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Leadership

Board of Directors

The specific objectives of the College are:
A. Promote advancement and recognition of high standards in the art and science of veterinary dentistry.

B. Establish and manage a veterinary dental specialist certifying agency for veterinarians who are able to show that they excel in the practice of veterinary dentistry by successfully completing a training program approved by the College and passing an examination conducted by the College. 

C. Promote recognition of the advanced skills provided by College-certified veterinarians to other veterinarians and to the general public.

D. Encourage investigations and contributions to the literature in the field of veterinary dentistry.

E. Cooperate with other organizations working to improve practice standards and methods in the field of veterinary dentistry and veterinary medicine in general.

Officers

Dr. Christopher Snyder

Dr. Christopher Snyder

PRESIDENT

Sept. 2024 – Sept. 2026

Dr. Susan E. Crowder

Dr. Susan E. Crowder

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Sept. 2024 – Sept. 2026

Dr. Bonnie Shope

Dr. Bonnie Shope

PAST-PRESIDENT

Sept. 2024 – Sept. 2026

Dr. Alice Sievers

Dr. Alice Sievers

SECRETARY

Sept. 2024 – Sept. 2026

Dr. Molly Rice

Dr. Molly Rice

EQUINE REPRESENTATIVE

Sept. 2024 – Sept. 2026

Dr. John R. Lewis

Dr. John R. Lewis

ABVS REPRESENTATIVE

Dr. Christopher Smithson

Dr. Christopher Smithson

TREASURER

At Large Board Members

Dr. Maria Soltero-Rivera

Dr. Maria Soltero-Rivera

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Oct. 2021 – Sept. 2027

Dr. Django Martel

Dr. Django Martel

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Sept. 2024 – Sept. 2027

Dr. Kendall Taney

Dr. Kendall Taney

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Sept. 2022 – Sept. 2025

Jennifer Oberle

Jennifer Oberle

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

May 2024 – Present

AVDC® Standing Committees

All Board members and College members that serve on committees are unpaid volunteer positions.  The College President, with the consent of the Board of Directors, shall appoint the Chair and members of committees.  The College would thank those members that serve our College and donate many, many hours to the betterment of veterinary dentistry through support of advanced training for residents, education, improving practice standards, and in turn, the welfare of animals.

AVDC® Administration

Dr. Jennifer Rawlinson

Dr. Jennifer Rawlinson

CHAIR

Dr. Kristin M. Bannon

Dr. Bonnie Shope, Past-President

Dr. Chris Smithson, Treasurer

Dr. Christopher Snyder, President

AVDC® Appeals

Dr. Ian J. Haws

Dr. Ian J. Haws

CHAIR

Dr. Stanley Blazejewski

Dr. Robert Campbell           

Dr. Curt Coffman

Dr. Eric M. Davis

Dr. David L. Foster

Dr. Colin E. Harvey

Dr. Larry W. Kimberlin

Dr. Django Martel (Board Liaison)

Dr. Kevin Stepaniuk

Dr. Kristin Walker

Constitution & By­-Laws

Dr. Alice Sievers

Dr. Alice Sievers

CHAIR

Dr. Steven Holmstrom

Dr. Jennifer Rawlinson

Dr. Bonnie Shope

Maintenance of Certification

Dr. Katherine Block

Dr. Katherine Block

CHAIR

Dr. Kirk Hermann

Dr. Naomi Hoyer

Dr. Olivia James

Dr. G.G. Comet Riggs

Nominations

Dr. Chris Snyder

Dr. Chris Snyder

CHAIR

Dr. Stephanie Goldschmidt

Dr. Barden Greenfield

Dr. Jennifer Rawlinson (past-past-President)

Dr. Bonnie Shope (past-President)

Dr. Kevin Stepaniuk

Advocacy

Dr. Naomi Hoyer

Dr. Naomi Hoyer

CHAIR

Dr. Jamie Anderson

Dr. Stephanie Goldschmidt – Past Chair

Dr. Jessica Hunt

Dr. Leah Limone

Dr. Mary Krakowski Volker

Dr. Maria Soltero-Rivera – Past Chair, AVDC® BOD Liaison 

Fiscal and Audit

Dr. Bonnie Shope

Dr. Bonnie Shope

CHAIR

 

Dr. Susan Crowder

Dr. Chris Smithson

Dr. Chris Snyder

Dr. Kendall Taney

 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Dr. Todd McCoy

Dr. Todd McCoy

CHAIR

Dr. Graham Thatcher, Co-Chairperson
Dr. Angelica Bebel
Dr. Mary Buelow
Dr. Katherine Kling

