About Us

We’re dedicated to preserving your pet’s dental health.

About the Veterinary Dental Clinic of North Carolina

VDCNC is located in Durham, NC and was founded in 2016 by Don Hoover, DVM, Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry. VDCNC was established to focus on providing advanced dental services and oral surgery to dogs and cats across North Carolina. Dr. Hoover has over 20 years of experience with advanced dental procedures. In 1999, Dr. Hoover became one of the first veterinarians in North Carolina to make dental radiography a part of routine dental procedures. Since then, Dr. Hoover and his experienced team have completed over 10,000 dental procedures on dogs and cats.
Don Hoover, DVM, Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry

Don Hoover, DVM, Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry

Lead Veterinarian/Owner

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.

Trudi Bowden, DVM, Veterinary Dental Practitioner

Trudi Bowden, DVM, Veterinary Dental Practitioner

Associate Veterinarian

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. Over the last 20 years, she has worked as an associate veterinarian in Cary, NC, and Oxford, NC.

Soft tissue surgery and dentistry have always been Dr. Bowden’s passions. Since 2014, she has completed more than 200 hours of continuing education focused on dentistry and oral surgery. In May of 2021, she completed a rigorous, three-tiered credentialing process to obtain certification as a Veterinary Dental Practitioner* from the International Veterinary Dental Institute. She is currently one of only two veterinarians to obtain VDP certification in North Carolina.

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, running, and camping.

*https://internationalveterinarydentistryinstitute.org/veterinary-dental-practitioners/
Veterinary Dental Practitioners are the most qualified veterinarians in general veterinary practice available to provide safe and proper oral care to your loved ones. However, they are not board-certified specialists. What is a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist™?

Dr. Kristin Scott, DVM, Dipl. AVDC

Dr. Kristin Scott, DVM, Dipl. AVDC

Board Certified Veterinary Dentist

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 200 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 impact the health of her own patients and the patients of her students. 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. Dr. Scott performs various dental and oral surgery procedures and has a special interest in advanced periodontal surgery and bone grafting.

Dr. Scott owns and operates Veterinary Dental Specialists of Charlotte, a mobile surgical and training service. When not in the hospital or volunteering, she loves spending time with her family and baking new recipes for her rapidly growing sons.

Dr. Heather Duncan, DVM, Dipl. AVDC

Dr. Heather Duncan, DVM, Dipl. AVDC

Board Certified Veterinary Dentist

At a young age, Dr. Heather Duncan, who grew up in North Carolina, 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 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.