VIN DENT109-0920: Veterinary Dentistry for the General Practitioner Module 1

The lectures for this course will be presented in an audio format using a webinar platform.

Enrollment is closed
Presenter: Steve Holmstrom, DVM, Dipl. AVDC
Course Open: September 21-October 29, 2020
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Mondays, September 28, October 5, 12, and 19, 2020; 9:00-10:30 pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter

Level and Prerequisites: This basic course will be open to general practice veterinarians actively interested in veterinary dentistry. Participants in the course should have an interest in taking better care of the dental needs of their patients.
VIN CE Course: Open to veterinarians. This course is approved by RACE for veterinarians. (RACE 22-43201)

Course Information:
The first of 2 modules, this course is designed to allow discussions of current techniques used in veterinary dentistry. Veterinarians practicing all levels of veterinary dentistry are invited to participate, from the veterinarian just interested in getting started in veterinary dentistry to the Board Certified Veterinary Dentist. The course will cover performing a complete oral exam and the recognition of intraoral disease, the AVDC Stages of Periodontal Disease, the use of hand and ultrasonic instrumentation, operatory design, periodontal procedures for the prevention/treatment of periodontal disease, dental radiology equipment, digital intraoral radiology and general health, safety, and ergonomic practices in the dental area.

Week 1 (Real Time Session September 28, 2020): Dental Anatomy
Presenter: Steven Holmstrom, DVM, Dipl. AVDC
Format: Audio
Required Reading (prior to September 28, 2020 Real Time Session):
Chapter 1, Introduction to Veterinary Dentistry
Chapter 2, The Oral Examination and Disease Recognition
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • understand and describe dental anatomy
  • understand and correctly use dental terminology
  • understand the fundamentals of dental charting
  • recognize the signs and symptoms of dental disease
  • perform a complete oral exam
  • describe the AVDC Stages of Periodontal Disease

Week 2 (Real Time Session October 5, 2020): Dental Instruments & Equipment
Presenter: Steven Holmstrom, DVM, Dipl. AVDC
Format: Audio
Required Reading (prior to October 5, 2020 Real Time Session):
Chapter 3: Dental Instruments and Equipment
Chapter 4: Personal Safety and Ergonomics

Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • implement better safety and ergonomic practices
  • implement better personal protection techniques
  • describe ergonomic disease syndromes and prevention
  • practice general health, safety and ergonomics in the dental area
  • demonstrate new ideas for operatory design and efficient use of dental equipment

Week 3 (Real Time Session October 12, 2020): Periodontal Therapy
Presenter: Steven Holmstrom, DVM, Dipl. AVDC
Format: Audio
Required Reading (prior to October 12, 2020 Real Time Session):
Chapter 6, Pathogenesis of Periodontal Disease
Chapter 7, The Complete Prophy
Chapter 8, Home-Care Instruction and Products
Chapter 9, Periodontal Therapy
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • perform periodontic probing
  • understand periodontal diagnostics
  • understand homecare instruction and products
  • describe the role of the Veterinary Oral Health Council
  • understand the following techniques: periodontal debridement, Perioceutic application, gingivoplasty and gingival surgery
  • perform a proper prophylaxis procedure, including the use of hand and ultrasonic instrumentation
  • use basic and advanced periodontal procedures for both the prevention and treatment of periodontal disease

Week 4 (Real Time Session October 19, 2020): Dental Radiology
Presenter: Steven Holmstrom, DVM, Dipl. AVDC
Format: Audio
Required Reading (prior to October 19, 2020 Real Time Session):
Chapter 11, Dental Radiology
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • describe dental radiology equipment
  • understand the various methods of processing dental radiographs
  • understand digital radiology, both DR and CR
  • demonstrate knowledge of dental radiology equipment and digital intraoral radiology
Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course. To learn more about the requirements for earning a CE certificate, please refer to Receiving Your CE Credit and Course Completion Certificate.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.
Required Textbook(s): Participants are responsible for acquiring a copy of the required course textbook prior to the first real time session.
  • Holmstrom S (2019).
    Veterinary Dentistry – A Team Approach, 3rd Edition.
    If you don't want to purchase the text, you can rent the Ebook edition at a reasonable price:

About the Presenter:
Steve Holmstrom was one of the two original VIN Dental Consultants. He has co-authored the textbook which the course is based on, Veterinary Dental Techniques, which is in its 3rd edition and in 4 languages. He has also authored Veterinary Dentistry for the Technician and Office Staff and edited two editions of Veterinary Clinics of North America.

Total CE Credit: 6

Tuition: Member $138 ($124 early bird special if enrolled by September 7, 2020)
Non-Member $231 ($208 early bird special if enrolled by September 7, 2020)
Prices are listed in US dollars.

*Enroll in both modules (DENT109-0920 and DENT110-1120) of the Veterinary Dentistry for the General Practitioner series before September 28, 2020 and receive the discounted enrollment price: Member $235 Non-Member $393

*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on September 28, 2020 at 5 pm ET (USA) or when the maximum number of participants is reached.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

To Enroll:
  1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  3. Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
  4. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
Enrollment is closed

"This program (22-43201) is approved by the AAVSB RACE to offer a total of 6 CE Credits, with a maximum of 6 CE Credits being available to any individual veterinarian. This RACE approval is for the subject matter categories of: Medical, using the delivery method of Interactive-Distance: (Web-based, Teleconference or Audio-Conference). This approval is valid in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE; however, participants are responsible for ascertaining each board's CE requirements."

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN office 800-846-0028 ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog.

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director

VIN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357