Patterson podcast helps clinics prepare for Dental Month
Patterson Veterinary is using its All Things Veterinary podcast to help practices gear up for Pet Dental Health Month, this time with Zack Mills, DVM, owner of Tiger Tails Animal Hospital. While the source material is limited, the framing suggests a practice-focused conversation on how teams can prepare for the seasonal surge in dental messaging and appointments, with Mills drawing on a career that spans private practice, clinical trials, and senior commercial and medical affairs roles in animal health. (tigertailsanimalhospital.com)
That timing matters because February’s Pet Dental Health Month has become a familiar fixture in companion animal practice. The Veterinary Oral Health Council says February is Pet Dental Health Month in North America, supported by the American Veterinary Dental College and the Foundation for Veterinary Dentistry, and it provides clinics with posters and brochures designed specifically for hospital use. AAHA has also argued that the month should be treated as a springboard for year-round oral health efforts, not a one-off awareness campaign. (vohc.org)
Mills is a credible guide for that discussion. Tiger Tails Animal Hospital describes him as a veterinarian and owner who returned to practice after a corporate career that included leadership roles at Merial and work influencing wellness programs, vaccine launches, and practice-facing medical strategy. His biography also says Tiger Tails has grown into a two-hospital organization with nearly 60 team members, giving him direct operational experience in building systems, teams, and client communication strategies that can support service-line campaigns like dentistry. (tigertailsanimalhospital.com)
The broader clinical backdrop is well established. AAHA’s dental guidance says most dogs and cats have some level of periodontal disease by 3 years of age, and its updated client education materials say many pets show few outward signs until disease is more advanced. AAHA also emphasizes that anesthesia-free cleaning is not an adequate substitute for a complete oral assessment and treatment because practices need anesthesia to safely obtain radiographs, probe periodontal pockets, and clean below the gumline where disease occurs. Its antimicrobial stewardship guidance further notes that systemic antimicrobials are usually not indicated for routine dental prophylaxis or after tooth extractions, reinforcing the importance of evidence-based protocols as practices promote dental services. (aaha.org)
Industry and professional messaging increasingly reflects that more nuanced approach. AAHA has highlighted that fewer than 10% of pet parents brush daily and that annual professional dental care rates remain low, which helps explain why periodontal disease stays so prevalent. The VOHC, meanwhile, continues to provide clinic-facing educational materials and maintains accepted product lists that practices can use when recommending home-care options. Taken together, the message for teams is that Dental Month works best when it combines case identification, clear explanations of what a complete dental procedure includes, and realistic home-care plans that pet parents can actually follow. (aaha.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the value of this kind of podcast content is less about novelty and more about execution. Dentistry is clinically important, but it’s also operationally demanding: it requires trained staff, anesthetic protocols, radiography, pain management, client education, and follow-up. A leader like Mills, who has worked in both practice and industry settings, is well positioned to talk about how to align medicine, workflow, and communication so Dental Month doesn’t create bottlenecks or oversimplify care. In a labor-constrained environment, practical advice on scheduling, team roles, and client messaging can be just as useful as clinical refreshers. That workforce angle fits the story’s education-workforce category, even if the immediate hook is oral health. (tigertailsanimalhospital.com)
What to watch: The next signal to watch is whether Patterson and other industry players keep shifting Dental Month content toward year-round preventive dentistry, technician utilization, and standardized home-care recommendations, rather than treating February as a standalone promotion. If that happens, expect more emphasis on guideline-based care, VOHC-backed product recommendations, and earlier intervention for silent oral disease. (vohc.org)