Our Team
Eric Van Nice, DVM, FAVD, DAVDC
Veterinary Dental Specialist
Dr. Van Nice graduated in 1982 from University of California, San Diego with a BA in Animal Physiology. In 1986, he graduated from U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Dr. Van Nice became a Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry (AVD) in 1990 and in 1995, he achieved Diplomate status in the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC), earning the distinction of a specialist. Prior to practicing specialty dentistry, Dr. Van Nice worked as a small animal primary care practitioner in Mission Viejo, California. Known for his kind and gentle bedside manner, Dr. Van Nice launched Animal Dental Services in Tustin, California in 2000 with Julie Feher. They are proud to be a part of the Advanced Veterinary Specialty Group, a collaborative of multiple specialty practices who work together to help pets with advanced care needs.
Dr. Van Nice lectures on dentistry and oral surgery locally and at the annual Veterinary Dental Forum. He has served on the examination committees of both the AVD and the AVDC. He enjoys working with the local police and sheriff’s K9 officers.
Originally from San Diego, Dr. Van Nice has lived and worked in San Diego and Orange Counties all his life. His companion, Darlene, is a pharmacist, and they are “owned” by their three dogs, Pita, Hansel, and Waffles. In his leisure time, Dr. Van Nice plays various clarinets and saxophones with the Mira Costa Community College Orchestra. An enthusiastic amateur mechanic, his main hobby is the restoration of old sports cars, primarily Fiats, Fiat-Abarths, and Alfa Romeos.
Briana Mirchel, DVM
Resident
Originally from NY, Dr. Mirchel got her first taste of California when she attended veterinary school at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona. After graduating, Dr. Mirchel returned to the East Coast to complete an intensive 1 year rotating internship at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, NJ then proceeded to work in emergency, general practice, and shelter medicine broadening her skills in a variety of areas. Dr. Mirchel went on to become head veterinarian for the Pet Health Center at North Shore Animal League America and in addition, provided much needed spay/neuter services to low-income areas around NYC through the ASPCA.
Missing the sunshine, Dr. Mirchel moved back to California to take a position as Assistant Professor of Shelter Medicine at her alma mater, Western University of Health Sciences, teaching high volume/high quality spay/neuter surgical techniques and community medicine to 3rd and 4th year veterinary students at a clinic in Los Angeles. With her goal to be closer to the ocean, Dr. Mirchel was given the opportunity to move to San Diego where, shortly thereafter, unexpected changes from the COVID pandemic allowed her to realize a dream of starting a non-profit to help enrich the lives of senior citizens through the human-animal bond, Paws4Elders, which has brought immense fulfillment and continues to grow!
Coming from a family of human dentists (her Opa, Frank Mirchel; her uncle, Frank “Kelly” Mirchel; her cousin Ryan Mirchel, a maxillofacial surgeon; and his brother Thomas Mirchel a maxillofacial surgeon), Dr. Mirchel has always had an interest in dentistry especially as it relates to our animal friends. After spending the last year working for another great organization, Helen Woodward Animal Center, with gratitude the stars finally aligned to allow Dr. Mirchel to pursue a residency in veterinary dentistry and oral maxillofacial surgery with Dr. Eric Van Nice and his amazing team!