Dr. Tina Brandon Abbatangelo (Dental Medicine) accepted an invitation to be one of the featured “DENT Talks” speakers during SmileCon 2022. Sponsored by the American Dental Association, DENT Talks provide diverse viewpoints about different facets of dentistry. This year’s three themes were Human Challenge, Road Less Traveled, and Love of Dentistry. As one of two speakers discussing the Road Less Traveled theme, Dr. Brandon Abbatanagelo shared her experiences as a volunteer with the Peter Emily Foundation, which travels throughout the country providing veterinary dental services to large animals. She also served as the lead presenter during a second session titled, “Let’s talk teeth for domestic and exotic animals.” During both talks, she noted the plight of exotic animals such as tigers and bears who are obtained and kept, often illegally, for their wow factor, but don’t receive the nutrition and care they deserve.
