Armed to the teeth
2008-08-14
Malané Bosman
VISITING Frikkie at Wellington was a very special occasion for the old horse, but not for Andrew van der Dussen, the technician for animal teeth. For him there is no such thing as toothpaste promotion or dental week. Andrew responds only to calls from horse owners when their stallions need sharp points filed down or their mares need a cleaning. Or in old Frikkie’s case, to see if he can rescue teeth that had all but disintegrated due to bad nutrition and neglect while the horse had to fend for himself in a field near Bain’s Kloof. When new owners recently moved to the farm, Frikkie was immediately taken under their wing. A shelter was built to provide shade during the day and warmth at night. And Frikkie was treated to oats for breakfast and dinner. Apart from developing a seriously runny tummy, Frikkie lapped up the oats – and the attention. And then it was time for Andrew, the toothman, to pay Frikkie a visit. Frikkie is not the stallion’s real name. No one knows his name for sure. Neither could anyone put a finger on his age. That was another department in which the equine dental technician could assist. He counted the teeth, and most importantly, the gaps between the teeth. Thus Frikkie was pronounced as being in his very late twenties, and apart from his teeth, in a better condition than thought possible - or that is what the veterinary surgeon said when he paid Frikkie a courtesy visit. Andrew (24) cut his teeth on equine dentistry in Australia, due to a keen interest developed while competing in showjumping. There are two qualified equine dental technicians in South Africa, and Andrew needs hair on his teeth to service all his clients, from the Western Cape to as far afield as Natal. The main tools of his trade are cutters and extractors, with the usual problems in horses’ mouths being sharp teeth that need points filed down or rotten teeth that have to be extracted. There has never been a need for fitting a bridge and manufacturing dentures. But you never know. Vanity does not have to remain with the owners and trainers. And by the way, Andrew stopped believing in the tooth fairy some years.
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