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.
Curtis Stiles, DVM, Diplomate AVDC

Curtis Stiles, DVM, Diplomate AVDC

Board Certified Veterinary Dentist

Dr. Stiles is excited to be part of the Veterinary Dental Clinic of North Carolina team. He did not grow up in North Carolina, but a bit further north in Canada–he may talk funny, but don’t hold that against him! In 2002, Dr. Stiles graduated from North America’s oldest continuously running veterinary school, the Ontario Veterinary College. After being in private practice for a short period of time, he decided to pursue additional training. His aptitude for dentistry was strong, and he was accepted into a residency program to continue his dentistry training full-time.

After completing his Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery Residency at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 2006, Dr. Stiles became a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist™ in 2009. He has experience as an Assistant Professor at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine and brings a love of teaching with him. From tooth extractions and endodontics to extensive oral surgery for fracture stabilization and oral mass removals, Dr. Stiles enjoys helping feline and canine patients with their oral issues.

Dr. Stiles lives with his wife, three children, three dogs, and three cats. He enjoys cooking, gardening, and camping.

Trudi Bowden, DVM

Trudi Bowden, DVM

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. 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™?

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

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

Retired Lead Veterinarian

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.

Until his retirement in April 2024, Dr. Hoover practiced veterinary dentistry and oral surgery at the Veterinary Dental Clinic of North Carolina. He enjoyed 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 three grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys riding his bike, walking in the woods, reading, and fishing.