Emilee

Once Emilee was sedated and comfortably placed in Dental Vet’s portable stocks, a detailed oral examination was performed. The findings were extensive. Her teeth were very sharp, causing ulcers on the inside of her cheeks, and there were areas of peripheral caries (decay around the sides of her teeth) toward the back of her mouth.

Most notably, several of her teeth were severely deviated, trapping feed between them and leading to secondary periodontal disease (infection in the tissues supporting the teeth). The near side was worst affected: her last lower tooth was tipped significantly towards the cheek, while the second-last tooth was tipped towards the tongue, so much so that the cheek side of one tooth almost sat in line with the tongue side of the next.

When teeth tilt out of alignment, food can no longer move smoothly across the chewing surfaces. Instead, it becomes trapped between the teeth, where it decays, allowing bacteria to thrive. This infection damages the periodontal ligament (the connective tissue that secures the tooth to the bone), creating deep pockets beneath the gum line. Emilee had nine quite severe periodontal pockets, some reaching 16mm deep below the gumline, which would have been extremely painful.

Left untreated, this type of infection can worsen rapidly, causing loosening of teeth, spreading to the bone or sinuses, and even creating fistulas (holes between the mouth and nasal passages or sinuses). Feed trapped between teeth can also promote further peripheral caries, as bacteria feed on the decaying material, strip minerals from the teeth, and erode the outer layers. Early intervention is crucial to prevent these cycles of infection and decay from leading to irreversible damage.

Given the number of issues affecting Emilee, her treatment plan needed to be comprehensive and carefully staged. First, the periodontal disease was addressed, while her sedation and systemic pain relief were at their strongest. All decayed feed material and infection were meticulously removed, and the periodontal pockets were flushed with a dilute solution of chlorhexidine to clean and disinfect the infected areas.

Once the pockets were clear, the next step was to correct the sharp enamel points, overgrowths and deviated teeth. At Dental Vet, a combination of techniques is used to treat deviated teeth. The protruding sections of each tooth were carefully shaved back, taking care not to damage the pulp cavities (the inner chamber containing nerves and blood vessels), to allow the food to pass freely rather than become trapped.

Next, a technique known as ‘functional orthodontics’ was applied. It’s not quite braces, but it uses similar principles to alter chewing forces and gradually guide the teeth back into alignment. By adjusting the angle of the grinding surface, each chewing motion helped place gentle pressure on the correct side of the tooth, encouraging realignment over time.

Finally, to support healing, antibiotics were placed into the periodontal pockets, and on the most severely affected teeth, a polyvinyl siloxane temporary bridge was applied.

The owner was advised to flush Emilee’s mouth regularly with clean water and avoid sugary feeds and cereal hays to reduce bacterial growth and control the peripheral caries. Because of the severity of the infection, a recheck was scheduled for three months.

At the recheck, Emilee’s progress was impressive. Her teeth had begun to shift back toward alignment, and the number of infected periodontal pockets had reduced from nine to four, with the deepest now measuring 8-10 mm.

By her third treatment, her teeth had continued to realign, and the infection had resolved completely. Teeth that are this severely deviated are very commonly extracted, but it is incredible what can be achieved with proactive treatment.

Emilee also appeared to be a brand-new donkey. She was comfortable, happy and even affectionate. Her owner reported there had been no more quidding or rinsing her mouth in the water trough, and Emilee now happily enjoyed face cuddles from her owner. At every visit following her treatment, as she was led back to the paddock, she would pause, turn around and let out a big, cheerful bray.