VSPN TECH286-0622: Periodontal Disease, and Dental and Oral Pathology

The real time sessions for this course will be presented via Zoom webinar platform.

Presenter: Denise Rollings, CVT, VTS (Dentistry)
Course Open: June 6-June 30, 2022
Real Time Sessions (RTS):Mondays, June 13 and 20, 2022: 8:30-10:00 pm ET   World Clock Converter
Total CE Credit: 3
RACE Category: 3 hours Medical


Enrollment is closed.


Course Information:
Oral diseases are prevalent in our canine and feline patients, it is often overlooked, missed, and underdiagnosed. This course will describe the cause of periodontal disease, recognize the signs, and why periodontal disease is essential to treat. Once one understands the importance of periodontal disease, proper treatment recommendations can be relayed to owners in a way they can understand it, therefore providing higher quality care.

Take your dental charting to the next level! There are dental and oral diseases in addition to periodontal disease. Learn to recognize the normal anatomy and learn abnormal dental and oral pathology. Oral pathology is often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed due to lack of recognition. Once one can identify what is abnormal in the mouth, correct charting can be completed. The proper treatment options for commonly seen pathology will be discussed and described. Dental and oral abbreviations according to the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) are used for commonly seen pathology and will be discussed to help streamline the dental charting process.

Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the participant should be able to:
  • Understand the cause of periodontal disease.
  • Learn what potential prevention and treatment options are for periodontal disease.
  • Learn to recognize commonly seen dental and oral pathology in the dog and cat.
  • Practice proper charting techniques for dental and oral abnormalities.
Level and Prerequisites: This intermediate VSPN CE course will be open for enrollment to veterinary technicians/technologists, support staff, veterinary teams, etc. - actively interested in periodontal diseases and pathology.

RACE Accreditation: This program has been approved for 3 hours of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. (20-851791)

Course Agenda:

Week 1 (Real Time Session June 13): Understanding Periodontal Disease
This week will discuss the cause, progression, and possible prevention of periodontal disease. Different treatment options a veterinarian may prescribe for periodontal disease will be covered.

Week 2 (Real Time Session June 20): Dental and Oral Pathology
Common dental and oral abnormalities are described, along with potential treatment options. The American Veterinary Dental College abbreviations for charting are covered.

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): There is no required textbook for this course.


Enrollment is closed.


*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on June 13, 2022 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.

Enrollment qualifications:
  1. VIN CE Courses:
    1. VIN CE courses are open to VIN member, VIN student member, and non-member veterinarians.
    2. Veterinary support staff must be VSPN members in order to enroll in a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. VSPN CE Courses:
    1. VSPN CE courses are open to veterinary support staff and veterinarians.
    2. Only VIN and VSPN members can enroll in a VSPN CE course.
    3. Veterinarians will only receive credit for those VSPN CE courses that specify in the Accreditation statement that the course is accredited for veterinarians.
  3. Please check the course Level and Prerequisites, Accreditation, and Tuition before enrolling.
  4. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses.
    1. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  5. 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.


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. 792 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

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

VSPN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 792
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