Monday August 10, 2026

10:00am-12:00pm

12:00pm- 1:30pm

Opening Plenary Woodward Ballroom

Moderated by: Kylie Anderson, ADT - 2026 ADTA Annual Conference Planning Committee Chair, ADTA Secretary

Board Welcome

Video: Representative Jack Bergman

Luke Shaefer- Chief Executive of Health, Human Services & Poverty Solutions for City of Detroit

Keynote Speaker Jacqueline Cuevas, Founder, Kneading Soulutions™

Keynote Speaker | Self-Advocate | Disability Advocate

1:30pm-1:45pm

Snack Break sponsored by: Arcora Foundation

Rooted

Room: Founders A/B

Rising

Room: Griswold

1:45pm-2:45pm

Dental Therapy in Practice: Exploring Diverse Care Settings

Jamie Toney, Dental Therapist (MI); Dana Obey, Dental Therapist (MI); Shana Buerck, Dental Therapist (MN)

*1 CDE

Moderated by: Misty Davis, RDH, Michigan Primary Care Association

The Smile Gap: What Rural Oklahoma Reveals About Community Readiness for Dental Therapy

Mark Woodring, DrPH, MHA, FACHE, University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health

Moderated by: Holli Seaburry, Executive Director- Delta Dental Foundation

2:45pm-3:00pm

Beverage Break

3:00pm-4:00pm

Building Successful Dental Teams: Integrating Dental Therapists into Clinical Practice

Victoria Contreras, ADTA Treasuer, DT (OR); Shana Buerck, ADT (MN)

Moderated by: Izzy Litwack, Community Catalyst

Evaluating the Impact of Dental Therapy on Access, Utilization, and Equity in Oral Health Care

Frank Catalanotto, DMD, Floridians for Dental Access, President & Founder *1CDE

Moderated by: Laura Brannon, Community Catalyst

4:00pm-4:15pm

Break

4:15pm-5:15pm

A Movement for Whole-Person Health: The 100 Million Mouths Campaign

Shenam Ticku, BDS, MPH; Kari Ann Kuntzelman,AAS Dental Health Therapy, ADTA Executive Director, LDT (OR),AK Champion- 100 Million Mouths Campaign, AK 2026 OPEN Formal Leader

*1 CDE

Moderated by Sarah Borgida, Arcora Foundation

Assessing and Building Operational Readiness of Clinic Teams to Integrate Dental Therapists

Lyubov Slashcheva, DDS, MS; Julie Dirth, MS, ADT; Misty Davis, RDH, Michigan Primary Care Association

*1 CDE

Moderated by: Misty Davis, RDH, Michigan Primary Care Association

5:15pm – 5:30pm

Break

5:30pm – 7:00pm

Welcome Reception & Exhibitor Hall - Venetian Ballroom

Drinks & hors d'oeuvres served

Tuesday August 11, 2026

7:00am-8:30am

Registration Open - Woodward Ballroom Pre-Function Area (2nd Flr)

7:00am-8:00am

Breakfast & Exhibitor Hall - Venetian Ballroom

8:00am-10:00am

Morning Plenary

Woodward Ballroom

Dental Therapy in Our Current Moment: State Campaigns (Past and Present), Workforce Innovation, and the Future of Access

Frank Catalanotto, DMD, Floridians for Dental Access, President & Founder; Bridget Walsh, Senior Policy Manager,

Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy; Amy Zaagman, Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health, Executive Director & Kim Russell, Ruby Rose Consulting (AZ)

Moderated by: Laura Brannon, B.S., Community Catalyst

Rooted in Equity. Rising to the Moment.

