The Practice
Australian Veterinary Equine Dentistry is a modern, ambulatory (mobile) horse veterinary practice focusing on equine dentistry, located in Brisbane. Director Dr. Olivia James sees both first opinion cases (general health checks and performance dentistry) and also sees patients referred from other veterinary clinics for tooth extractions, oromaxillary facial surgery, jaw fracture repairs, periodontal surgery and all types of oral surgery. Dr. James is available to travel throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Asia to see patients, or patients can be seen at local equine practices.
Dr. Olivia James BVSc(hons) MANZCVSc(Equine Dentistry) Diplomate ICEVO CMAVA
Originally from the country, Olivia has worked in veterinary practices in regional Australia both in mixed and equine hospitals. Graduating from the University of Sydney with honors in Veterinary Science in 2003, her first job was in a mixed practice in Dubbo. After relocating to the ACT region she has spent the next four and a half years working briefly in a mixed practice then in equine practice.
Olivia is passionate about veterinary equine dentistry and believes that this discipline has advanced dramatically in recent times and horse owners are beginning to understand that the simple floating (removal of sharp points in the mouth) forms only a very small part of providing complete oral and dental care. She lectures and teaches veterinarians in this field, provides equine dentistry services to horses locally, as well as accepting referrals in the Australasia region.
A postgraduate veterinary pathway in equine dentistry saw Olivia awarded by the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVSc) membership in Equine Dentistry by examination, she is currently one of a handful of people in Australia and New Zealand to hold this prestigious qualification. Olivia passed her Diplomate exams through the International College of Equine Veterinary Odontologists (ICEVO, based in Canada) May 2015. This allows the title of Specialist in Equine Veterinary Dentistry to be used, and is akin to the specialist status of other such professionals as cardiologists, paediatricians, oncologists etc.
In 2018 Olivia successfully credentialed for Advanced Standing in Equine Dentistry for the American Veterinary Dental College. She sat and passed the theory examinations in January 2019 and is due to sit the practical examinations in June 2019. Her journal paper “Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis – A Literature Review’ is currently before the editor of the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry. At the completion of examinations, Olivia will be recognised as an Equine Veterinary Dental Specialist, the only practicing veterinarian in the Southern Hemisphere with this qualification.
Olivia is a member of the AVA (Australian Veterinary Association), the EVA (Equine Veterinarians Australia) and the AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners). She held the position of President of the ACT Division Committee of the AVA in 2010 and sat for two consecutive terms as a committee member for the Division, as well as being a previous state representative for the ACT on the Australian Veterinary Dental Society committee.
Olivia established an equine practice in Southern NSW/ACT region in 2010, this was sold in 2018 in order for her to concentrate on study, to start AVED and to move to Brisbane with her family.
In her spare time, Olivia enjoys spending time with her family, riding horses, and wrestling the garden from the wilds so it resembles some form of order. She joins her family in training with the National Karate Association and is currently a Shodan-Ho (probationary Black Belt)
She has three horses at home; ‘Louie’ enjoys bossing other horses around and the two kids ponies who are happy to snatch other horses’ feed wherever they can and try to get laminitis as much as possible.
Olivia has a very tolerant husband and two delightfully naughty boys.