Dr. Hoover grew up in Charlotte, NC, knowing from an early age that he wanted to be a veterinarian. He graduated from NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine in 1989. After his first three years as a mixed animal veterinarian in rural Pennsylvania, Dr. Hoover returned to North Carolina in 1992 to purchase Westside Animal Hospital.

After adding dental radiography to his practice, Dr. Hoover soon realized the great benefit to the health and well-being of his patients. In 1999, he began focusing on dentistry and oral surgery for veterinary patients. Since then, he has completed hundreds of hours of additional training in veterinary dentistry and oral surgery, becoming a Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry in 2016. That same year he founded the Veterinary Dental Clinic of North Carolina.

Dr. Hoover now exclusively practices veterinary dentistry and oral surgery at the Veterinary Dental Clinic of North Carolina. He enjoys frequent opportunities to share his passion for helping cats and dogs through modern veterinary dentistry by teaching and training other veterinarians.

Dr. Hoover and his wife live in the vibrant North Street Community in downtown Durham. He has seven grown children and two grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys riding his bike, walking in the woods, reading, and fishing.

Dr. Bowden grew up in the mountains of Western North Carolina in the small town of Brevard. She graduated from NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. For 22 years, she worked as an associate veterinarian in Cary, NC and Oxford, NC. She proudly joined the team at VDCNC in November of 2021. Her clinical practice is now exclusively dedicated to dentistry and oral surgery.  

Soft tissue surgery and dentistry have always been Dr. Bowden’s passions. Since 2014, she has completed more than 220 hours of continuing education focused on dentistry and oral surgery. In May of 2021, she completed a rigorous Veterinary Dental Practitioner Program through the International Veterinary Dental Institute*.  IVDI members meet in a monthly mastermind group to continue advancing their skill and knowledge in veterinary dentistry. 

In addition to her full-time clinical dentistry career, she works in the VDCNC training center as a co-instructor with Dr. Don Hoover, Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry, and board-certified veterinary dentists Dr. Kristin Scott and Dr. Heather Duncan.

Dr. Bowden and her husband have a small farm that they share with two daughters, two dogs, three cats, two rabbits, and a guinea pig. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, crochet, gardening, yoga, and camping.

*https://internationalveterinarydentistryinstitute.org/veterinary-dental-practitioners/
Veterinarians who have successfully completed the Veterinary Dental Practitioner Program are not board-certified specialists. What is a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist™?

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 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. Though she enjoys all aspects of veterinary dentistry (Endodontics, Fracture repairs, Orthodontics, Periodontics and Restorative dentistry), she loves performing complicated oral surgeries.

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

Knowing how special the human-animal bond can be and how difficult it can be when our pets are not feeling well, Dr. Duncan aspires to treat every pet like her own. She shares her home with her dog, Oliver, and her 2 cats, Kennedy & Daisy, who she considers her children. In her spare time, Dr. Duncan enjoys traveling and exploring new cities, spending time with family and friends, and listening to live music.