Dr. Ching Ching Shirley Kot

Dr. Da Bin Lee
Dr. Maria Littles
Dr. Crystal Loh
Dr. Alice Sievers, AVDC® BOD Liaison

Nomenclature

Dr. Matthew Lemmons

Dr. Matthew Lemmons

CHAIR

Dr. Boaz Arzi

Dr. Robert Baratt

Dr. Jan Bellows

Dr. Jerome D’Astous

Dr. Jan Schreyer

Equine Specialty Executive

Dr. Molly Rice

Dr. Molly Rice

CHAIR

Dr. Robert M. Baratt, Past Chair

Dr. Jack Easley

Dr. Travis Henry

Dr. Jennifer E. Rawlinson

Dr. Jeffrey Reiswig

Small Animal Credentials

Dr. Jennifer Alterman

Dr. Jennifer Alterman

CHAIR

Dr. Mary Buelow

Dr. Connie Durand

Dr. Angus Fechney

Dr. Judy Force

Dr. Alice Goodman

Dr. Kirsten Hailstone

Dr. Suzanna Hatunen

Dr. Django Martel, Board Liaison and Past Chair

Dr. Gary L. Modrcin

Dr. Ana Nemec

Dr. Kevin Ng, Chair Designate

Dr. Matthew Raleigh

Dr. Erin Ribka

Dr. Curt Ritchie

Dr. Kelly Saverino

Dr. Amy J. Somrak

Dr. Jennifer Tjepkema

Dr. Ignacio Velazquez-Urgel

Equine Credentials

Dr. Travis Henry

Dr. Travis Henry

CHAIR

Dr. Nicole du Toit

Dr. Rob Pascoe

Dr. Jennifer E. Rawlinson

Small Animal Examination Committee

Dr. Katherine B. Block

Dr. Katherine B. Block

CHAIR

 

Dr. Alex Adrian

Dr. Sam Babbitt

Dr. Kris Bannon

Dr. Angelica Bebel

Dr. Ann Bolek

Dr. Angela Briggs

Dr. Heather L. Duncan

Dr. Emily Edstrom, Past Chair

Dr. Matthew Evans

Dr. Kristina Feigin

Dr. Lisa Fink, Past Chair

Dr. Kevin Haggerty

Dr. Kirk Herrmann

Dr. Naomi Hoyer, Past Chair

Dr. Michael Jennings, Past Chair

Dr. William Kellner

Dr. Katherine Kling

Dr. Chad Lothamer

Dr. Scott E. MacGee

Dr. Jennifer Montebello 

Dr. Brenday Mulherin, Past Chair

Dr. Erich Rachwitz

Dr. Jessica Riehl

Dr. Amy Rossi

Dr. Chris Sauve

Dr. Chris Snyder, Past Chair, AVDC® BOD Liaison

Dr. Cindy Vaca

Dr. Kendall Taney, Past Chair

AVDC® OMFS Fellowship Oversight

Dr. Sandra Manfra Maretta

Dr. Sandra Manfra Maretta

CHAIR

Dr. Ana Castejon Gonzalez

Dr. Santiago Peralta

Dr. Alexander M. Reiter

Dr. Kendall Taney – Board Liason

OMFS Founding Fellows

Dr. Boaz Arzi

Dr. Randy Boudrieau

Dr. Nadine Fiani

Dr. Colin E. Harvey

Dr. Gary C. Lantz

Dr. John R. Lewis

Dr. Sandra Manfra Marretta

Dr. Santiago Peralta

Dr. Alexander M. Reiter

Dr. Mark M. Smith

Dr. Christopher J. Snyder

Dr. Jason W. Soukup

Dr. Peter Southerden

Dr. Frank J. M. Verstraete

Small Animal Training Support Committee (TSC)

Dr. Mallory Kanwal

Dr. Mallory Kanwal

CHAIR

Dr. Michael Balke

Dr. Melissa Blazevich

Dr. Angela Briggs
Dr. Laura Canever

Dr. Han Chia
Dr. Daniel Clayton

Dr. Danny DeRose
Dr. Brian Hewitt
Dr. Lorraine Hiscox

Dr. Deborah Hodesson

Dr. Melanie Hunt
Dr. Jessica Johnson
Dr. Kristin Linder

Dr. Maria Littles (Chair-Elect)
Dr. Crystal Loh
Dr. Jessica Mack
Dr. Roxane MacLellan
Dr. Danielle Mendelsohn, Past Chair
Dr. Tiffany Menke
Dr. Lisa Mestrinho
Dr. Regan Morris
Dr. Adriana Regalado
Dr. Kristin Iglesias Scott
Dr. Suzy Shannon
Dr. Alice Sievers, AVDC® BOD Liaison
Dr. Amy Thompson

