Wet Labs & Lectures

Please note: RACE approved for veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

This is a one-hour lecture discussing safety, terminology, normal and abnormal anatomy, basic pathology, and labial mounting of dental radiographs followed by hands on training. Learn how to obtain a diagnostic intra-oral radiograph using the latest state of the art equipment taught by some the most highly trained veterinary technicians in veterinary dentistry. There is a low teacher to student ratio to ensure everyone takes all the images necessary to obtain full mouth radiographs of a dog and cat. This is the most effective way to learn intra-oral dental radiography because it imitates real life patients without the stress of having to monitor anesthesia while trying to learn at the same time. 

Please note: RACE approved for veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

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A one-hour lecture explains instrument handling, cleaning and sharpening, the importance of proper cleaning technique, probing and charting. Following is a detailed, hands on wet lab provides instruction on the proper way to do a complete dental prophylaxis and oral examination including accurate charting. Learn how to properly handle instruments using the latest state of the art equipment taught by some the most highly trained veterinary technicians in veterinary dentistry. There is a low teacher to student ratio to ensure everyone receives individual instruction while probing, cleaning and charting the mouth of a dog and cat. This is the most effective way to learn correct and safe technique because it imitates real life patients without the stress of having to monitor anesthesia while trying to learn at the same time.

The complete dental procedure- From the pre-anesthetic exam to the discharge is explained. This lecture covers what one needs to do before putting an animal under anesthesia for a dental procedure including a physical exam, blood work, consent forms, anesthetic protocols, pain management, positioning, monitoring, basic instruments, and the steps of a dental procedure from induction to recovery to the patient walking out the door. Key points are: client education, communication, anesthetic monitoring, and performing/writing appropriate discharge instructions. Attendees will learn how to present all of the information so that clients can understand the value of high-quality dental care and be more compliant.

Learn to recognize the normal anatomy and learn abnormal dental and oral pathology. The proper treatment options for commonly seen pathology is discussed and described. Abbreviations according to the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) are used for commonly seen pathology and are discussed so proper dental charting can be performed

Cats are not small dogs. This lecture covers the top oral pathology seen in cats. In depth descriptions of tooth resorption, stomatitis, squamous cell carcinoma, and periodontal disease in felines is described in detail. Learn the details of stomatitis/mucositis, the stages and types of tooth resorption, how to recognize squamous cell carcinoma, the appropriate treatment options and prognosis. Periodontal disease in cats is greatly under diagnosed and often overlooked. Learn what to do to diagnose periodontal disease in our feline friends and what to do to treat it.

Help your clients understand the importance of oral care home products – from brushing, to gels, rinses, diets, chews and water additives. This lecture describes how the products work and why, so we are able to communicate the use to our clients for efficiently. Learn how to teach clients the tools they will need to succeed with a good oral care program at home. Now that the teeth are nice and clean, we need to teach the owner what to do at home. Topics include Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) approved products, how to demonstrate brushing, and what is inappropriate and appropriate for a pet to chew on

We can save teeth! Not every tooth needs to be extracted. Sometimes it’s better to keep the tooth instead of remove it. Learn what conditions warrant endodontic procedures. Veterinary technicians can assist the veterinarian perform endodontics once they know the procedure to help improve efficiency. The step by step process of a root canal therapy will be discussed along with the equipment and instruments needed.

Every patient has the right to a comfortable bite. Malocclusions causing trauma should be addressed to keep our patients pain free. The different types of malocclusions will be discussed in detail so the veterinary staff member will be able to correctly identify the problem. Learn what the appropriate treatments options are for the different types of malocclusions.

There are instances when a caning patient deserves a crown. Not on her head, but on her tooth! However, not all teeth are good candidates. Learn when and where a metal crown is warranted and when

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it is not recommended. The step by step process of descripting the procedure from making a mold, and lab process are discussed. Instruments and supplies are described in detail.

There are a few instances when dentistry is an emergency. Learn to recognize what needs to be treated now and what can wait. Interesting cases will be discussed. Not all of our patients are a picture of health either. Most of them can still have dental procedures performed safely. Learn what should be evaluated preoperatively.

The first step to providing appropriate dental care to our patients is learning normal oral anatomy. This 50-minute lecture describes oral, skull, and tooth anatomy. The Triadan tooth numbering system and directional terminology is explained. This includes an introduction to charting and preparing for the dental cleaning. One will learn proper terminology and charting techniques along with being comfortable with the anatomy of the mouth, skull and teeth.