This session will introduce you to innovative research from the ADA Forsyth Institute (AFI) on Saccharibacteria and its potential role in reducing inflammation and supporting a healthy oral microbiome. Discover how Dr. Bor and his team are adapting CRISPRCas technology into a rapid, saliva-based diagnostic tool capable of identifying oral pathogens in minutes. Gain insight into how these advances can transform periodontal care and open the door to more personalized and preventive treatment strategies.

Speaker: Dr. Batbileg Bor
Session Code: 1342

Very important shifts in dental and medical research and clinical applications are changing the way we understand, diagnose, prioritize and treat our patients. Dentists and hygienists have a unique opportunity to elevate dentistry’s role in complete health dramatically. Discover new insights into the critical connection between oral pathogens, infections, systemic inflammation, breathing disordered sleep, TMD, bruxism and dental malocclusions. Leave much better equipped to resolve everyday problems.

Speaker: Dr. DeWitt Wilkerson and Ms. Lora Hooper
Session Code: 1301 and 1302

Learn how the health care team can work together to improve health, enhance patient experiences and help control the cost of care. Discover how safety nets have integrated oral health and primary care, focusing on patients with diabetes, HIV, and/or substance use disorders, as well as integration of oral health and behavioral health, and oral health and vaccinations.

Speaker: Dr. Leah Schulz
Session Code: 1370

Explore the vital role of early pediatric oral health in overall lifelong wellness. Discuss early identification of oral health issues, implications of oral microbiome development, the effects of breastfeeding, common challenges in early childhood and the comparative efficacy of fluoride and hydroxyapatite. Leave equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify and address oral health concerns proactively, ensuring healthier outcomes from infancy through adulthood.

Speaker: Dr. Kami Hoss
Session Code: 1299

Eighty percent of adults have at least one chronic condition, and 68% have two or more. What is the underlying cause? Chronic inflammation. It has been shown to contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease, inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer and more. Oral inflammation is often overlooked as a potential risk factor. This course will explore the link between inflammation, chronic disease and oral health.

Speaker: Ms. Carol Jahn
Session Code: 1242

The mouth is a gateway to the rest of your body. Gum disease has been linked to increased risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, inflammation and osteoporosis. Discuss how introducing beneficial bacteria is promising for reducing gingival inflammation. Learn how to successfully change your patients’ habits and views on the importance of daily biofilm management, show them new techniques and strengthen their motivation to use them.

Speaker: Ms. Shannon Nanne
Session Code: 1312

The use of teeth as records of health histories and exposures has been well established in anthropology but is now increasingly popular in epidemiological studies. The prenatal and postnatal timing of tooth formation and the unique process of tooth mineralization provide well-defined windows of exposure and the basis for the use of teeth as biomarkers. Learn what makes teeth so attractive as proxy-records and review recent examples of using teeth as biomarkers to reconstruct and predict health risks.

Speaker: Dr. Felicitas Bidlack
Session Code: 1344

Saliva Hacker™ Lora Hooper pulls back the curtain on how to decode pathogen profiles and design powerful, personalized treatment plans using salivary diagnostics. Learn how to read test results to go beyond basic SRP, targeting periodontal and implantitis pathogens, matching therapies to resistance patterns and building trust with patients through data-driven care. Get the missing link to predictable, inflammation-resolving outcomes.

Speaker: Ms. Lora Hooper
Session Code: 1305

Explore the relationship between periodontitis and atherosclerosis. Examine the role of inflammation in the progression of atherosclerosis and the increased risk of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques. Discuss how oral and periodontal inflammation impacts these conditions through the inflammatory pathways that connect them. Learn how innovative therapeutic strategies reduce the risks associated with unstable atherosclerotic plaques influenced by periodontitis

