New dentistry and oral surgery center at UC Davis layout inspired by human dentistry suites

An oral procedure is carried out on a dog at UC Davis in the Meadowview Foundation Dentistry and Oral Surgery Center. (Photo courtesy of UC Davis)

The veterinary hospital at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) recently opened the Meadowview Foundation Dentistry and Oral Surgery Center. The new space houses the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service (DOSS), which offers a complete range of dental services for cats and dogs. Widely recognized as a global leader in dentistry and oral/maxillofacial surgery, DOSS is at the forefront of translational research that leads to “cutting-edge” treatments, with the center attracting clients from across the US and occasionally around the world as well according to a UC Davis report.¹

Its new location, which is almost 150% larger than the DOSS’ prior site, has 3 standalone dental care/oral surgery operatory spaces, giving the new center the ability to offer more private clinical care.¹ The prior facility for the DOSS only had one open area suite, which interfered with team’s ability to perform routine rechecks or receive appointments as an oral surgery took place a few feet away, said a UC Davis correspondent.¹ Meanwhile, the new center’s 3 individual suites allows the team to provide personalized care independently of other patients or administrative functions, according to a UC Davis report.¹

Additionally, every area in the Meadowview Center mimics a human dentistry/oral surgery suite. “The new place is inspired by similar offices in the human medical world,” Boaz Arzi, DVM, DAVDC, DEVDC, FF-AVDC-OMFS, service chief of DOSS, said in a university video.² “We actually used the same machines, the same concept that we had in the previous dental operatory with the company A-dec, except that now, 30 plus years later, this is the facility we envisioned moving forward.”

“Physical separation of administrative duties and patient care was extremely limited in our previous space,” said Arzi in a report.¹ “The Meadowview Center is a relaxed setting to examine the patient and operate independently of other activities occurring simultaneously in the center.”

The new center also has a designated space for staff to take breaks and recharge between patient appointments, marking a contrast to the previous location’s layout which combined patient care and workspace areas, limiting the use of drinking water and other personal care things.

The facility is equipped with a sterilization center, which is separate from the operatory area and has more space. One new feature in the new sterilization center is an instrument washer, which replaced “the old ultrasonic system,” according to Kimi Kan-Rohrer, dental hygienist at the center.²

Stephanie Goldschmidt, DVM, BVM&S, DAVDC; Maria Soltero-Rivera, DVM, DAVDC; and Arzi make up the DOSS team. Each with a unique sub-speciality, Goldschmidt focuses on surgical oncology, Soltero-Rivera specializes in oral medicine, and Arzi spearheads temporomandibular joint/trauma and reconstructive surgeries.¹

“With the opening of this new space, it’s an exciting time to be part of this team,” said Soltero-Rivera in the report.¹ “I look forward to what this means for the advancement of our sub-specialty areas.”

“The Meadowview Foundation Dental and Oral Surgery Center was made completely with donors’ funding, from start to finish,” said Arzi in a video, explaining that Meadowview Foundation sponsored most of it. Still, the center also received donations from private people and foundations.² “In general, everything here was made possible by donations,” he said.²

References

1. Warren R. UC Davis opens new Dentistry and Oral Surgery Center. News release. January 24, 2025. Accessed January 30, 2025. https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/uc-davis-opens-new-dentistry-and-oral-surgery-center
2. Meadowview Foundation Dental and Oral Surgery Center Tour, UC Davis Veterinary Medicine YouTube page. Accessed January 30, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiFoIW2-J3I