Professor List – Top Vet Dental Professors

A lecturer and chief of oral surgery and dentistry at Cornell State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Jennifer Rawlinson obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the school and did a two-year residency in veterinary dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania. At Cornell, she undertook projects that have included being a primary dental provider for exotic and wildlife animals and instructing students in large animal dentistry. She has also received the Peter Emily Service award from the American Veterinary Dental College for her role in helping develop an equine dental specialty.

Dr. Santiago Peralta is a clinical assistant professor and section chief of dentistry and oral surgery in Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine. He received his doctor of veterinary medicine in Colombia in 1999 and did a residency at the University of California, Davis in dental and oral surgery from 2006 to 2009. He is a diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College and has been published, with colleagues, in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and American Journal of Veterinary Research. He has also been featured in an article published on the university's website called "Taking a Bite out of Dental Disease."

An assistant professor in the pet health center at Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Jennifer Akers teaches students in small animal dental surgery and small animal general medicine. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University and has research interests that include veterinary dentistry and public health education. She enjoys working with and educating students, has even shared tips about animal dentistry that have been featured online, and has been written about in the college's newsletter called Lifelines.

An associate clinical professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University, Dr. Diana Eubanks has areas of expertise that include dentistry as well as gross anatomy and physiology. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia and is a fellow with the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry and a diplomate with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. Her clinical practice is in dentistry and small animal practice while much of her research is in the veterinary dentistry field. At the school's Animal Health Center, she is involved in both case management and lecture-based presentations.

Dr. Gary Lantz is both a professor of veterinary clinical sciences and professor of biochemical engineering at Purdue University. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1974 from Ohio State University, and is a diplomate with the American Veterinary Dental College, and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. His various areas of interest include oral and maxillofacial surgery, and he's had many articles published including in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry and Journal of Surgical Research. He's also participated in dental conferences around the U.S. including the 2010 Veterinary Dentistry for the Small Animal Practitioner at Texas A&M University.

A clinical professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Science at Texas A&M University, Dr. Johnathon Dodd became board certified with the American Veterinary Dental College in 2003. He's received several honors and appointments, has worked in private practice, and is also a fellow with the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry. His clinical and scholarly interests are in dentistry and he has even given an interview to the school's Pet Talk service about the importance of brushing a pet's teeth on a daily basis.

A professor with the University of California, Davis' Department of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Frank Verstraete has specialty areas that include veterinary dentistry and oral surgery. His research focuses on odontogenic tumors and the pathophysiology of tooth resorption, and he's received many honors and awards. Dr. Versratete has also been published in Veterinary Surgery, the Journal of Comparative Pathology, and many others publications, and has additionally authored book chapters. He is a fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry, and a diplomate with both the American Veterinary Dental College and European College of Veterinary Surgeons.

An assistant professor at the University of California, Davis, Dr. Boaz Arzi obtained his degree in veterinary medicine in Hungary and then worked in Israel for five years as a partner in a small animal veterinary clinic. Afterward, he did his residency in dentistry and oral surgery at UCDavis and become a diplomate with the American Veterinary Dental College in 2012. He's been published numerous times, along with colleagues, including in the Journal of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Veterinary Surgery and many others. He joined the school as a post-doctoral fellow in 2010 working in the lab at the Department of Biomedical Engineering and also is on the staff at the schools' veterinary teaching hospital.

Dr. Sandra Manfra Marretta teaches for the University of Illinois-Champaign including an online course offered through its Department of Veterinary Medicine called Clinical Small Animal Dentistry. She is a diplomate with both the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and American Veterinary Dental College, and has clinical interests that include periodontal and endodontic disease in cats and dogs and epidemiological studies of dental disease in these animals as well. Her work has been published in many different materials including in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry.

A professor of dentistry in the clinical sciences department at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center, Dr. Gary Goldstein has written chapters in vet textbooks, has lectured on vet dentistry, and published various articles. His areas of interest include developing dental care products, such as toothbrushes for dogs and cats, and feline dental disease. He is a diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College and a fellow of the American Academy of Veterinary Dentistry. He is also former president of the American Veterinary Dental Society. Dr. Goldstein graduated with his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1984 from the university and joined the faculty there in 2002.

A faculty member at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri, Dr. Richard Meadows received the 2013 AVDS/Hill’s Award for Teaching Excellence by the American Veterinary Dental Society, given yearly to one person for either teaching or research. He has won numerous teaching awards, including the 2010 National Pfizer Teaching Award, which is considered a top veterinary teaching award within the U.S. He is a diplomate with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, and has directed the Community Practice Section at the university's teaching hospital since 1999.

An associate professor of dentistry and oral surgery, Dr. Alexander Reiter is employed with the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. His clinical specialties include dentistry, dental surgery and oral exams and his research has looked at canine and feline periodontal surgery, tissue regeneration and maloccluding teeth. He is a diplomate of both the American Veterinary Dental College and European Veterinary Dental College, and he has had research published in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine.

Dr. Jason Soukup is an assistant professor in dental and oral surgery at the University of Wisconsin, Madison's School of Veterinary Medicine. He did his residency in dental and oral surgery at the school from 2006 and 2009 and became board certified with the American Veterinary Dental College in 2009. His clinical interests include prosthodontics and oral and maxillofacial pathology. He provides clinical teaching to veterinary students and residents, and is also co-director of the school's Center for Comparative Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.