✨ AI Prospecting: The future of prospecting for SMBs is here — sign up for early access.
Seven of the 10 largest dental conferences happen between January and May. That's when vendors, reps, and SaaS companies need to be in the room.
The 2026 dental conference calendar covers 105+ US events, from 10,000+ attendee dental conventions like the Greater New York Dental Meeting and Chicago Midwinter to specialty gatherings like the AAO Annual Session and AAP Annual Meeting.
Here are the top 10 dental conferences 2026 and dental trade shows with dates, locations, and who each one is best for.
Yankee Dental Congress
Location: Boston, MA
Dates: January 29-31, 2026
Purpose: Training / Certification
Attendee Count: 10,000+
Website: https://www.yankeedental.com/
The Yankee Dental Congress is the largest dental convention in the Northeast. 10,000+ attendees. Hundreds of hours of CE, exhibit hall with 200+ exhibitors, hands-on workshops, and practice management tracks. Hosted by the Massachusetts Dental Society.
Why attend: 10,000+ dental professionals. Three days in Boston. Best for companies selling equipment, software, supplies, or technology to Northeast dental practices.
Greater New York Dental Meeting
Location: New York, NY
Dates: November 27 - December 1, 2026
Purpose: Training / Certification
Attendee Count: 10,000+
Website: https://www.gnydm.com/
The Greater New York Dental Meeting is one of the largest dental conferences in the world. 10,000+ attendees, 500+ exhibitors. Five days of CE, exhibits, and networking. Covers general dentistry, specialties, hygiene, and practice management.
Why attend: 10,000+ dental professionals. Five days in New York. Best for companies targeting Northeast and national dental practices.
Chicago Midwinter Meeting
Location: Chicago, IL
Dates: February 19-21, 2026
Purpose: Training / Certification
Attendee Count: 10,000+
Website: https://www.cds.org/midwintermeeting
The Chicago Midwinter Meeting is hosted by the Chicago Dental Society. 10,000+ attendees, 500+ exhibitors. Major exhibit hall, CE programming, and networking. Winter anchor event for Midwest and national dental professionals.
Why attend: 10,000+ dental professionals. Three days in Chicago. Best for companies selling into Midwest and national dental practices.
Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting
Location: Atlanta, GA
Dates: March 12-14, 2026
Purpose: Training / Certification
Attendee Count: 10,000+
Website: https://hinman.org/
The Hinman dental meeting is a major Southeastern dental conference. 10,000+ attendees, 500+ exhibitors. CE, exhibits, and networking. Hosted by the Hinman Dental Society. Strong focus on clinical education and practice management.
Why attend: 10,000+ dental professionals. Three days in Atlanta. Best for companies targeting Southeast and national dental practices.
AAO Annual Session
Location: Orlando, FL
Dates: May 1-3, 2026
Purpose: Training / Certification
Attendee Count: 10,000+
Website: https://annualsession.aaoinfo.org/
The AAO Annual Session (American Association of Orthodontists) is the top orthodontic dental convention. 10,000+ orthodontists, residents, and team members. 200+ exhibitors, CE, and new product launches.
Why attend: 10,000+ orthodontic professionals. Three days in Orlando. Best for companies selling into orthodontic practices.
DS World
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Dates: January 17-18, 2026
Purpose: Training / Certification
Attendee Count: 2,000-5,000
Website: https://www.dentsplysirona.com/en-us/why-ds/events/ds-world/ds-world-events.html
DS World is Dentsply Sirona's annual dental trade show and technology event. 2,000-5,000 attendees. New product launches, hands-on training, and practice growth education. Covers imaging, CAD/CAM, equipment, and digital workflow.
Why attend: 2,000-5,000 dental professionals. Two days in Las Vegas. Best for companies selling dental technology, equipment, or digital solutions.