James Whitfield, Be Culture, ADTA Strategic Planning Facilitator

Moderated by: Dana Obey, ADTA Vice President, 2026 ADTA Annual Conference Planning Committee Member, LDT(MI)

ADTA Community Update

Dana Obey, ADTA Vice-President, 2026 ADTA Annual Conference Planning Committee Member, LDT (MI) & Julie Seward, ADTA Contractor, MEd, RDH, Openseat Consulting

Moderated by: Misty Davis, RDH, Michigan Primary Care Association

10:00am-10:15am

Beverage Break

Rooted

Room: Founders A/B

Rising

Room: Griswold

10:15am-11:15am

Dental Therapy in Tribal Communities: Training and Employing Dental Therapists for Clinical Practice – Community Stories

Dr. Cheyanne Warren,dex-xayebus (place of smiles) Dental Therapy Education Program Director; Jessica Ortez, MPH, Swinomish Asst. Dental Director; Asiah Gonzalez (LDT), Keana Cruse (LDT), & Tamara Holmes (RDH), Swinomish Dental Clinic

Moderated by: Dana Obey, ADTA Vice President, 2026 ADTA Annual Conference Planning Committee Member, LDT(MI)

Advancing Dental Therapy Through Public Health Leadership

Sujay A. Mehta, DMD, MPH

*1 CDE

Moderated by Katinka Hakuta, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health

11:15am-11:30am

Beverage Break

11:30am-12:30pm

Supporting Neurodivergent Patients in Dental Care: Person-Centered and Sensory-Informed Approaches

Dr. Josefine Ortiz Wolfe, PhD, MBA, MPH, RDH, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas

*1 CDE

Moderated by: Kylie Anderson, ADT - 2026 ADTA Annual Conference Planning Committee Chair, ADTA Secretary

Faculty Calibration: An Online Module Approach

Dr. Thomas J. Allen, Alaska Dental Therapy Education Program

*1 CDE

Moderated by: Parrish Ravelli, Community Catalyst

12:30pm-1:45pm

Lunch & Exhibitors - Venetian Ballroom

1:45pm-3:00pm

The Power of the Oral Exam: How Dental Therapists Can Detect Oral Cancer Early

Hussein Moussawi, RDH, DMD

*1 CDE

Moderated by: Victoria Contreras, ADTA Treasurer, 2026 ADTA Conference Planning Committee Member, LDT (OR)

More Than Kids: Dental Therapists as Experts in Care for Special Care Populations

Lyubov Slashcheva, DDS, MS

*1 CDE

Moderated by: Parrish Ravelli, Community Catalyst

3:00pm-3:15pm

Beverage Break

3:15pm-4:15pm

Community Water Fluoridation, Why it’s Still Relevant: Tools for Michigan Health Professionals, Communities, and Water Systems

Sandy Sutton, RDH, BS, FADHA, Oral Prevention Specialist, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Oral Health Program, Michigan Dental Hygienist Association, President

*1 CDE

Moderated by: Victoria Contreras, ADTA Treasurer, 2026 ADTA Conference Planning Committee Member, LDT (OR)

Empowering Frugal Innovation for Global Oral Health Equity: The Role of Dental​ Therapists

Priyanka Gudsoorkar, MPH, MBA, BDS; Sujay Mehta, DMD, MPH, Chair- American Public Health Association Oral Health Section

*1 CDE

Moderated by: Dana Obey, ADTA Vice President, 2026 ADTA Annual Conference Planning Committee Member, LDT(MI)

4:15pm-4:30pm

Break

4:30-5:30pm

The Oral-Systemic Connection: How Oral Health Impacts Overall Health and Well-Being

Raafat Alsagher, BDS, RDH;

Karim Sharafeldin, BDS, Orofacial Pain Resident, University of Rochester

*1 CDE

Moderated by: Kylie Anderson, ADT - 2026 ADTA Annual Conference Planning Committee Chair, ADTA Secretary

Behind the Smile: Exploring the Dental Professional’s Role in the Mental Health Crisis

