“The beauty of the Midwinter Meeting lies in the range and depth of its scientific programme”

Dr Hale, the Midwinter Meeting attracts tens of thousands of attendees globally every year. What are some of the key factors that contribute to the event’s long-standing reputation and success?
This coming Midwinter Meeting will be the 160^th iteration of the historic event. Not many events can claim that. The event is unique in that it reliably provides attendees with access to a massive scientific programme that boasts the best speakers available and an exhibit hall that showcases a range of companies debuting the latest dental innovations.

The Midwinter Meeting wouldn’t be such a success without the passion of dental professionals. Their drive and desire to continue bettering themselves is a key factor in the event’s success. Every year, tens of thousands of dental professionals gather at the Midwinter Meeting in Chicago because they know that is where the best minds in the industry will be for both networking and educational purposes. Attendees know that they can learn new techniques from respected clinicians to enhance their practice. They know that they can try out the latest technologies to see how they can provide better care for patients and optimise their practice. The event consistently provides the best continuing education (CE) available and the largest showcase of dental products, services and companies, as well as a snapshot of what is happening in the dental industry.

As the incoming president of CDS, how have you contributed to shaping this year’s event, and what are your primary goals for this Midwinter Meeting?
As a CDS officer, I’ve had a direct hand in shaping the Midwinter Meeting over the years. I’ve attended other dental meetings both in the US and in Canada to see what creative ideas they have implemented to entice attendees. I’ve scouted speakers and exhibitors and encouraged them to join us in Chicago. I’ve emphasised that during the event—because it is winter—everyone attends the meeting inside at McCormick Place, and then at night, everyone dines out and enjoys the incredible restaurants and entertainment across the city.

My goal for the Midwinter Meeting is for there to be an increase in attendance by younger, early-career dentists. They are our future, and it’s important that they feel like they are a part of the Midwinter Meeting, recognise its value, and experience the energy and excitement that surrounds the event.

This year’s event features a new collaboration with the Pankey Institute. Could you share more about the significance of this partnership and what attendees can expect from the three-day course?
CDS is a respected leader in dental CE, and the Midwinter Meeting is the best example of that. It provides attendees with one of the most extensive scientific programmes available, all in one convenient location, allowing them to build their own CE experience at the event. The Midwinter Meeting scientific programme provides attendees with the largest selection of the best and most experienced speakers and clinicians in the field as well as up-and-coming speakers.

“My goal for the Midwinter Meeting is for there to be an increase in attendance by younger, early-career dentists.”

It was only natural for us to partner with the Pankey Institute, another organisation that is renowned and respected for dental education and professional development. The Pankey Institute’s three-day course is designed for both early career and established dentists with a curriculum that spans aesthetics, occlusion, restorative techniques, biological considerations and patient-centred care. It will provide attendees with 24 hours of CE on a wide range of topics.

The line-up for 2025 includes 159 speakers and over 240 courses. What are some of the emerging trends or topics in dentistry that will be highlighted during this year’s programme?
The beauty of the Midwinter Meeting lies in the range and depth of its scientific programme and its speakers and subjects. The CDS team dedicates significant time to scouting and researching speakers to ensure that the event provides attendees with CE-accredited courses on both emerging and established topics. For example, this year, topics include social media and cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, lasers, sleep medicine, surgical techniques, dental hygiene and mindfulness. I encourage everyone to visit the event website to view and explore the many courses, speakers and topics in the online course catalogue.

You mentioned the importance of tailoring education to meet the needs of attendees. Can you explain how CDS ensures a diverse range of courses for professionals at different stages of their careers, from early-career dentists to experienced practitioners?
As the respected leader in dental CE, CDS spends considerable time researching, planning and building the scientific programme for the Midwinter Meeting each year. In fact, we begin building the scientific programme years before each Midwinter Meeting. We do that so far ahead because we want time to research, scout and vet speakers, both renowned and up-and-coming, to ensure that we can provide Midwinter Meeting attendees with the best scientific programme possible and that we have content that is valuable for all dental professionals, including endodontists, paediatric dentists, other specialists, hygienists, office staff and early-career dentists.

There will be more than 250 courses, including 46 hands-on workshops and 34 free courses, offered at the 2025 Midwinter Meeting. We want every attendee to be able to take advantage of the scientific programme so that they can attend courses that equip them with knowledge and skills that they can take back to the office and share with their team and use to subsequently improve their practice.

The Midwinter Meeting attracts more than dentists; many dental staff members and hygienists attend too. Even though a dentist is the head of the team, we couldn’t do anything without our staff, so we wanted to make sure that the Midwinter Meeting provides the best CE available not only for dentists but also for every member of the dental team. There is something valuable for every member of the dental team at the Midwinter Meeting.

What are some other highlights that attendees can look forward to?
The Midwinter Meeting is a must-experience event for every dental professional, and the energy of the event is inspirational. There is nowhere else where one can find hundreds of top-tier CE courses, networking opportunities with tens of thousands of peers and more than 450 companies debuting their latest innovations—all in one convenient location.

The exhibit hall is where one can see that energy on its best display. The expansive convention hall is filled with aisles of booths and dental teams exploring and testing out what is new in dentistry. One can never know what one will find in the exhibit hall, and that is part of the fun, especially if you explore it with your team.

The 2025 Midwinter Meeting will also be debuting new events, such as the Garrett’s Popcorn “Pop-In” event, which will happen on Thursday in the exhibit hall; the Friday Night Bash: A Night of Beats & Bites; and the Smile & Shine Hygienist Luncheon on Saturday. Old favourites are also returning, including the Yoga for Midwinter Mindfulness, the Dental Student Reception, the Early Career Dentist Reception, the Keynote Session, and Sips, Suds & Sales, which will be taking place at the exhibit hall.

While we always have an interesting speaker for the Keynote Session, I’m particularly excited about this year’s speaker, three Michelin-starred Alinea chef Grant Achatz. He will share his personal story of overcoming Stage IV tongue cancer and how he temporarily lost his sense of taste. He’ll also talk about the role dental professionals play in the early detection and screening of oral cancer. It’s a remarkable story, and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.