Our Doctor

Eric M. Davis, DVM, Dipl. AVDC

A Syracuse native, Dr. Davis graduated with Honors and Distinction from Cornell University in 1975, and received his DVM degree from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1979. He then worked as an associate veterinarian at two different veterinary practices in the Syracuse area before establishing his own veterinary hospital, Lyndon Veterinary Clinic in 1985. Early in his career, Davis began to realize that after providing quality oral care for his animal patients, the owners would report of improvements noted in the overall health of their pets, frequently describing increased activity and playfulness following dental treatment.  Recognizing the importance that oral care had on the quality of life of his patients, Davis began attending numerous continuing education meetings and seminars on dental subjects throughout the U.S. As his interest grew, Dr. Davis decided to pursue the goal of becoming a Board Certified Veterinary DentistTM. Thus, after nineteen years practicing as a veterinary general practitioner, Davis began his formal training in dentistry when he was accepted as a Resident in the American Veterinary Dental College in 1998.

During his residency, Davis also satisfied the credential requirements and passed the examination to become a Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry in 2001. That same year, Dr. Davis joined the medical staff of the Cornell University Hospital for Animals, traveling to Ithaca twice a week in order to teach students and perform dental procedures on a wide variety of animal patients.

After six years of intensive training and study, which culminated in a rigorous three-day examination, he achieved the distinction of becoming a Diplomate of the AVDC, one of six in New York State, and one of approximately 110 practicing in the entire United States. Dr. Davis ended his service to Cornell in December of 2005. In early 2006, he established Animal Dental Specialists of Upstate New York, a specialty practice limited to dentistry and oral surgery on animal patients referred by other veterinarians. He is the author of many articles on dental subjects and has published a number of articles in scientific journals.

Dr. Davis has been married to his wife Hannah since 1991 and in addition to two lovely daughters, Briana and Lauren, and five grandchildren, the family also includes two dogs, two cats, three birds, one horse, one pot-bellied pig, two goats, and two aquaria, one of which is a reef tank. He used to be a long-distance bicyclist and brew his own beer.  Now he drinks craft beer made by others, and cycles between the easy chair and the sofa.  New hobbies include making wooden toys and furniture for his grandchildren and writing articles for peer-reviewed journals on a variety of oral health topics in animals and humans.

Why is board certification for veterinary dental specialists important?
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Board of Veterinary Specialties recognizes only medical and surgical specialists that have completed board certification through their specialty organization. In North America, there is only one AVMA recognized specialty college for veterinary dentistry in horses and pets: the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC).

A Board Certified Veterinary Dentist^TM and Board Certified Equine Veterinary Dentist^TM are titles reserved only for veterinarians who have successfully completed residency training through the AVDC and have passed the AVDC’s certifying examinations.

These dental specialists, called diplomates, are uniquely qualified to perform advanced dentistry and oral surgery for patients, teach in veterinary schools, and provide continuing education in dentistry to veterinarians in general practice.

How do I know that my pet’s dentist is a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist^TM?
Every Board Certified Veterinary Dentist^TM and Board Certified Equine Veterinary Dentist^TM can be found in the AVDC directory provided on this website. Diplomates of the AVDC are proud to serve our communities.  To view this directory, click here.