Equine Training Support Committee

Dr. Apryle Horbal

Dr. Apryle Horbal

CHAIR

Dr. Ian Bishop

Dr. Jon Gieche

Dr. Cleet Griffin

Dr. Leah Limone

Dr. Nicola Pusterla

Zoo & Wildlife
Oversight

Dr. Douglas Winter

Dr. Douglas Winter

CHAIR

Dr. Clarence Sitzman

Dr. Nadine Fiani

Dr. Edward R. Eisner

Dr. Steve Holmstrom

Zoo & Wildlife Dentistry Certificate Holders

Dr. Kristin M. Bannon

Dr. Jan E. Bellows

Dr. Arzi Boaz

Dr. David E. Clarke

Dr. Stephen V. Coles

Dr. Roberto Fecchio

Dr. Robert Furman

Dr. Barron P. Hall

Dr. Donnell Hansen

Dr. Brian Hewitt

Dr. Stephen Juriga

Dr. Hanne Kortegaard

Dr. Loic F.J. Legendre

Dr. Milinda Lommer

Dr. Michael Lowder

Residency Program Administration Committee

Dr. Curtis Stiles

Dr. Curtis Stiles

CHAIR

Dr. Molly Angel
Dr. Glenn Brigden
Dr. Susan Crowder, AVDC® BOD Liaison
Dr. Stephanie Goldschmidt
Dr. Travis Henry
Dr. Scott MacGee, Past Chair
Dr. Sandra Manfra-Maretta

Dr. Alice Sievers

Veterinary Oral Health Council

Dr. Ellen Lowery

Dr. Ellen Lowery

DIRECTOR

Dr. Jamie G. Anderson

Dr. Mary Berg

Dr. Lisa Fink

Dr. William V. Krug

Dr. Helena Kuntsi

Dr. Matthew Lemmons

Dr. Ana Nemec

Dr. Alexander M. Reiter

Dr. Laurie Serfilippi

Equine
Examination

Dr. Nicola Pusterla

Dr. Nicola Pusterla

CHAIR

Dr. Robert Baratt

Dr. James Carmalt

Dr. Cleet Griffin

Dr. Louise Marron

Dr. Molly Rice, Past Chair

Dr. Brad Tanner, Past Chair

 

Residency Education Committee

Dr. Milinda Lommer

Dr. Milinda Lommer

CHAIR

Dr. Nadine Fiani, Past Chair

Dr. Jerzy Gawor

Dr. Alexander Geddes

Dr. Lorraine Hiscox
Dr. Olivia James

Dr. Inshil Kim
Dr. Rebecca Martin
Dr. Milinda Lommer

Dr. Amelie McAndrews

Dr. Kevin Ng

Dr. Santiago Peralta

Dr. Lindsey Schneider
Dr. Christopher Snyder
Dr. Maria Soltero-Rivera
Dr. Jason Soukup
Dr. Peter Strøm
Dr. Mary Volker

OMFS Fellowship Exam Committee

Dr. Kendall Taney

Dr. Kendall Taney

CHAIR

Dr. Nadine Fiani
Dr. Christopher Snyder

Policy on responsible breeding practices to ensure quality of life and promote overall health and well being.

The AVDC® recognizes that many breeds in each species (e.g., canine, feline, and lagomorph) have particular genetic tendencies that predispose them to potential maxillofacial or respiratory irregularities. While this is not a total representation of each breed, one must consider all aspects of either genetic or acquired pathology when choosing a pet. It is recommended that any future pet owner consider discussing potential breed-related problems with their family veterinarian or specialist. While these recommendations may be beneficial in the overall understanding of a breed with either a genetic or acquired tendency, the AVDC® as an organization does not have a general policy regarding this topic.

The AVDC® has relied on individual Diplomates to provide valuable evidence based medical recommendations for current and future pet owners to consider. The AVDC® does encourage responsible breeding practices that result in anatomy and conformation that limits impediments to the animal’s quality of life and promotes overall health and well being.