Speaker: Dr. Hatice Hasturk
Session Code: 1356

Recent research demonstrates that improved glycemic control directly improves oral health rather than better oral hygiene, resulting in improved glycemic control. Understand your new role as a member of the diabetes treatment team and learn how to better serve patients with diabetes to improve the management of their condition. Identify the responsibilities of the diabetes management team, review adjusting communication and attitudes about diabetes and understand dental office and clinic protocols for diabetes care

Speaker: Dr. Michael Raizen and Ms. Gail deVore
Session Code: 1276

Ready to put it all together? This session brings the morning’s course into real-world application. Discover how top-performing dental teams implement saliva-guided protocols, navigate tough cases and boost patient acceptance through personalized care. Through clinical case reviews, product pairings and chairside guides, learn what works and what to avoid when using diagnostics to disrupt biofilm, prevent relapse and implant failures, and overall elevate your perio outcomes.

Speaker: Ms. Lora Hooper
Session Code: 1306

ENTs and dentists are separated by only a few millimeters of palatal bone, but too often we do not work together to improve total airway health. Learn how airway-focused dentists can work with ENTs to help improve full upper airway care, drive mutual referrals and improve overall patient outcomes.

Speaker: Dr. Manan Shah
Session Code: 1275

Within the world of autoimmune diseases, our patients may present varying degrees of pain, fatigue and altered lifestyles as a result. Increased risk of periodontal disease and dental caries are common hallmarks of many autoimmune conditions fueled by chronic inflammation, a suppressed immune response and behavioral challenges. Explore risk factors for autoimmune diseases and methods to reduce oral complications.

Speaker: Ms. Karen Davis
Session Code: 1243

This session will introduce you to innovative research from the ADA Forsyth Institute (AFI) on Saccharibacteria and its potential role in reducing inflammation and supporting a healthy oral microbiome. Discover how Dr. Bor and his team are adapting CRISPRCas technology into a rapid, saliva-based diagnostic tool capable of identifying oral pathogens in minutes. Gain insight into how these advances can transform periodontal care and open the door to more personalized and preventive treatment strategies.

Speaker: Dr. Batbileg Bor
Session Code: 1342

Very important shifts in dental and medical research and clinical applications are changing the way we understand, diagnose, prioritize and treat our patients. Dentists and hygienists have a unique opportunity to elevate dentistry’s role in complete health dramatically. Discover new insights into the critical connection between oral pathogens, infections, systemic inflammation, breathing disordered sleep, TMD, bruxism and dental malocclusions. Leave much better equipped to resolve everyday problems.

Speaker: Dr. DeWitt Wilkerson and Ms. Lora Hooper
Session Code: 1301 and 1302

Learn how the health care team can work together to improve health, enhance patient experiences and help control the cost of care. Discover how safety nets have integrated oral health and primary care, focusing on patients with diabetes, HIV, and/or substance use disorders, as well as integration of oral health and behavioral health, and oral health and vaccinations.

Speaker: Dr. Leah Schulz
Session Code: 1370

Explore the vital role of early pediatric oral health in overall lifelong wellness. Discuss early identification of oral health issues, implications of oral microbiome development, the effects of breastfeeding, common challenges in early childhood and the comparative efficacy of fluoride and hydroxyapatite. Leave equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify and address oral health concerns proactively, ensuring healthier outcomes from infancy through adulthood.

Speaker: Dr. Kami Hoss
Session Code: 1299

Eighty percent of adults have at least one chronic condition, and 68% have two or more. What is the underlying cause? Chronic inflammation. It has been shown to contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease, inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer and more. Oral inflammation is often overlooked as a potential risk factor. This course will explore the link between inflammation, chronic disease and oral health.

Speaker: Ms. Carol Jahn
Session Code: 1242

The mouth is a gateway to the rest of your body. Gum disease has been linked to increased risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, inflammation and osteoporosis. Discuss how introducing beneficial bacteria is promising for reducing gingival inflammation. Learn how to successfully change your patients’ habits and views on the importance of daily biofilm management, show them new techniques and strengthen their motivation to use them.

Speaker: Ms. Shannon Nanne
Session Code: 1312