2025 ODA Annual Session Committee
Dr. Kyle Jackson
General Chairman
Dayton, Ohio
Dr. Sharon Parsons
CE Chairman
Columbus, Ohio
Dr. Steve Moore
Sr. Exhibit Chairman
West Chester, Ohio
Dr. Lauren Czerniak
Jr. Exhibits Chair
Toledo, Ohio
Dr. Dale Anne Featheringham
Medina, Ohio
Dr. Jarid Jones
Columbus, Ohio
Dr. Shelly Boss
Canton, Ohio
Dr. Josetta DeFrancisco
Brunswick, Ohio
Dr. Najia Usman
Medina, Ohio
Dr. Hal S. Jeter
Ex-Officio Member, ODA President
Southpoint, Ohio
Dr. Kelly Roth
Liaison, ODA Executive Committee
Canton, Ohio
Dr. Sara Fowler
Liaison, ODA Dental Education
and Licensure Committee (DELC)
Columbus, Ohio
Tyler Klika
OSU Dental Student Consultant
Columbus, Ohio
2025 General Annual Session Information
LOCATION
The 159h Annual Session of the Ohio Dental Association will take place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) complex, Columbus, Ohio at 400 N. High Street, 43215. The headquarters hotel is the Hilton Columbus Downtown Hotel, 402 N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, (614) 463-1234; the Hilton is connected to the GCCC. Most ODA Annual Session events and courses will be held in the GCCC or the Hilton. ODA staff will be on-site at the GCCC from Wednesday, September 24 through Saturday, September 27.
FREE CE COURSES
The ODA Annual Session registration fee includes the ability to earn at least 14 free CE credits online. All free CE courses can be accessed online from September 29 – December 31, 2025. In addition to the online courses, attendees have the opportunity to earn CE credits while attending the Table Clinics in person on Friday in the Exhibit Hall. All of the online courses offered, as well as the Table Clinics, qualify toward the Ohio State Dental Board’s (OSDB) biennium licensure requirement.
SPECIAL NEEDS
If you have special needs and require accommodation to fully participate in the conference, please contact the ODA Annual Session department at (614) 486-2700 prior to Annual Session, and the ODA Registration Desk located in the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) room B140 during the conference. The ODA complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for accessibility for persons with disabilities.
TAX DEDUCTION
Deductions are permitted for educational expenses – including registration fees, transportation, meals and lodging. Check with your financial advisor for details.
MOTHERS’ ROOM
The GCCC has a designated nursing mother room located on the Central Atrium. Family restrooms are located in Upper A-Pod (behind room A-210) and another in the Center Lounge restrooms near the South Café & Marketplace. These single-use areas are equipped with a seat, electricity and a lockable door. Mothers’ Rooms can also be used for personal medical needs.
MEDITATION ROOM
In an effort to support the holistic wellness of Annual Session attendees, the ODA and its Subcouncil on Diversity and Inclusion have created a space for meditation, reflection and/or prayer. The purpose of this space is to provide an accommodation for individual spiritual needs. The room is located within the ODA Den, at the entrance to the Exhibit Hall, and is available from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
TWO-HOUR LUNCH BREAKS
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, most CE courses will break for up to two or more hours for lunch at various intervals between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., giving attendees the opportunity to spend time in the Exhibit Hall with no need to travel off-site for lunch – concessions and a dining area are located in the Exhibit Hall and in the main corridor outside the Hall. On Saturday, September 27, free lunch will be available in the Exhibit Hall for all paid registrants.
SEMINAR SEATING & COURTESY
Plan to arrive early: seating for all seminars is on a first-come, first-served basis. Most lecture courses provide both classroom and theatre seating. Also, please set all electronic devices to “silent” during seminars. Seminar room locations will be included in the confirmation packet sent to attendees who register by August 8, 2025.
ATTIRE
Business casual dress is recommended for the convention. Dress warmly, in layers, as meeting rooms tend to be cool.
DISCRIMINATION / HARRASMENT POLICY
The ODA has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment by participants or our staff at any of our meetings or events – in person or virtual. If you experience harassment or hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, ODA asks that you inform Director of Meetings & Conventions, Suzanne Brooks, at suzy@oda.org, (614) 486-2700 ext. 14, so we can take appropriate action. The ODA on-site office is located in room B130 of the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC).
Unacceptable Behavior is defined as:
- Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form.
- Verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, ODA staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest.
- Examples of verbal abuse include, but are not limited to, verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations, or threatening or stalking any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, ODA staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest.
- Disruption of presentations during sessions, in the Exhibit Hall, or at other events organized by ODA. All participants must comply with the instructions of the moderator and any ODA event staff.
