Monday August 10, 2026

10:00am-12:00pm

12:00pm- 1:30pm

Opening plenary

Woodward Ballroom

Board Welcome

Keynote Speaker:

Jacqueline Cuevas

Founder, Kneading Soulutions™

Self-Advocate | Disability Advocate

1:30pm-1:45pm

Break sponsored by Arcora Foundation

Rooted

Room: Founders AB

Rising

Room: Venetian Ballroom

1:45pm-2:45pm

Dental Therapy in Practice: Exploring Diverse Care Settings

Moderated by

Misty Davis, Michigan Primary Care Association, RDH

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

Moderated by

Holli Seaburry, Delta Dental Foundation

Break

Beverage Break

3:00pm-4:00pm

Building Successful Dental Teams: Integrating Dental Therapists into Clinical Practice

Moderated by Dana Obey, ADTA Vice President

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

Moderated by Laura Brannon

4:00pm-4:15pm

Break

4:15pm-5:15pm

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

Moderated by Katinka Hakuta

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

Moderated by Misty Davis, Michigan Primary Care Association

5:30pm – 7:00pm

Welcome Reception - Venetian Ballroom

Tuesday August 11, 2026

7-8:30am

Registration Open

7:00am-8:00am

Breakfast & Exhibitors - Venetian Ballroom

8:00am-9:30am

Morning Plenary

Woodward Ballroom

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

Dr. Frank Catalanota, Bridget Walsh, Amy Zaagman (MCMCH). Moderated by Laura Brannon, Community Catalyst

Rooted in Equity. Rising to the Moment.

James Whitfield and Kristen Whitfield, Be Culture

ADTA Update

Anna DeGraffenried, ADTA; Julie Seward, ADTA Contractor

9:30am-10:15am

Coffee Break

Rooted

Room: Founders AB

Rising

Room: Venetian Ballroom

10:15am-11:15am

TBD

Navigating the Current Landscape of Dental Therapy Policy

Laura Brannon, Community Catalyst

Moderated by Kylie Anderson

11:15am-11:30am

Beverage Break

11:30am-12:30pm

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

Dr. Josefine Wolfe, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas

1 CDE

Moderated by Dana Obey, ADTA Vice President

Calibration

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

1 CDE

Moderated by Misty Davis, Michigan Primary Care Association

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, Intl. Dentist

1 CDE

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

Lyubov Slashcheva, DDS, MS

1 CDE

3:00pm-3:15pm

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 Izzy Litwack

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

1 CDE

Sara Borgida, Arcora Foundation

4:15pm-4:30pm

Break

4:30-5:30pm

Innovative Applications of Intraoral Imaging: Hands-On Workshop

1 CDE

Moderated by Kylie Anderson

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

Wednesday August 12, 2026

7:00am-8:30am

Registration

7:00am-8:30am

Breakfast, Exhibitors & Awards Ceremony - Venetian Ballroom

8:30am-9:15am

Exhibitor Hall

Rooted

Room: Founders AB

Rising

Room: Venetian Ballroom

09:15am-11:00am

Breakout: Minimally Invasive Dentistry

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

Beyond the Drill: Bioactive & Minimally Invasive Strategies for Advanced Caries Management;

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

1 CDE

Moderated by Dana Obey, ADTA Vice President

Breakout: Educators Summit

Moderated by Misty Davis, Michigan Primary Care Association

11:00am-11:15am

Break/Boxed lunch

11:15am-12:15pm

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

Raafat Alsagher

1 CDE

Moderated by Victoria Contreras

Breakout:

Educators Summit

4 CDE

10:00-10:15am

Welcome/Intro/Background

Different Pathways: Universal Dental Therapy Curriculum: A Resource for Developing Programs

Drew Christianson, Dental Therapist, Certified Advanced Dental Therapist, Clinical Associate Professor, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry

10:15-11:15am

MPCA DT educator

11:15-11:30am

Light Snack Break

11:30am-12:15pm

Bridge Pathways

12:15-1:00pm

Alternative Pathways

1:00-1:15pm

Snack Break

1:15-1:50pm

Group Discussion

1:50pm

Wrap Up

12:20pm-1:20pm

One Voice, One Future: A State of the Profession Conversation

Facilitated by Kari Ann Kuntzelman, Executive Director, ADTA

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

1 CDE