8 of the 10 conferences on this list run between January and May. DS World, Rocky Mountain, Yankee Dental Congress, and Utah Dental all land within 2 weeks of each other in January. If you exhibit at more than 2 Q1 events, your booth needs a shipping schedule before your team needs a flight.

The 2026 dental conference calendar has 105+ US events. Here are the top 10 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/

Largest dental convention in the Northeast. Hosted by the Massachusetts Dental Society. Hundreds of hours of CE, 200+ exhibitors, hands-on workshops, and practice management tracks.

Why attend Yankee Dental Congress: 10,000+ dental professionals over 3 days. Heaviest concentration of Northeast practice owners at any single dental event. If you sell equipment, software, supplies, or technology into dental practices from Boston to DC, this is where those buyers cluster.

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/

One of the largest dental conferences in the world. 500+ exhibitors. 5 days of CE, exhibits, and networking across general dentistry, specialties, hygiene, and practice management.

Why attend Greater New York Dental Meeting: 10,000+ dental professionals over 5 days. The length and location pull attendees nationally, not just from the Northeast. Late November timing means it closes out the conference year. Vendors use it to lock in Q1 pipeline before budgets reset.

Chicago Midwinter Meeting

Location: Chicago, IL

Dates: February 19-21, 2026

Purpose: Training/Certification

Attendee Count: 10,000+

Website: https://www.cds.org/midwintermeeting

Hosted by the Chicago Dental Society. 500+ exhibitors. Major exhibit hall, CE programming, and networking. The winter anchor event for Midwest dental professionals, though attendance pulls nationally.

Why attend Chicago Midwinter Meeting: 10,000+ dental professionals over 3 days. Draws the Midwest, but the exhibitor count and CE hours attract practices from across the country. If you can only do one large dental convention in Q1, this and Yankee are the two to weigh against each other.

Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting

Location: Atlanta, GA

Dates: March 12-14, 2026

Purpose: Training/Certification

Attendee Count: 10,000+

Website: https://hinman.org/

Major Southeastern dental conference hosted by the Hinman Dental Society. 500+ exhibitors. Strong focus on clinical education and practice management alongside the exhibit hall.

Why attend Hinman Dental Meeting: 10,000+ dental professionals over 3 days in Atlanta. The Southeast equivalent of Yankee or Chicago Midwinter. If your territory includes the Southeast or you need geographic coverage beyond the Northeast and Midwest, Hinman fills that gap.

AAO Annual Session

Location: Orlando, FL

Dates: May 1-3, 2026

Purpose: Training/Certification

Attendee Count: 10,000+

Website: https://annualsession.aaoinfo.org/

The American Association of Orthodontists' top event. 10,000+ orthodontists, residents, and team members. 200+ exhibitors, CE, and new product launches.

Why attend AAO Annual Session: 10,000+ orthodontic professionals over 3 days. This is the only event on this list where the entire room is orthodontic. If you sell into ortho practices, every conversation is relevant. If you sell into general dentistry, skip it.

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

Dentsply Sirona's annual dental trade show and technology event. New product launches, hands-on training, and practice growth education. Covers imaging, CAD/CAM, equipment, and digital workflow.

Why attend DS World: 2,000-5,000 dental professionals over 2 days. Smaller headcount, but the audience self-selects for technology. Attendees are evaluating digital workflow, imaging, and CAD/CAM purchases. If you sell dental technology or digital solutions, the room is already primed.

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

Major regional dental conference. CE, exhibits, and networking for Mountain West practices.

Why attend Rocky Mountain Dental Convention: 5,000-10,000 dental professionals over 3 days in Denver. Strongest regional dental event west of Chicago and east of the Pacific coast. If you sell into Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, or Mountain West practices, this is where they attend.

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

Utah Dental Association's annual convention. CE, exhibits, and state association programming.

Why attend Utah Dental Association Convention: 5,000-10,000 dental professionals over 2 days. Runs the same week as Yankee Dental Congress in Boston, so plan accordingly. If your territory is the Intermountain West, this is the most efficient event on the calendar.

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 American Academy of Periodontology's top event. Scientific sessions, exhibits, and networking focused on periodontal and implant dentistry.

Why attend AAP Annual Meeting: 2,000-5,000 periodontists over 4 days. Like AAO for orthodontics, the entire room is one specialty. If you sell into periodontal practices, implant systems, or regenerative products, this is the most concentrated buyer audience for that.

Southwest Dental Conference

Location: Dallas, TX

Dates: March 19-21, 2026

Purpose: Training/Certification

Attendee Count: 2,000-5,000

Website: https://swdentalconf.org/

Regional dental conference serving Texas and the Southwest. CE, exhibits, and regional networking.

Why attend Southwest Dental Conference: 2,000-5,000 dental professionals over 3 days in Dallas. Texas has one of the largest dental practice populations in the country. If you sell into Texas and Southwest practices, this is the primary regional event. Lower booth cost than the 10,000+ attendee nationals.

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.

Download the complete list