ATTENDEES LOOK FORWARD TO BENEFITS OF IN-PERSON ODA ANNUAL SESSION
Excellent CE opportunities for all members of the dental team will be offered in person. Participation workshops will be a highlight of this year’s Annual Session with hands-on opportunities being offered by many of the featured lecturers including hard-to-find workshops directed specifically to hygienists and dental assistants.
The 2022 ODA Annual Session is Sept. 15-17 in Columbus at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and the new Hilton Columbus Downtown Tower. Attendees are looking forward to the many benefits of getting back together in person for CE, camaraderie and shopping for products and services.
“Before COVID in 2020, I had little experience with webinars, Zoom meetings, etc.,” said Dr. Thomas Theil, a general dentist in Huber Heights. “Although it has proven to have its positive aspects, I believe in person, direct contact with colleagues, educators and vendors cannot be fully replaced by the virtual world. I encourage dentists and staff to take advantage of the opportunities the Annual Session offers and enjoy the amenities of Columbus!”
The 2022 ODA Annual Session will offer many opportunities for attendees to connect, learn and excel, including CE courses, new technology, exhibitor networking and special events.
“Some of the benefits of our Annual Session are meeting with many vendors and getting hands on with their products, meeting up with other classmates and friends and it is a great way to celebrate and educate our entire dental team together at one event,” said Dr. Tara Haid, a general dentist in Worthington.
CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR THE ENTIRE DENTAL TEAM
“There are multiple benefits for attending the Annual Session,” Theil said. “One is in person CE, which just can’t be completely replaced by webinars.”
Excellent CE opportunities for all members of the dental team will be offered in person. Participation workshops will be a highlight of this year’s Annual Session with hands-on opportunities being offered by many of the featured lecturers including hard-to-find workshops directed specifically to hygienists and dental assistants.
“It is great to be able to take your entire office to a dental meeting that has something for everyone,” Haid said. “The CE courses give us all a chance to get out of our dental ‘bubbles’ and see other ways of doing the same thing you have been doing but maybe in an easier way, or more aesthetic way, or using different tools, along with incorporating better ergonomics.”
This year’s Annual Session will feature local and nationally known experts presenting 64 different CE courses.
“I think it became very obvious during the pandemic that online CE can only educate you so far and that in general, it has not provided the same quality of education and interaction that one can get from being in person at lectures and hands-on courses,” Haid said.
Dr. Chris Pardee, a general dentist from North Ridgeville, said “The ODA does a great job of finding quality speakers to present the most up-to-date and relevant information. Having a wide array of CE courses to expanding our knowledge base is always a great reason to attend as well.”
For details on Annual Session speakers and courses and a full schedule, visit www.oda.org.
“Dentistry can be a quickly changing profession,” Theil said. “My father, who was also a dentist, always said if you can take at least one ‘nugget’ away from a seminar or convention, it was a worthwhile trip.”
In addition to the in-person CE, registration will include access to 18 hours of online CE at no additional cost.
SHOP THE EXHIBIT HALL
“Another benefit is Exhibit Hall access to see and handle new products and equipment and have real time discussions with vendors,” Theil said. “Again, something the virtual world cannot fully replicate.”
More than 100 companies are expected to be on-site at the ODA Annual Session Exhibit Hall for convenient comparison shopping with valuable information from company representatives.
“In the Exhibit Hall, we divide and conquer,” Haid said. “My hygienists get hands on with new hygiene products and devices that they do not have time to evaluate when seeing patients all day, my assistants look at new technology and products that make us more efficient and my front desk will look at software programs that increase their efficiency in management, and after I look as well, we get together and discuss what items may be beneficial to our office.”
The Exhibit Hall will also feature special events and daily prizes. For more information on the Exhibit Hall, click here and see the September “ODA Today.”
ENJOY MEETING UP WITH COLLEAGUES + ATTENDING SOCIAL EVENTS
“My favorite part of the Annual Session is reconnecting in person with colleagues,” Theil said.
One of many attendees’ favorite parts of attending ODA Annual Session is meeting up with friends and connecting with their team during CE courses, in the Exhibit Hall, at social events or at one of the many bars and restaurants near the convention center.
“I love hanging out with friends and old classmates,” said Dr. Mehrdad Safavian, an Annual Session committee member and general dentist in Columbus. “The invisible CE is the interactions you get with people and experts in their area of dentistry, products and services.”
Annual Session will feature social events where you can connect with your friends, colleagues and staff members from across the state.
“The ODA plans special events that go above and beyond to build our profession,” Pardee said. “New dentists, in particular, have a lot to gain from these events, from basic CE opportunities to finding an associateship. I have personally attended many of these events and enjoyed all of them.”
This year’s special events include:
- The New Dentist Social at Denmark on High on Thursday, Sept. 15.
- Dinner with the Speakers on Thursday, Sept. 15
- Morning Yoga on Friday, Sept. 16.
- MATCH @ ODA Annual Session on Friday, Sept. 16.
- The Callahan Celebration of Excellence Honoring ODA President Dr. Thomas Kelly on Friday, Sept. 16.
- Night at the Columbus Clippers (minor league baseball) for dental students, dental residents and new dentists on Friday, Sept. 16 at beautiful Huntington Park.
- The Bash! featuring casino games, prizes and live music by Kyle Primous & the K-Street Band on Friday Sept. 16.
- Special events in the Exhibit Hall including Cuisine + Colleagues From Around The World, Hops & Shops, and Dark Roast and Donuts.
“The Annual Session provides my colleagues, classmates, mentors and myself an opportunity to share our experiences not only in practice, but in our personal lives,” Pardee said. “This is one of my favorite reasons for attending the Annual Session; the camaraderie provides a fantastic foundation for professional support.”
REGISTER TO ATTEND ODA ANNUAL SESSION
ODA Annual Session provides a great value, close to home. Dental staff members register for $45, and ODA/ADA members register for $125.
Click here to register and for full details.
