Patterson podcast spotlights how clinics can prep for Dental Month

Prepping for National Pet Dental Health Month is the focus of a January episode of Patterson Veterinary’s All Things Veterinary podcast, featuring Dr. Zack Mills of Tiger Tails Animal Hospital in Duluth, Georgia. In the episode, Mills shares practical guidance for clinics heading into February’s awareness push, with an emphasis on patient care, pet parent compliance, and newer tools shaping veterinary dentistry. Patterson’s show notes also point listeners to Restoris, a regenerative dental product, underscoring the commercial and clinical interest around dental workflows at the start of the year. (podcasts.apple.com)

Why it matters: Dental Month remains one of the clearest annual opportunities for practices to drive preventive care, strengthen client communication, and identify untreated oral disease. That matters because AAHA’s dental care guidelines frame dentistry as a core part of preventive medicine for every dog and cat, and they stress the importance of comprehensive assessment, including dental radiography. At the same time, the American Veterinary Dental College continues to push back on anesthesia-free tooth scaling as a substitute for complete dental care, reinforcing the need for practices to educate pet parents on what high-standard dentistry actually involves. VOHC-backed home-care products can also support that message between professional cleanings. (aaha.org)

What to watch: As February campaigns roll out, watch for how clinics balance promotional Dental Month messaging with broader year-round oral health compliance, especially around diagnostics, anesthesia standards, and home-care recommendations. (aaha.org)