Adopted by the Board of Directors, January 2019

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The Use of Antibiotics in Veterinary Dentistry

The AVDC® endorses the use of systemic antibiotics in veterinary dentistry for treatment of some infectious conditions of the oral cavity. Although culture and susceptibility testing is rarely performed on individual patients that have an infection extending from/to the oral cavity, the selection of an appropriate antibiotic should be based on published data regarding susceptibility testing of the spectra of known oral pathogens.

Patients that are scheduled for an oral procedure may benefit from pre-treatment with an appropriate antibiotic to improve the health of infected oral tissues, however a full course treatment is always recommended.

Bacteremia is a recognized sequela to dental scaling and other oral procedures.

Healthy animals are able to overcome this bacteremia without the use of systemic antibiotics. However, use of a systemically administered antibiotic is recommended to reduce bacteremia for animals that are immune compromised, have underlying systemic disease (such as certain clinically-evident cardiac disease (sub-aortic stenosis), or severe hepatic or renal disease) and/or when severe oral infection is present. Antibiotics should never be considered a monotherapy for treatment of oral infections, and should not be used as preventive management of oral conditions.

Adopted by the Board of Directors, April 2005, revised April 2019

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Veterinary Dental Healthcare Providers

Veterinary Dental Healthcare Providers

The American Veterinary Dental College® (AVDC® ) has developed this position statement as a means to safeguard the veterinary dental patient and to ensure the qualifications of persons performing veterinary dental procedures.

Primary responsibility for veterinary dental care

The AVDC® defines veterinary dentistry as the art and practice of oral health care in animals other than humans. It is a discipline of veterinary medicine and surgery. The diagnosis, treatment, and management of veterinary oral health care is to be provided and supervised by licensed veterinarians or by veterinarians working within a university or industry.

Who may provide veterinarian-supervised dental care

The AVDC® accepts that the following health care workers may assist the supervising veterinarian in dental procedures or perform professional dental cleanings (cleaning the surfaces of the teeth with an ultrasonic scaler and/or hand tools and polishing the teeth with pumice or flouride paste while the patient is under anesthesia) while under direct supervision by a veterinarian if permitted by local law: licensed, certified or registered veterinary technician or a veterinary assistant with advanced dental training, a human dentist, or registered dental hygienist.

Operative dentistry and oral surgery

The AVDC® considers operative dentistry to be any dental procedure which invades the hard or soft oral tissue including, but not limited to, a procedure that alters the structure of one or more teeth or repairs damaged and diseased teeth. Only a veterinarian should perform operative dentistry and oral surgery.

Extraction of Teeth

The AVDC® considers the extraction of teeth to be included in the practice of veterinary dentistry. Decision making is the responsibility of the supervising veterinarian, with the consent of the pet owner, when electing to extract teeth. Only veterinarians shall determine which teeth are to be extracted and perform extraction procedures.

Dental Tasks Performed by Veterinary Technicians

The AVDC® considers it appropriate for a veterinarian to delegate maintenance dental care and certain dental tasks to a veterinary technician. Tasks appropriately performed by a technician include professional dental cleanings and certain procedures that do not result in altering the shape, structure, or positional location of teeth in the dental arch. The veterinarian may direct an appropriately trained veterinary technician to perform these tasks providing that the veterinarian is physically present and supervising the treatment.

Veterinary Technician Dental Training

The AVDC® supports the advanced training of veterinary technicians to perform additional ancillary dental services: taking impressions, making models, charting veterinary dental pathology, taking, and developing dental radiographs, performing non-surgical subgingival root scaling and periodontal debridement, provided that they do not alter the structure of the tooth.

Further the AVDC® does not support Diplomates training non-licensed veterinarians, veterinary assistants, or veterinary technicians to perform oral surgery, including surgical extraction techniques.

Tasks that may be performed by veterinary assistants (not registered, certified, or licensed)

The AVDC® supports the appropriate training of veterinary assistants to perform the following dental services: supragingival scaling and polishing, taking and developing dental radiographs, directly assisting the veterinarian in oral surgical and dental procedures, and making impressions and models.

Tasks that may be performed by human dentists, registered dental hygienists and other dental health care providers
The AVDC® recognizes that human dentists, registered dental hygienists and other dental health care providers in good standing may perform those procedures for which they have been qualified under the direct supervision of the veterinarian. The supervising veterinarian will be responsible for the welfare of the veterinary patient and any treatment performed on the patient.

The AVDC® understands that individual states have regulations that govern the practice of veterinary medicine. This position statement is intended to be a model for veterinary dental practice and does not replace existing law.