Alyssa Delgado, MS-ADT, MSDH, RDH, DT

*1 CDE

Moderated by: Parrish Ravelli, Community Catalyst

5:30pm

Dinner on your own

Wednesday August 12, 2026

7:00am-8:30am

Registration - Woodward Ballroom Pre-Function Area

7:00am-8:30am

Breakfast, Exhibitors & Awards Ceremony - Venetian Ballroom

8:30am-9:00am

Exhibitor Hall - Venetian Ballroom

Rooted

Room: Founders A/B

Rising

Room: Griswold

09:00am-11:00am

THEME: Minimally Invasive Dentistry

9:00-10:00am - Mastering Pediatric Local Anesthesia: Techniques for Precision and Comfort

Alyssa Delgado MS-ADT, MSDH, RDH, DT

*1 CDE

Moderated by: Dana Obey, ADTA Vice President, 2026 ADTA Annual Conference Planning Committee Member, LDT(MI)

10:00am-11:00am - Beyond the Drill: Bioactive & Minimally Invasive Strategies for Advanced Caries Management

Alyssa Delgado, MS-ADT, MSDH, RDH, DT

*1 CDE

Moderated by: Victoria Contreras, ADTA Treasurer, 2026 ADTA Conference Planning Committee Member, LDT (OR)

THEME: Educators Summit (4 CDE)

Sponsored by Michigan Primary Care Association

9:00am-9:15am - Educator Summit Welcome & Background

Misty Davis, RDH, Michigan Primary Care Association

9:15am-10:00am - 2026 Dental Therapy Education Program Pathways Resource Overview

Dr. Miranda Davis (Oregon) & Amy Coplen (Pacific University Dental Therapy Education Program, Oregon)

10:00am-11:00am - Universal Dental Therapy Curriculum: A Resource for Developing Programs

Drew Christianson, MDT, cADT, UMN; Dr. Michael Henderson, Director, Division of Dental Therapy, Department of Primary Care, UMN; Professor Danae Kotula, MDT, cADT, UMN; Dr. William Akey, Northcentral Technical College Dental Therapy Program, Director (joining virtually)

11:00am-11:15am

Break & pickup boxed lunch to take back to session rooms

11:15am-12:15pm

Innovative Applications of Intraoral Imaging: Hands-On Workshop

Julie Dirth, MS, ADT; Lyubov Slashcheva, DDS, MS; Kara Jean Baker, LDA

*1 CDE

Moderated by: Kylie Anderson, ADT - 2026 ADTA Annual Conference Planning Committee Chair, ADTA Secretary

Breakout:

Educators Summit Continued

11:30am-11:45am - Overview: Compensation, Productivity, and Educational Implications of the U.S. Dental Therapy Workforce: A National Survey

Kari Ann Kuntzelman, ADTA Executive Director, LDT (OR)

11:45am-12:00pm - Group Activity

Laura Brannon, Community Catalyst, & Misty Davis, RDH, Michigan Primary Care Association

12:00-12:45pm - Faculty Development: Onboarding, Calibration, Training, and Partnerships

Rebecca Stolberg, RDH, MS, American Dental Education Association & Dr. Thomas Allen, Alaska Dental Therapy Educational Program (ADTEP), Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

12:45pm- 1:30pm - Innovative Pathways to Accessible Programs

Dr. Cheyanne Warren dex-xayebus (place of smiles) Dental Therapy Education Program, WA & Dr. Caswell Evans, DDS, MPH, Emeritus Professor, UIC

1:30- 2:00 - Group Activity: Turning Ideas Into Action

Laura Brannon, Community Catalyst & Misty Davis, RDH, Michigan Primary Care Association

12:20pm-1:20pm

One Voice, One Future: A State of the Profession Conversation Facilitated by Kari Ann Kuntzelman, Executive Director, ADTA

Session Description: Dental therapists and allies will explore how a unified voice can advance oral health outcomes, strengthen the profession, and shape the future of dental therapy.

2:00pm

Conference concludes. Don't forget to turn in your Exhibitor Bingo cards at registration!

2:30pm-4:30pm

ADTA Board of Directors Stragetic Planning Meeting in the Washington Board Room; this meeting is closed to Board Memebrs, ADTA staff and previously identified contractors.