General Information

2026 ODA Annual Session Committee

2026 General Annual Session Information

LOCATION

The 160th 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 16 through Saturday, September 19.

FREE CE COURSES

The ODA Annual Session registration fee includes the ability to earn up to seven (7) free CE credits. All free CE courses are offered on-site off of the Exhibit Hall Floor in Exhibit Hall of the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC). In addition to courses on the CE STAGE, attendees have the opportunity to earn CE credits while attending the Poster Sessions, formerly known as Table Clinics, in person on Friday in the Exhibit Hall. All of the courses offered on the CE STAGE, as well as the Poster Sessions, 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 On-site Office located in the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) room A111 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 Exhibit Hall A, at the entrance to the Exhibit Hall, and is available from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 18; and near the Member Center in Concourse A on Saturday, September 19, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

LUNCH BREAKS

On Thursday and Friday, September 17 & 18, 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 – free lunch plus additional concessions are available in the Exhibit Hall. On Saturday, September 19, free continental breakfast and lunch will be available for all CE course attendees.

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 listed on attendees’ badges, on the meeting App, and through registration information emailed to attendees.

ATTIRE

Business casual dress is recommended for the convention. Dress warmly, in layers, as meeting rooms tend to be cool.

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.

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 attending the complete course. CE slips can be printed onsite during Annual Session or on a personal computer.

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 – no limit/maximum per biennium
• Supervised Self-Instruction – no limit/maximum per biennium

Categories:

• Dental Education and Scientific Courses – no limit/maximum per biennium
• Non-clinical dental practice-related CE – 5 hours limit/maximum per biennium
• Papers, publications, and scientific presentations – 3 hours limit/maximum per biennium
• Teaching and Research Appointments – 3 hours limit/maximum per biennium
• Volunteer Service as a Clinician in Ohio – up to 1/3 of the requirement per biennium; 10 hours maximum for dentists and 6.5 hours maximum for dental hygienists
• Poster Sessions – 2 hours limit/maximum per biennium

For the convenience of all ODA Annual Session attendees, the appropriate OSDB Category is listed on each CE course description, accompanied by the number of CE hours offered. All courses offered on-site at the 2026 ODA Annual Session meet the OSDB Format of Directly Interactive Presentations.

The current OSDB licensing biennium ends on December 31, 2027.

For detailed information on the Ohio State Dental Board CE Requirements, go to: https://dental.ohio.gov/Education-Renewal/Continuing-Education

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 Director of Meetings & Conventions, Suzanne Brooks, at suzy@oda.org, (614) 486-2700 ext. 14, so that we can take the appropriate action. During Annual Session, the ODA on-site office is located in room A111 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.