Basics of Dentistry and Extractions: What You May Have Missed in Vet School

Growing up in North Carolina, at a young age, Dr. Heather Duncan decided that she wanted to become a veterinarian to help her pets that she loved so much as well as other people’s furry family members. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from North Carolina State University and then received her DVM from Purdue University’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 2005.

After graduating veterinary school, Dr. Duncan practiced at a progressive 24-hour small animal hospital in Saint Petersburg, FL. Realizing her passion for Veterinary Dentistry, she began a three-year Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery Residency program in 2008 at the Animal Dental Center of Baltimore and Annapolis, MD.

Dr. Duncan developed the Dentistry & Oral Surgery Service at Upstate Vet Emergency & Specialty Care in Greenville, SC in 2013, then went on to become a Diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) and the first Board Certified Dentist in South Carolina in 2014. She enjoys all aspects of veterinary dentistry (Endodontics, Fracture repairs, Oral Surgery, Orthodontics, Periodontics and Restorative dentistry).

Dr. Duncan is active in the American Veterinary Dental College, volunteering on many committees. She thoroughly enjoys teaching throughout the United States and is passionate about sharing her knowledge of Veterinary Dentistry.

A native of New York, Dr. Kristin Scott received her Biology degree from Cornell University and her Veterinary degree from the University of Minnesota. After three years at a small animal and exotics practice in NYC, Dr. Scott spent the next thirteen years at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, a premier, multi-specialty referral hospital in New Jersey. She completed her residency in Veterinary Dentistry through the University of Pennsylvania while directing the Dentistry department at Red Bank. In 2015, she became a Diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC).

As a Diplomate, Dr. Scott has earned the designation of Veterinary Dental Specialist, of which there are less than 280 worldwide. Since achieving this degree, she has donated much of her free time supporting the American Veterinary Dental College through committee chairmanship, membership, and resident support. In 2021 she received the AVDC Presidential Medal for Stewardship in recognition of her dedication to the specialty of veterinary dentistry.

As an experienced lecturer and wet lab instructor, Dr. Scott loves that teaching enables her to positively impact the health of any patients her students/attendees care for. She has served as a locum Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Minnesota Veterinary College, co-authored multiple papers, and serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry and a guest reviewer for the Journal of Small Animal Practice. Clinically, Dr. Scott has a special interest in advanced periodontal surgery and bone grafting