172: What's new with the "Dentistry Lane" across the veterinary profession?

Prior to becoming dental board certified, Curt Coffman, DVM, FAVD, DAVDC, National Specialty Director of Dentistry at Thrive Pet Healthcare, worked as an associate veterinarian and partner in a small animal veterinary practice. Realizing that he enjoyed the dentistry portion of his GP role, he decided to seek specialty board certification. Dr. Coffman began working at Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists (AVDS) as a relief veterinarian and ultimately completed his residency training at the hospital. Today, Dr. Coffman is an AVDS partner, and the hospital has grown to encompass four locations across Arizona! Within Thrive Pet Healthcare, Dr. Coffman has launched a Dental Growth Program, a year-long training initiative to build more competent and confident dental champions across Thrive’s network. The program includes extensive training, including 30 hours of continuing education, with an opportunity to participate in a hands-on training at the Dental Growth Symposium at the end of the program. With the demand for pet dental services growing, Dr. Coffman is particularly passionate about helping current and future veterinarians deepen their dental training – something students spend very little time on in veterinary school – to improve the industry. As a member of Thrive Pet Healthcare’s Specialty Directors Board, Dr. Coffman supports training and mentorship opportunities for new and prospective dentists, recruits top talent, and ensures team members can truly thrive.Dr. Coffman is the author of multiple publications in the field of veterinary dentistry and enjoys lecturing and presenting dental education topics to doctors and veterinary technicians. He has been fortunate to be invited to lecture and teach across the country and around the world. This pairs well with his interests outside of the office including traveling, food/wine, and golf.