In short: Dr Deepak Songra qualified as a dental surgeon in Cardiff in 1992 and has spent more than three decades in clinical human dentistry. He founded Petdentist® in 2015 to bring one principle — daily prevention — to the pets we love, after losing his own dog to a condition that daily care might have caught early.
It started with Jippy
In 1986 the Songra family lost Jippy, their twelve-year-old dog, to cardiovascular complications that the vets linked to chronic, untreated gum disease. Nobody had told the family that a dog's mouth needed daily care, or that the bacteria behind the smell could travel further than the mouth. Deepak was a dental student at the time. He never forgot it.
Three decades in the dental chair
He graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, in 1992, and built a career across oral surgery, periodontology, cosmetic dentistry and oral microbiology. Along the way he served as a Regional Clinical Dental Manager responsible for clinical audit and infection control, sat as an elected member of a Local Dental Committee, trained newly qualified dentists as a postgraduate foundation trainer, wrote independent reports as a dento-legal expert witness, led a practice to Bupa Dental Accreditation and the Investors in People award, and became a Founder Gold Member of the British Dental Bleaching Society.
The lesson of those years was consistent: the patients who did a little every day needed far less done to them. Human dentistry had moved from repair to prevention. Pet dentistry, he noticed, largely had not.
Petdentist®, 2015
In 2015 he founded Petdentist® with his wife Smita and their children Misha and Kian. The aim was to translate what works in human oral care — soft brushes, gentle daily cleaning, attention to the gumline, breath as an early warning, routines that people can keep — into products and education pet parents would actually use. The company now operates from Dubai and Watford, sells across the UK and UAE, and is building the PetdentistCare™ platform.
The boundary he keeps
Dr Songra is a human dental surgeon, registered with the UK General Dental Council (GDC 68552). He is not a veterinary surgeon. That is why every Petdentist® page carries a vet-referral line, why no product is presented as a treatment, and why Petdentist CLINICS exists to send pet parents to the professionals who can examine, diagnose and treat. His expertise is prevention and home care; the diagnosis belongs to your vet.
A note from our founder
"I am a human dental surgeon, not a veterinary surgeon. My work transfers established human oral biology and preventative care to companion animals through gentle daily home care — alongside, never instead of, your vet." — Dr Deepak Songra BDS
Merlo, Chief Smile Officer
The family Cavapoo, Merlo, appears across Petdentist® — not as a mascot but as a reminder of who all this is for. His daily routine is the one on this site.
Beyond dentistry
Dr Songra also works as a licensed property advisor in Dubai, which he credits with the same habits he brought to dentistry: listening carefully, explaining plainly and never overselling. He writes and speaks about prevention, the oral-systemic link and building a specialist brand with integrity.
When to see your vet
If you notice loose or wobbly teeth, swelling, discharge, bleeding that does not settle, reluctance to eat, dropping food, drooling, pawing at the mouth or any change in behaviour, please contact your veterinary surgeon promptly. Home care supports professional care — it never replaces it.