Science · The science of a healthier oral biome
Biodontic™ — Petdentist's science division
Working name, subject to trade-mark clearance.
Biodontic™ maps the research on the oral microbiome of dogs and cats, grades the evidence, designs studies and is building research partnerships with universities and clinics, so that nothing we say runs ahead of what is known.
- A-to-E evidence grading: in use across this site today
- Research library: open to read
- Scientific advisory board: being formed
- Research collaborations: open to enquiries
What it is
Science first, claims second
A pet's mouth is home to a large community of microbes, most of them living in plaque, the soft biofilm that forms on the teeth every day. How that community behaves, and how daily care can support a balanced oral environment, is one of the most promising areas in pet oral health. It is also one of the most oversold.
Biodontic™ is Petdentist's answer. It studies the oral microbiome of dogs and cats and the evidence behind oral-care ingredients and routines, and it is the internal check on everything PetdentistCare™ says. It is not a product range, and it sells nothing.
The need is real. A 2021 Royal Veterinary College VetCompass study found periodontal disease was diagnosed in 12.5% of dogs under UK primary veterinary care in a single year; a 2023 study found 15.2% of cats. Pet parents deserve research that is careful, species-specific and honest about its limits.
Pet parents
Who want to know what is proven, what is promising and what is simply marketing.
Vets and nurses
Who need evidence they can check before talking to clients about home care.
Researchers and students
Working on companion-animal oral health and looking for partners.
Our own teams
Odovyx™ and Petdentist® Shop make no scientific claim that has not been graded.
What it does
Six jobs, one standard
Literature mapping
A structured, continually updated map of research on the dog and cat oral microbiome, plaque, tartar, biofilm and breath, and on probiotic, prebiotic and postbiotic approaches: what has been studied, in which species, and where the gaps are.
Evidence grading
Every scientific statement on this site carries a grade, from A (a controlled trial of the exact product) to E (a theoretical rationale). A claim is never stronger than its grade.
Study design
Studies built to answer a real question: proper controls, blinded scoring, sample sizes set by a statistician, and independent veterinary research partners. The Veterinary Oral Health Council, for example, requires two independent trials before it awards its seal.
Scientific advisory board
Four to six independent advisers in veterinary dentistry, veterinary microbiology, nutrition, microbiome science, biostatistics and regulatory affairs. The board is being formed; names appear only once agreements are signed.
Advisory boardResearch collaborations
Work with universities, veterinary schools and practices on the questions that matter to pet parents and vets, with ethical review and owner consent wherever animals are involved.
The research library
Plain-English summaries of the studies we rely on, each with its species, format, limitations and grade.
Research libraryHow we grade evidence
Every scientific statement on this site carries a grade: A product-specific controlled trial · B strain- or species-specific study in dogs or cats · C species mechanistic evidence · D laboratory (in-vitro) evidence · E theoretical rationale. The strength of a claim never exceeds the strength of its evidence. Read our evidence standards.
Available now and in development
Where Biodontic™ is today
Available now
Read and check
- Our evidence standards and the A-to-E grades used across this site
- The research library
- Guides to the oral microbiome, dental probiotics and ingredients
In development
Being built
- The independent scientific advisory board
- Research collaborations with universities and veterinary practices
- Study protocols for Petdentist® products, designed with independent partners
Each goes live when it is ready, not to a deadline.
Standards and boundaries
What Biodontic™ will never do
Endorse products
It grades evidence. It does not endorse products, ours or anyone else's, and its name is never a seal of approval.
Let a claim outrun its evidence
The strength of a claim never exceeds the grade of the evidence behind it.
Borrow across species
Results in people are never applied to pets, and results in dogs are never applied to cats.
Mistake a dish for a mouth
A laboratory result guides what to study next. It is never presented as proof of what happens in a pet's mouth.
Hide the limits
Every summary states species, format, study size, duration, limitations and funding.
Advise on individual pets
Examination, diagnosis and care decisions belong to your veterinary surgeon.
Biodontic™ grew out of Dr Deepak Songra's three decades in human preventive dentistry, but its scientific governance is designed to be veterinary-led.
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
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.
The Petdentist Daily System
The questions behind every step
Biodontic™ sits behind all five steps of the routine and asks the question each one depends on.
Clean
Which brushing methods and pastes have evidence in dogs, and separately in cats?
Support
Which ingredients and microbial preparations have species-specific evidence, and at what grade?
Maintain
What can water additives and chews realistically do, and on which surfaces?
Monitor
Which home observations are worth recording, and how?
Professional care
How can home care best support the work vets do in the clinic?
How to collaborate
Bring us a good question
Universities and research groups
If you work on the companion-animal oral microbiome, biofilm, oral-care formulation or study methods, we would like to hear from you. We look for projects with ethical approval, independent analysis and an agreed plan to publish.
Veterinary practices and nurses
Tell us the home-care questions your clients ask most, and register interest in future practice-based studies. Any study involving animals runs only with ethical review and owner consent.
Students
Studying veterinary science, veterinary nursing, microbiology or animal nutrition and looking for a real-world project question? Get in touch, and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.
Questions people ask
Frequently asked questions
What is Biodontic™?
Biodontic™ is the science division of Petdentist®. It maps published research on the oral microbiome of dogs and cats, grades the evidence behind scientific statements on PetdentistCare.com, designs studies and builds research collaborations. Biodontic™ is a working name, subject to trade-mark clearance. It is not a product range and it does not sell anything.
Why is Biodontic™ described as a working name?
Because a name is only safe to build on once trade-mark clearance is complete in the countries where it will be used. Until then, we use Biodontic™ to describe our science work and do not launch products or services under it. If clearance points to a different name, the work simply continues under that name.
Does Biodontic™ endorse products?
No. Biodontic™ grades evidence; it does not endorse products, ours or anyone else's, and its name is never used as a seal of approval. Where a Petdentist® page refers to research, the research is summarised with its species, format, limitations and evidence grade, so that you can judge it for yourself.
What is the oral microbiome?
It is the community of bacteria and other microbes that lives in the mouth, mostly in plaque, the soft biofilm that forms on teeth every day. In a healthy mouth that community is stable. When plaque is left to mature along the gumline, the mix changes, which is one reason daily cleaning matters. Dogs and cats have different communities and are studied separately.
How does Biodontic™ grade evidence?
On a five-level scale. A is a controlled trial of the exact product; B is a strain- or species-specific study in dogs or cats; C is species mechanistic evidence; D is laboratory evidence; E is a theoretical rationale. The strength of any claim on this platform never exceeds the grade of the evidence behind it.
Who is on the scientific advisory board?
The board is being formed. We are recruiting four to six independent advisers covering veterinary dentistry, veterinary microbiology, companion-animal nutrition, microbiome science, biostatistics and regulatory affairs, each with a written agreement on independence, conflicts of interest and publication. We will publish names only once those agreements are in place.
How can I collaborate with Biodontic™?
Email [email protected] with Biodontic research in the subject line, telling us who you are, your university or practice, and the question you would like to explore. We welcome researchers, veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and students. Any work involving animals would need ethical review and owner consent before it begins.
Will Biodontic™ publish its own research?
Yes, when there is completed research to publish. Studies sponsored by Petdentist® will be summarised with their methods, results, limitations and funding declared, and graded like any other evidence. Until a study is complete, we will not describe it as evidence of anything.
Explore the science
Read the evidence for yourself
Start with the oral microbiome, then see exactly how we grade every claim.