PennVet begins oral surgery suite construction

(from left to right) Dean Andrew Hoffman, Richard Lichter, Anson Tsugawa, V’98, Nadine Chien, and Dr. Alexander Reiter (image courtesy of Penn Vet)

The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) Board of Advisors, clinicians, administrators, and donors officially commenced the construction of its $2.8 million brand-new state-of-the-art Richard Lichter Advanced Dentistry and Oral Surgery suite at Ryan Hospital. The clinic will be for comprehensive oral and restorative small animal patient care as well as clinical instruction and research.

“The new suite’s impact will deliver care to more patients and significantly shorten appointment wait times with the increase in the number of dentistry and oral surgery stations,” said Alexander Reiter, professor of Dentistry and Oral Surgery and chief of the Dentistry and Oral Surgery (DOS) Service, in an organizational release.¹

“The addition of the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) system will greatly enhance our clinicians’ diagnostic imaging ability to plan for complex surgeries, like cleft palate repair, oral tumor removal, and maxillofacial trauma surgery, and because of its immediate proximity to 9 other surgery suites, this advanced imaging modality will provide more efficient care for other surgical patients, such as in neurology and orthopedics.”¹

In the 1970s, PennVet became the first veterinary school in North America to offer a program dedicated to veterinary dentistry and oral surgery and would later go on to establish the first veterinary dentistry and oral surgery residency training program in the United States in 1989.^1,2 According to the release, the clinical specialists at Penn Vet will be able to use the new suite to provide care to more patients but also give clinicians a chance to learn more about oral diseases and conditions such as head and neck cancer.

“Contributing to Penn Vet is important since I have witnessed first-hand the role their veterinarians play in saving the lives of animals who come to Ryan Hospital in dire circumstances,” said Richard Lichter. “It was natural for me to want the hospital to have the most modern and state-of-the-art dentistry and oral surgery capabilities. Through my charitable foundation, the Richard Lichter Charity for Dogs, I have had the opportunity to provide care for dogs in their time of maximum need, and Penn Vet has been a trusted partner in that endeavor.”¹

ReferenceS

1. Penn Vet kicks off construction of new $2.8 million Richard Lichter Advanced Dentistry and Oral Surgery Suite. News release. University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. February 12, 2024. Accessed February 13, 2024. https://www.vet.upenn.edu/about/news-room/news-stories/news-story-detail/penn-vet-kicks-off-construction-of-new-richard-lichter-advanced-dentistry-and-oral-surgery-suite
2. Wagh M. Dentistry that makes a difference. University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Published February 18, 2015. Accessed February 13, 2024. https://www.vet.upenn.edu/about/news-room/bellwether/bellwether-magazine/bellwether-winter-2015/dentistry-that-makes-a-difference