Introducing dvm360 and Chewy Health’s September Innovator of the Month: Technician Mary Berg, Founder of Beyond the Crown

Sponsored by Chewy Health

The Innovator of the Month series, sponsored by Chewy Health, spotlights veterinary professionals who are driving positive change and inspiring their peers. By recognizing outstanding clinicians, technicians, and paraprofessionals, Chewy aims to highlight impactful initiatives and promote a brighter future for veterinary medicine.

With veterinary dentistry becoming an increasingly integral aspect of primary practice, the need for world-class education and mentoring is more important than ever. Mary Berg, BS, RVT, LATG, VTS (Dentistry), founded Beyond the Crown with a mission to improve the confidence of veterinary teams to deliver outstanding dental care and ultimately better serve their patients and clients. Berg is the Chewy Innovator of the Month (and 2024 VMX Technician of the Year), because her efforts go beyond education. She strives to make a profound, lasting impact on the quality of veterinary dental care throughout the industry. The dvm360® editorial staff caught up with Berg for an interview to hear how she wound up at the forefront of dental education.

Note: The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

dvm360: Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your work with Beyond the Crown?

Berg: I'm a registered veterinary technician and a veterinary technician specialist in dentistry. I live in Lawrence, Kansas, and have been in the field for over 31 years. All of that time has been in dentistry in one way or another. 12 years ago, I started my full-time business, Beyond the Crown Veterinary Education, which helps educate veterinary technicians and veterinarian teams on proper dental procedures. We do this through videos, in-clinic training, and other resources available for the teams.

dvm360: Was there a pivotal moment that led you to start Beyond the Crown?

Berg: My background started in veterinary dental research, working on companion animal products for the oral cavity for about 13 years. Then, I moved to practice for seven years as a dental technician and practice manager. During that time, I did some in-clinic trainings and found that I loved it. I enjoyed working with teams and helping them better understand dentistry. Despite my fears, I had multiple people encourage me to pursue this full-time. The pivotal moment came at the Western Veterinary Conference 12 years ago, after a particularly tough week at the practice, when I decided to start Beyond the Crown full-time. The response I got was overwhelmingly positive, with many people saying I should have done this years ago.

dvm360: Which aspect of your work do you enjoy the most: hands-on practice or teaching?

Berg: I enjoy getting my hands dirty; there's nothing more rewarding than taking a nasty oral cavity and making it healthy again. I miss working with clients and talking to them. That was one area I really enjoyed in practice. However, now I have a bigger impact by helping thousands of animals get better oral care through training and educating veterinary teams. It was a no-brainer to start working with teams to get more patients better oral care.

dvm360: What does success look like for you in your work with Beyond the Crown?

Berg: Success for me is a combination of things. It's not about the money but the impact I have. For instance, a smaller corporate group I worked with increased their dental revenue by over 32% after my training. Hearing feedback from people at conferences who tell me how much I've helped them is incredibly gratifying. Additionally, being called back to the same practice to train new members and fine-tune their skills due to the high turnover in veterinary medicine is a mark of success. I'm there for them, whether it's in-clinic training, discussing equipment, or handling specific situations.

dvm360: How do you see mentorship fitting into dental education?

Berg: Everything I do right now is mentoring, even if I haven't officially labeled it as such. When I work with teams to help them understand procedures and their importance, that's mentoring. At conferences, having people come up to me and say I've inspired them or been their mentor, even if I don't know them personally, is very rewarding. Mentoring plays a significant role in my organization.

dvm360: Can you share a success story from your work?

Berg: One of the most gratifying stories is from working with a smaller corporate group. After my initial training, they saw a significant increase in their dental revenue. The feedback from teams and seeing the improvements they make is incredibly rewarding. Being able to return to practices to train new members and refine existing practices is also a testament to the ongoing success and impact of my work.

dvm360: How has the reception been to your training and educational programs?

Berg: The reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Teams are excited to learn about dentistry, and I strive to keep my training sessions fun and engaging. Hearing from people who have made significant changes in their practices based on my training and seeing their excitement is incredibly fulfilling. I'm proud to provide ongoing support, whether through in-clinic training, answering questions about equipment, or discussing specific cases.

dvm360® is proud to partner with Chewy Health in recognizing an outstanding veterinarian and paraprofessional who are true change agents, both passionate and compassionate, all to help pets live longer, healthier and happier lives. Click here to nominate an innovator today!