BACKGROUND
Born in the Netherlands, I grew up with the quiet ambition to become a medical doctor but I was lured to a life of adventure in Australia. I eventually became involved with horses whilst living in country New South Wales. A visiting equine dentist aroused my interest in dentistry and I was immediately drawn to the role of caring for horses in such an important way. I knew that by providing equine dentistry of a higher standard, I could provide a much sought-after health service for horses in the region. A course in equine dentistry was not available at that time so I studied from collected books and gained knowledge from libraries, veterinary faculties and other individuals in the equine field. I also sourced suitable instruments and started treating horses after gaining the necessary skills. Although not quite according to my original childhood ambition of becoming a medical doctor, being able to work with horses and making a significant contribution to their health was to give me great satisfaction eventually. Even after practising the profession for many years, the varying nature of the demand on my skills and the intriguing diversity in personality of the horses, makes it a very rewarding career.
THE PRACTICE
In the 1980s I established the Australian Equine Dental Practice (AEDP). Since that time I have treated countless horses, and the practice gained many clients. Over time, I feel fortunate to be respected in the equine health community for trying to address all aspects of equine dentistry, not just the dumbed-down tooth filing that is practised by many. I believe the ongoing success of the practice can also be attributed to the holistic approach in the treatment of horses. This approach means that horses can receive care not only for dentistry but also related issues affecting their overall health thanks to mutually respectful teamwork with diligent veterinarians and other health professionals. Career highlights have been the treatment of horses for the Australian Olympic Equestrian Team, having provided equine dental training in the United Arab Emirates and giving lectures at many different venues including education sessions for horse owners at the RSPCA Burwood and Project Hope Horse Welfare.
I was a founding member of the Victorian Equine Dentists Association (now called the Equine Dental Association of Australia- EDAA) and more recently I was co-founder of the National Equine Dental Practitioners Inc. I have also trained a substantial number of equine dentists to date by way of the AEDP Certificate and Diploma courses
EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
In the practice my objective is to provide the highest quality treatment with the best available equipment for the benefit of the horse. A significant amount of time is dedicated to working on industrial design projects. As part of that activity I also endeavour to develop better instruments and equipment. Modern equipment and a kind and considerate attitude towards all horses, allows practitioners such as myself to practice much more safely, accurately and quickly. That way the horse experiences minimal discomfort during examination and treatment. This also means a reduction in the undesirable administration of sedatives to horses and avoiding the use of restraints such as crushes.
