Short answer: Biodontic™, Petdentist's science division, is recruiting an independent scientific advisory board of about four to six experts covering veterinary dentistry, veterinary microbiology, small-animal nutrition, equine dentistry, biostatistics and regulatory science. The board will review our evidence grading, study designs and claims; it will not endorse products. No members have been appointed yet, so no names are published here.
Why the board exists
A company that sells oral-care products should not be the only judge of its own science. The board exists to give Biodontic™ independent challenge: to test our reading of the evidence, to question study designs before they start, and to tell us plainly when a claim goes further than the evidence allows.
It also answers a question of competence. Our founder, Dr Deepak Songra, spent more than three decades in human clinical dentistry, and that experience shapes our preventive philosophy and our education. But pets are not people, and veterinary clinical governance must be veterinary-led. The board brings that veterinary and scientific expertise to our work.
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
We also want to avoid a familiar trap: the decorative advisory board, a list of impressive names with no defined role. Ours will have a written charter, defined responsibilities and minutes.
The charter
The charter sets out membership, quorum, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, the meeting schedule, the board's review rights and its publication policy. Four principles run through it.
- Independence. Members are independent advisers, not Petdentist® employees. Each serves under a written agreement that protects the independence of their advice, and dissenting views are recorded in the minutes rather than smoothed over.
- Conflicts disclosed. Every member declares their commercial and professional interests before appointment, and those declarations will be published here alongside their name.
- No product endorsement. The board does not endorse, approve or recommend products, and members' names and images will not be used to promote them.
- Review of claims and study designs. The board reviews our evidence grading, the design of studies before they begin and the scientific basis of the claims we make, and can ask for any of them to change.
The disciplines we are recruiting
Veterinary dentistry
Ideally board-certified veterinary dental expertise, so that clinical statements and study designs reflect how vets actually assess and manage the mouth.
Veterinary microbiology
Expertise in the oral microbial communities of dogs and cats, to test how we read microbiome studies and to shape the laboratory work worth doing.
Small-animal nutrition
Many oral-care products are complementary feeds served over food, so their safety, palatability and place in the whole diet need a nutritionist's eye.
Equine dentistry
Horses' teeth keep erupting throughout life and their problems differ from those of dogs and cats. Our equine education needs its own expert voice.
Biostatistics
Sample sizes should come from power calculations, not from numbers that sound impressive. A statistician keeps study designs honest before they begin.
Regulatory science
Evidence and law are separate gates. A regulatory specialist checks that what we may say in the UK, the UAE and other markets matches what the evidence supports.
How members are appointed
- Expressions of interest and invitations. We welcome approaches from qualified experts and also invite candidates directly.
- Credentials checked. Qualifications, professional registration and relevant research or clinical experience are verified.
- Interests declared. Every candidate declares their commercial and professional interests before appointment.
- Written agreement. Each member signs an agreement covering their time, conflicts, confidentiality, intellectual property, publication, independence and how their name may be used.
- Published. Once an appointment is confirmed, the member is listed here with their credentials, their role on the board and their declared interests.
Board members
Appointments in progress
Board members will be listed here once appointed — no names are published until then. We will not describe anyone as an adviser to Petdentist® before their appointment is confirmed in writing.
What the board does not do
- It does not endorse, approve or recommend products.
- It does not examine, diagnose or treat animals, or give individual veterinary advice through Petdentist®.
- It does not write marketing copy, and its members' names do not appear on packaging.
- It does not replace our Science & Compliance Office, which still reviews every page and product description before publication.
How to express interest
If you work in one of the disciplines above and share our view that evidence should lead and claims should follow, we would like to hear from you.
Email [email protected] with the subject “Scientific advisory board”, and include your CV, your professional registration where relevant, a short note on the work you would bring and a declaration of any commercial interests in pet health. You can also reach the science team through our contact page. We aim to acknowledge every enquiry within one working day.