Adopted by the Board of Directors April 1998, revised October 1999, revised September 2006, revised 2022


AVMA Summary Report by State – Authority of veterinary technicians and other non-veterinarians to perform dental procedures
Link to AVMA Summary Report by State – Scope of Practice: Complementary and alternative veterinary medicine and other practice act exemptions

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Companion Animal Dental Scaling Without Anesthesia

® In the United States and Canada, only licensed veterinarians can practice veterinary medicine. Veterinary medicine includes veterinary surgery, medicine and dentistry. Anyone providing dental services other than a licensed veterinarian, or a supervised and trained veterinary technician, is practicing veterinary medicine without a license and shall be subject to criminal charges.

This position statement addresses dental scaling procedures performed on pets without anesthesia, often by individuals untrained in veterinary dental techniques. Although the term Anesthesia-Free Dentistry has been used in this context, AVDC® prefers to use the more accurate term Non-Professional Dental Scaling (NPDS) to describe this combination.

Owners of pets naturally are concerned when anesthesia is required for their pet. However, performing NPDS on an unanesthetized pet is inappropriate for the following reasons:

1. Dental tartar is firmly adhered to the surface of the teeth. Scaling to remove tartar is accomplished using ultrasonic and sonic power scalers, plus hand instruments that must have a sharp working edge to be used effectively. Even slight head movement by the patient could result in injury to the oral tissues of the patient, and the operator may be bitten when the patient reacts.

2. Professional dental scaling includes scaling the surfaces of the teeth both above and below the gingival margin (gum line), followed by dental polishing. The most critical part of a dental scaling procedure is scaling the tooth surfaces that are within the gingival pocket (the subgingival space between the gum and the root), where periodontal disease is active. Because the patient cooperates, dental scaling of human teeth performed by a professional trained in the procedures can be completed successfully without anesthesia. However, access to the subgingival area of every tooth is impossible in an unanesthetized canine or feline patient. Removal of dental tartar on the visible surfaces of the teeth has little effect on a pet’s health, and provides a false sense of accomplishment. The effect is purely cosmetic.

3. Inhalation anesthesia using a cuffed endotracheal tube provides three important advantages… the cooperation of the patient with a procedure it does not understand, elimination of pain resulting from examination and treatment of affected dental tissues during the procedure, and protection of the airway and lungs from accidental aspiration.

4. A complete oral examination, which is an important part of a professional dental scaling procedure, is not possible in an unanesthetized patient. The surfaces of the teeth facing the tongue cannot be examined, and areas of disease and discomfort are likely to be missed.

Safe use of an anesthetic or sedative in a dog or cat requires evaluation of the general health and size of the patient to determine the appropriate drug and dose, and continual monitoring of the patient. Veterinarians are trained in all of these procedures. Prescribing or administering anesthetic or sedative drugs by a non-veterinarian can be very dangerous, and is illegal. Although anesthesia will never be 100% risk-free, modern anesthetic and patient evaluation techniques used in veterinary hospitals minimize the risks, and millions of dental scaling procedures are safely performed each year in veterinary hospitals.

To minimize the need for professional dental scaling procedures and to maintain optimal oral health, the AVDC® recommends daily dental home care from an early age. This should include brushing or use of other effective techniques to retard accumulation of dental plaque, such as dental diets and chew materials. This, combined with periodic examination of the patient by a veterinarian and with dental scaling under anesthesia when indicated, will optimize life-long oral health for dogs and cats. The AVDC® supports the Guidelines of safe administration of general anesthesia to animals for dental procedures as outlined by the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia (ACVAA) found at https://acvaa.org/veterinarians/guidelines/

For general information on performance of dental procedures on veterinary patients, please read the AVDC® Position Statement on Veterinary Dental Healthcare Providers, which is available on the AVDC® web site (www.AVDC®.org). For information on effective oral hygiene products for dogs and cats, visit the Veterinary Oral Health Council web site (www.VOHC.org).

For further information, send an e-mail message to the AVDC® Executive Director (ExecSec@AVDC®.org).

Adopted by the Board of Directors, April 2004

 

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Removal or Reduction of Teeth as a Treatment for Canine or Feline Aggression

When presented with an aggressive animal case where other corrective measures have failed (including but not limited to behavior modification including medical/pharmacologic intervention) the veterinarian at his/her discretion may recommend full mouth extraction, crown reduction (to the gingival margin) or euthanasia.

AVDC® understands that removal of crowns of teeth may be necessary in selected cases.

Full mouth extraction is an invasive procedure. Oral surgical techniques that minimize trauma must be used, and post-operative radiographs must be taken. Effective anesthetic techniques, monitoring, and pre and post-operative pain control measures must be used.

