Individual Courses and Comprehensive Study Program

ESAVS Dentistry programme follows the same academic programme and curriculum across Southeast Asia and Europe, with corresponding courses also offered in China.

Courses in China

The courses offered in China follow the same academic curriculum as those in Southeast Asia and Europe. They are conducted in English with consecutive interpretation into Chinese, ensuring accessibility for local participants.

However, courses conducted in China are not currently accredited or directly recognised towards the ESAVS Certificate (CASVM) and Master (MASVM) programmes.

Participants who wish to pursue an ESAVS Certificate or Master qualification in Small Animal Dentistry may apply to have only one of the courses completed in China considered as external courses, subject to individual assessment and approval in accordance with the applicable ESAVS programme requirements.

Please note: While the academic content is aligned across regions, participation in courses held in China does not automatically grant credits towards ESAVS qualifications. Participants intending to pursue the CASVM or MASVM are advised to confirm course eligibility and recognition with ESAVS before registering.

From 2024 on the course system in Dentistry comprises of 7 courses on canine and feline dentistry plus 1 course on small mammal dentistry as major subjects in Dentistry. On top of this there is a course on feline dentistry which is designed as part of the curriculum of the feline practitioner stream and is regarded as a minor subject course for Dentistry.

Only courses I, II, III and IV are currently offered in Asia. After completion of courses I-IV in Asia, it is possible to attend the subsequent courses in Europe. 

Course I: Introduction to Dentistry, Diagnostics & Extractions
This course covers the introduction to veterinary dentistry starting with diagnostics in small animal dentistry, clinical and radiographic assessment of oral and dental structures and using  and filling-in dental charts for dogs and cats. It also focuses on the importance of radiography and trains participants how to expose and interpret intraoral dental radiographs. Canine and feline dental extractions are another clinically very important subject and represent the most common surgical procedure in these species. They are covered in the second part of the course.

Course II: Periodontics & Feline Dentistry
Periodontal diseases are the number one clinical problem in dogs and cats. This course gives an overview of small animal periodontology, including basic knowledge about these diseases, diagnostics, conservative treatment options, preventive and regenerative techniques and advanced surgical procedures. The participant will learn about how to deal with gingivitis, periodontitis, alveolar bone loss, periodontal pockets, gingival recession and many other diseases.
Further subjects covered in this course are major feline oral problems including inflammatory diseases and teeth resorption. Basic knowledge about veterinary dentistry and intraoral dental radiography is required to enable participants to take the most out of this course.

Course III: Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics - Basic Techniques
The dentistry course III is dedicated to manual standard endodontic treatment and restorative techniques. There will be an introduction to materials, equipment and instruments as well as theoretical background of hard dental tissue and pulp functioning.
The program covers all procedures required to salvage traumatized and broken teeth in dogs and cats. To be able to efficiently work in this course and take the most out of it it´s mandatory for participants to be able to produce proper intraoral dental radiographs.

Course IV: Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics - Advanced Techniques
The dentistry course IV is dedicated to manual standard endodontic treatment and restorative techniques. There will be an introduction to materials, equipment and instruments as well as theoretical background of hard dental tissue and pulp functioning. The program covers all procedures required to salvage traumatized and broken teeth in dogs and cats. To be able to efficiently work in this course and take the most out of it it´s mandatory for participants to be able to produce proper intraoral dental radiographs.

Course V: Prosthodontics, Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry
Prosthodontics, orthodontics and juvenile dentistry are the major subjects of the fifth dentistry course. It will cover the diagnosis and treatment of common problems in juvenile patients, common treatment options for malocclusion in dogs and cats and techniques required for crowning of teeth and prosthetic approaches for management of damaged dental structures.

Course VI: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – Tumor Surgery, Salivary Glands, Lymph Nodes, Tongue and Lip Disorders
The veterinary dentistry course 6 focuses on oral and maxillofacial oncologic surgery. It covers the diagnostic approach, decision making and surgical treatment of oral tumors as well as surgery of the lymph nodes. Additional topics comprise surgery of the salivary glands and surgical treatment of tongue and lip disorders. The introduction into the use of piezo-surgery and diode laser devices in oral and maxillofacial surgery is also part of this course.

Course VII : Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – jaw fractures, jaw motion disorders, palatal surgery
The veterinary dentistry course VII comprises the surgical treatment oral trauma cases. Jaw fracture repair techniques will covered under this topic. Additionally disorders of jaw motion and palatal surgery will be covered in this course. The use of piezo-surgery devices for these applications will be trained.

Small Mammal Dentistry
The number of exotic companion mammals is growing, especially rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and ferrets and so is the demand of pet owners to get the best quality of care for their pets . The Small Mammal Dentistry course is responding to the growing need of general practitioners as well as profiled exotic animal clinics and animal dentists to learn more about dental and maxillofacial problems in rabbits, rodents and ferrets. Participant will receive theoretical and practical knowledge about clinical anatomy, pathophysiology of dental disease, clinical and radiographic assessment of oral and dental/skull structures, computed tomography examination, and surgical approaches to particular dental disorders (extraction techniques, extraoral approach to odontogenic abscesses, apicoectomy, etc.).

Feline Dentistry
Despite there are three major problems affecting most of patients in feline dentistry: periodontal diseases, caudal stomatitis and teeth resorption, cats also suffer from other maladies linked to oral cavity. It is very common that several problems exist concurrently in the oral cavity. Due to the fact that it is difficult to provide home care in cats suffering with oral pain, many diseases are diagnosed in advanced stage. The Feline Dentistry course is responding to the growing need of general practitioners as well as profiled feline clinics to learn more about dental and maxillofacial problems in cats. Participant will receive theoretical and practical knowledge about clinical anatomy, diagnostics oral inflammatory diseases management, oral surgery, traumatology and systemic aspects of dental problems.