Rocky Mountain Dental Convention
Location: Denver, CO
Dates: January 22-24, 2026
Purpose: Training / Certification
Attendee Count: 5,000-10,000
Website: https://rmdconline.com
The Rocky Mountain Dental Convention is a major regional dental conference. 5,000-10,000 attendees. CE, exhibits, and networking for Mountain West practices.
Why attend: 5,000-10,000 dental professionals. Three days in Denver. Best for companies targeting Colorado and Mountain West dental practices.
Utah Dental Association Convention
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Dates: January 29-30, 2026
Purpose: Training / Certification
Attendee Count: 5,000-10,000
Website: https://www.uda.org/meetings-events/2026-uda-convention
The Utah Dental Association Convention brings together Utah dental professionals. 5,000-10,000 attendees. CE, exhibits, and state association programming.
Why attend: 5,000-10,000 dental professionals. Two days in Salt Lake City. Best for companies targeting Utah and Intermountain West practices.
AAP Annual Meeting
Location: Seattle, WA
Dates: October 29 - November 1, 2026
Purpose: Training / Certification
Attendee Count: 2,000-5,000
Website: https://am2026.perio.org/
The AAP Annual Meeting (American Academy of Periodontology) is the top periodontology dental convention. 2,000-5,000 periodontists and specialists. Scientific sessions, exhibits, and networking.
Why attend: 2,000-5,000 periodontists. Four days in Seattle. Best for companies selling into periodontal and specialty practices.
Southwest Dental Conference
Location: Dallas, TX
Dates: March 19-21, 2026
Purpose: Training / Certification
Attendee Count: 2,000-5,000
Website: https://swdentalconf.org/
The Southwest Dental Conference serves Texas and the Southwest. 2,000-5,000 attendees. CE, exhibits, and regional networking.
Why attend: 2,000-5,000 dental professionals. Three days in Dallas. Best for companies targeting Texas and Southwest dental practices.
Plan your 2026 US dental conference strategy
7 of the 10 largest dental conferences land between January and March. DS World, Rocky Mountain, Yankee Dental Congress, and Utah Dental all happen within 2 weeks of each other in January. February and March keep going with Chicago Midwinter, Hinman, and Southwest Dental. If you're exhibiting at more than 2 events in Q1, your team and your booth need a shipping schedule.
Spring has one anchor: AAO Annual Session in May for orthodontic buyers. Summer is quiet. Fall picks back up with AAP in Seattle and Greater New York Dental Meeting closing out the year in late November.
Important decisions to make now:
Which buyer matters most? General practitioners at Chicago Midwinter, Yankee, Hinman, and Greater New York. Orthodontists at AAO. Periodontists at AAP. Technology buyers at DS World.
National or regional? Chicago Midwinter and Greater New York pull nationally. Rocky Mountain and Utah for the Mountain West. Hinman for the Southeast. Southwest Dental for Texas.
What's your conference strategy? Brand awareness (requires large events like Chicago Midwinter, Greater New York), lead generation (mid-size events like Rocky Mountain, Southwest Dental), relationship building (specialty events like AAO, AAP).
When will you decide? Booth prices increase as events approach. Early bird pricing typically closes 60-90 days before conference. Book now for best rates.
Dental conferences work when combined with good data. Using Orbital's US dental practice database, identify which conference attendees match your ICP, reach out before the event, and book meetings in advance. The companies winning at conferences schedule their entire conference calendar before arriving.
Download the complete US dental conference list
Get the full 2026 conference calendar with dates, locations, attendee counts, and strategic recommendations for every major dental event.
What's inside: 105+ US events with all dates and locations, trade show vs. convention breakdown, exhibitor priority tiers, attendee count comparisons, geographic coverage by US region, pre-event outreach email templates, and post-conference follow-up sequences.
Book a Demo
Identify, qualify, and engage at scale.
For companies underserved by ZoomInfo.
Book a Demo
Copyright © 2025 Carver Technologies
(Orbital AI)