PHOTOGRAPHY RELEASE
Annual Session attendees grant permission to the Ohio Dental Association and their agents to utilize, in perpetuity, the attendee’s image or likeness in an effort to promote the Ohio Dental Association and its events or meetings. Attendees waive any right to inspect or approve the finished product or products and the advertising copy or other matter that may be used in connection therewith or the use to which it may be applied.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For Annual Session program information, call the ODA Annual Session department at (614) 486-2700. For hotel information and/or reservations, contact your hotel of choice directly. Hotel information can be found on page X as well as online at www.oda.org.
Continuing Education Information
The Annual Session is an official activity of the Ohio Dental Association. Speaker selection is based on expertise and presentation quality. Speaker participation at the Annual Session neither implies nor reflects ODA endorsement. All seminars are offered as information only and not as financial, accounting, legal or other professional advice. Persons attending seminars or reviewing handout materials need to consult their own professional advisors for advice. The views and opinions expressed by speakers do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of the Ohio Dental Association. The ODA reserves the right to cancel, reschedule or substitute presentations as deemed appropriate.
The Ohio Dental Association is an American Dental Association (ADA) Continuing Education Recognized Provider (CERP). ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. As a national continuing education accreditation system, CERP recognized providers are approved providers of dental continuing education and are recognized as approved CE providers by the dental licensing boards of most states, the licensing agencies of most health-related fields, and certification requirements of most health-related fields. Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to ADA CERP at www.ada.org/cerp. OHIO STATE DENTAL BOARD
The Ohio State Dental Board (OSDB) recognizes the Ohio Dental Association (ODA) as a Sponsor of continuing education.
OTHER STATE BOARDS OF DENTISTRY
As an ADA CERP provider and state affiliate of the American Dental Association, CE courses presented by the Ohio Dental Association are accepted as appropriately administered presentations by most state boards and/or agencies of dentistry. If you have questions about a specific state requirement or need prior approval of a course to meet your state’s requirement, please contact the ODA Department of Meetings & Conventions directly at (614) 486-2700 or annualsession@oda.org.
ACADEMY OF GENERAL DENTISTRY
Continuing education programs offered by ADA CERP recognized providers are accepted by the AGD for Fellowship/Mastership credit, code #2738.
CREDIT HOURS
The number of continuing education (CE) credits for each seminar is equal to the number of course hours for that class. However, not all course topics meet the mandatory requirement for renewal as mandated by the Ohio State Dental Board (OSDB) or other licensing agencies. It is the responsibility of each licensee to understand the specific CE rules of their respective licensure board.
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT
Continuing Education slips can be printed on demand after the successful completion of attending the course. CE slips can be printed onsite during Annual Session or on a personal computer. Online CE slips can be printed on a personal device after viewing the CE course and successful administration of an exam.
OSDB CONTINUING EDUCATION CRITERIA
The Ohio State Dental Board (OSDB) defines acceptable continuing education for all Ohio dental licensees as educational and scientific courses given by board-approved sponsors consisting of activities designed to: review existing concepts and techniques; convey information beyond the basic dental education; and, update knowledge on advances in scientific, non-clinical and clinical practice-related subject matter, including ethics, regulatory compliance, risk management, nutrition and evidence-based dentistry. Ohio licensed dentists must complete 30 hours of acceptable continuing education each biennium. Ohio licensed dental hygienists must complete 20 hours of acceptable continuing education each biennium. The objective of continuing education is to improve the knowledge, skills and ability of the individual to provide the highest quality of service to the public and the profession. Dental licensees are free to select areas of study within the OSDB’s stated categories, not to exceed the maximum number of hours in each category.
Ohio State Dental Board Continuing Education Format & Categories for Licensees Formats:
- Directly Interactive Presentation
- Supervised Self-Instruction
- Unlimited, Dental Education and Scientific Courses – no limit per biennium
- Limited, Non-clinical dental practice-related CE – 6 hours limit per biennium
- Papers, publications, and scientific presentations – 4 hours limit per biennium
- Teaching and Research Appointments – 4 hours limit per biennium
- Volunteer Service as a Clinician in Ohio – up to 1/3 of the requirement per biennium
- Table Clinics – 2 hours limit per biennium
Discrimination / Harassment Policy
The ODA has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment by participants or our staff at any of our meetings or events – in person or virtual. If you experience harassment or hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, ODA asks that you inform Suzanne Brooks, Director of Meetings & Conventions, at suzy@oda.org or (614) 486-2700, so that we can take the appropriate action. The ODA on-site office is located in room B130 of the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC).
Unacceptable Behavior is defined as:
- Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form.
- Verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, ODA staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest.
– Examples of verbal abuse include, but are not limited to, verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations, or threatening or stalking any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, ODA staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest. - Disruption of presentations during sessions, in the exhibit hall, or at other events organized by ODA. All participants must comply with the instructions of the moderator and any ODA event staff.
