Smiles all round for first annual dentistry congress

On 12 April, the British Veterinary Dental Association (BVDA) successfully launched the first edition of its annual congress.

More than 140 attendees flocked to the prestigious Royal Society of Medicine in central London for a full day devoted to veterinary dentistry. By the end, it was clear the organisation had succeeded at creating a programme that was accessible to all levels of experience, with a focus on practical application of knowledge for those working in first opinion practice.

For a large part, the success was down to the carefully chosen speakers, who were compounding evidence of just how welcoming and approachable those working in veterinary dentistry can be. Most are well-known dentistry specialists working in the UK, including Rachel Perry (Perry Referrals/North Downs Specialist Referrals), Andrew Perry (Eastcott Referrals), Maura Lazzarotto (Davies Veterinary Specialists) and Jose Almansa Ruiz (Bristol Vet Specialists).

Wowing the audience

Thanks to the convenient venue location, however, it was also possible to invite international speakers to the event. Sigbjørn Storli (Evidensia Lørenskog Dyreklinikk) flew in from Norway that very morning to share his extensive experience with temporary crown extensions treatment, wowing the audience with his successful management of even the more complicated malocclusions.

With such a line-up, it was no surprise the lectures were exceptionally varied, with topics including advanced periodontal therapy, jaw function, orthodontics, odontoplasty and oncology.

Encouraging those attending to also think outside of the oral cavity, excursions into other disciplines were made with Stacey Parker’s (Perry Referrals) “Anaesthesia for dentistry procedures” and Abbe Crawford’s (RVC) “When neurology meets dentistry – tough interdisciplinary cases”. Some participants even had the opportunity to get hands-on experience with a practical session on elevation and luxation techniques.

Despite the full programme, ample time was allocated in between the educational sessions for networking and socialising. The atmosphere in the central atrium was buzzing, with people greeting old and new acquaintances, enjoying the catering provided, seeking out the sponsor stands and completing their copy of the quiz for a chance at prizes later in the day.

Thanks to sponsorship from Mars Petcare, IM3, Animalcare, Arthrex, Johnson and Johnson, Dental Precision, Fusion Implants, Eickemeyer and Vetwelding, the BVDA was able to offer six new graduates free tickets to the event and their very own copy of the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Dentistry and Oral Surgery.

Margot Speybrouck was one of those who received this support. She said: “It was an amazing experience being able to meet so many lovely people. I learned so many new things and I might even have found another favourite subject.”

Ending the day with a panel discussion on staging of dental procedures, everyone was able to wind down at the drinks reception before heading home full of new knowledge.

‘Huge milestone’

BVDA president Alix Freeman said: “To have hosted the first large veterinary dentistry event in the UK is a huge milestone for our organisation. It was great to see it all come together and watch so many participants enjoying themselves while making the most of the event.

“The amount of positive feedback has been overwhelming, and we can’t wait to start working on making next year even bigger and better.”

The BVDA was first established in 1988 with the aim to promote practice, teaching and research of animal dentistry. Reflecting on their achievements over the recent years shows the organisation is living up to those aims.

Highlights include the oral care nurse course run in partnership with the BVNA, a hugely successful online discussion group, curation of a dental programme at London Vet Show and BSAVA Congress, dentistry curriculum creation for the University of Cambridge’s fourth-year and fifth-year students, multi-stream online conferences during the pandemic, sold-out practical courses and the ever-popular Talking Teeth webinar series.

The new annual congress replaces the historic Scientific Day, which first evolved as a programme to accompany the annual meeting. The annual meeting was held during one of the breaks in the congress programme.

An increasing interest in veterinary dentistry has clearly occurred in recent years, and as a result, the BVDA has seen its membership numbers grow steadily and significantly.

Members are all so eager to meet each other and learn more that the BVDA has seen an increasing demand for more in-person CPD, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity for organisers to put on a larger event and give dentistry the attention it deserves.

Upcoming events

For those looking to continue or start learning from home, the BVDA has released the programme for its Talking Teeth 2024 series. These monthly webinars are specifically geared at those working in a non-referral setting, with members having free unlimited access to all recordings via the BVDA website.

The dentistry programme for London Vet Show this November will also be curated by the BVDA. A practical course on the use of composites in non-invasive jaw fracture repair takes place in Dublin on 2-3 August, and the association hopes to repeat the very successful canine extractions course, as well as an inaugural feline dentistry course in 2025.

For more information, visit bvda.co.uk or the BVDA Facebook page.