It must be understood that removal or reduction of teeth as a treatment for canine or feline aggression will not absolutely prevent injury (of physical and/or psychological nature) to people or to other animals.

Adopted by the Board of Directors, October, 2009, revised April 2019

 

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Crown Amputation in Sled Dogs

Since 1996 when The American Veterinary Dental College®  Board of Directors ratified their position statement against the amputation (‘cutting’) of canine teeth in sled dogs, not much has changed. Some 27 years later this procedure is still felt to be inhumane and inappropriate as it does not eliminate the potential to cause harm with biting. As importantly, the procedure of grinding or “cutting” down the crown may be very painful for sled dogs and will likely result in infection and death of the tooth. Proper methods such as vital pulp therapy or full -root canal therapy under general anesthesia and with appropriate analgesia are successful procedures to reduce the crown height of a tooth. These procedures are best performed by specialists such as AVDC® diplomates. The current Board of Directors encourages all veterinarians practicing veterinary dentistry to say “no” to inappropriate extraction or treatment of healthy teeth, and to use modern techniques with appropriate anesthesia, analgesia, and dental radiography.

Adopted by the Board of Directors  October 2023

 

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Orthodontic Procedures

Orthodontics involves the diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities (malocclusion) of alignment of teeth and jaws.  The goal of orthodontic procedures in companion animals is to provide the animal with a functional, comfortable, and stable occlusion.  A complete conscious oral examination, including assessment of the occlusion of an animal, should be evaluated at all veterinary examinations.  Documentation of the animal’s occlusion and any necessary treatment or intervention should be discussed with the animal’s owner.  Malocclusions require timely treatment, typically within the first 6-8 weeks to 12 months of an animal’s life.  Treatment options for malocclusions are varied, and frequently necessitate specialized treatment.  Orthodontic treatments require a particular and specific skill set as well as advanced experience, thus they should be performed by a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist™ or a veterinarian with equivalent specialist training.  Similar to other procedure recommendations, the risk vs. benefit of each orthodontic treatment option and its potential complications, recovery, follow-up, and monitoring should be reviewed with the animal’s owner.  The American Veterinary Dental college (AVDC®)® supports the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) policy regarding surgery or procedures performed on animals intended to be shown, raced, bred, or sold as breeding animals (see below).  Orthodontic treatment should not be unduly withheld based on neuter status, however.  Sufficient client counseling regarding the potential for an animal’s genetic propagation of undesirable occlusal traits is required and strongly recommended prior to performing any orthodontic treatment.  Orthodontic treatment should not be pursued for cosmetic purposes only.

AVMA: Performance of surgical or other procedures in any species for the purpose of concealing genetic defects in animals to be shown, raced, bred, or sold as breeding animals is misleading to the public and is unethical. However, should the health or welfare of the individual patient require correction of such genetic defects, it is recommended that the patient be rendered incapable of reproduction.

Adopted by the Board of Directors October 2023

 

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Position on Large Animal Dentistry

The practice of dentistry is an integral branch of professional veterinary practice. This discipline encompasses all aspects of the evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of any and all diseases, disorders, and conditions that affect the teeth, oral cavity, mandible, maxillofacial area, and the adjacent and associated structures. Additionally, dentistry includes the evaluation of the presentation and contribution of systemic diseases within the oral cavity and the contribution of oral conditions to the overall health of the individual animal. Companion animals, equines, livestock, and exotic species all have oral and dental needs that are included in the practice of veterinary medicine.

Any surgical procedure of the head or oral cavity; the administration or prescription of sedatives, tranquilizers, analgesics or anesthetics; procedures which are invasive of the tissues of the oral cavity including, but not limited to, removal of sharp enamel points, treatment of malocclusions of premolars, molars, canine teeth and incisors, odontoplasty, the extraction of first premolars and deciduous premolars and incisors; extraction of damaged or diseased teeth; treatment of diseased teeth via restorations or endodontic procedures; periodontal and orthodontic treatments; dental radiography and endoscopy of the oral cavity are veterinary dental procedures and should be performed by a licensed veterinarian. 

In states where the Veterinary Practice Act allows, the AVDC® supports the use of licensed veterinary technicians under the employ and immediate supervision of licensed veterinarians for specific and appropriate veterinary dental procedures as enumerated in that state’s practice act.

Adopted by the Board of Directors, October 2023

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What is a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist™

VOHC
Veterinary Oral Health Council

Veterinary Dental

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AVDC®
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