recommend extracting wolf teeth after the first deciduous (baby) cheek teeth are shed, to prevent damaging the developing adult tooth.
Dental Eruption Times
We recommend twice yearly exams between the ages of 2 and 4 since this is when they are shedding deciduous teeth and erupting new permanent teeth. There are abnormalities that can occur during this process.
This is a syndrome in older horses that results in resorptive lesions of the incisors and canine teeth and has been documented in the cheek teeth of some horses. There is currently no known cause for this condition. As the disease progresses, the roots of the incisors start to resorb (or basically dissolve).
Our goal is to diagnose these horses at an earlier stage to prevent pain, inflammation, weight loss, and secondary infection. Treatment of this condition typically involves extraction of the affected teeth. Horses do quite well without their incisors, utilizing the cheek teeth for grinding and chewing food.
Our goal is to diagnose these horses at an earlier stage to prevent pain, inflammation, weight loss, and secondary infection. Treatment of this condition typically involves extraction of the affected teeth. Horses do quite well without their incisors, utilizing the cheek teeth for grinding and chewing food.
From routine cleanings to tooth extractions, the Thrive Pet Healthcare network of Primary Care veterinarians and Dental Specialists is here to keep your pet's smile fresh! Our general practices can take care of everyday dental maintenance with outstanding regular check-ins, cleanings, and basic surgeries.
Meanwhile, our specialty veterinarians are prepared to handle more complex or chronic dental cases like a root abscess, jaw fracture, abnormal tooth formation, or advanced periodontal disease. These doctors are highly trained within the field of veterinary dentistry and have access to specialized equipment, typically unavailable at primary care clinics.
Depending on the extent of a pet’s periodontal disease, veterinary dental specialists may be able to save some of a dog's or cat's diseased teeth from extraction. Due to the advanced treatments available through a veterinary dental specialist, when periodontitis is present, treatment options may be employed to save the teeth. Teeth with gum recession, root exposure, or periodontal pockets may be candidates for periodontal surgery. Advanced periodontal procedures, such as gingival flap surgery and bone grafting, can be used to regenerate periodontal tissues and save teeth.
The pet patient’s overall health, the cost of specific treatments, and the pet owner’s willingness to provide daily oral hygiene at home are considered prior to performing periodontal therapy. Without diligent homecare to keep a pet's teeth clean between their annual vet dental cleanings, periodontal therapy will not be successful, and severely affected teeth will require extraction.
More About Us
For Clients & Referring Veterinarians
Appointments
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, we have a clinic facility in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, near Interstate 43. We have a large driveway to turn around and ample room to park your trailer. There are no “haul-in or clinic fees,” unless your horse has to spend the night. We perform routine dentistry as well as advanced dentistry and oral surgery at our facility.
- Access to power and water
- A safe spot for your horse to spend time waking up after the appointment where food can be withheld
- An area to park our truck and trailer close to the barn
Floating is a layman’s term that was derived long ago from the masonry profession for smoothing a surface. This was then transposed to horses’ teeth to describe the procedure of removing the sharp enamel points that are developed during chewing. In European countries, the term rasping is utilized. The profession of equine dental veterinarians is now using the term occlusal adjustment and odontoplasty to describe the process of removing sharp enamel points and correcting malocclusions in your horse’s mouth. For the sake of simplicity, we will use the term “floating” for the following questions and on our website.
Horses have teeth that continue to erupt into the mouth throughout their lives. As horses chew their food, they gradually grind away the chewing surface of their teeth. This process results in the formation of sharp enamel points, which need to be floated or reduced as part of routine dental maintenance. Some horses may have other dental imbalances that are addressed during the dental float to optimize their chewing function and oral health.
Your horse should be examined and have a routine dental float at least once a year. Depending on your horse’s age, breed, history, and performance use, we may recommend that they be examined every 6 months. We will establish a care schedule and discuss this with you after we have developed a treatment plan for your horse.
Natural selection plays a role in wild horse populations. Wild horses with excellent teeth will generally live longer and produce more offspring. Wild horses still form sharp points like our domesticated horses, however their diet and grazing habits allow them to wear their teeth differently than our domesticated horses.
We sedate all of our patients because without sedation, we cannot perform a complete oral exam with a dental speculum and mirror. We can perform a brief unsedated oral exam, but this will not give us the full picture of your horse’s oral health. All horses require some sedation to ensure their safety and comfort during the floating procedure. We tailor our sedation protocols to each horse based on their unique temperament and health status.
With the development of safer and more precise instrumentation, we feel that we can do a more thorough and efficient job with power dental instruments. Our power dental instruments have water irrigation and suction, which prevents any thermal damage and allows superior visibility and precision. The dental instrumentation that we utilize is designed to smooth the surface of the tooth without causing trauma to the soft tissues of the mouth. For these reasons, we have moved from hand floating to power instrumentation for a safer and more efficient procedure for your horse.
The “bit seat” was a layman’s term that was used to describe a procedure that provided “so called” soft tissue comfort in the mouth when a bit was in use. This has spurred much discussion in the performance horse population and has led to many horses having teeth damaged by removal of too much of the tooth surface. We promote the development of a treatment plan for your horse’s oral care that provides soft tissue comfort not only for the area that is in contact with the bit, but for the entire mouth. Studies have demonstrated that the “bit seat” alone did not improve a horse’s performance. Our approach is to first examine the horse’s mouth and provide only what is needed for your horse.
42.7396202
-88.4580688
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