2026-2027 Program

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• Northwest Dental Exposition (NWDE) 2026

  • When
    September 11, 2026
  •  
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Location
    Edmonton Convention Centre
  • Spaces left
    1300

  
  

  When: 8:00am - 4:00pm September 11, 2026

  Where: Edmonton Convention Centre

  Assembly level: Registration and Exhibit Hall

  Meeting level: Scientific Sessions Salons 9 - 12

  What: A conference-style event with multiple exhibitors and lectures running simultaneously

  Who: We expect about 1100 attendees

  A mixture of dentists, dental hygienists, assistants, receptionists, technicians, and other members of the dental team

  Exhibit Hall Map and List of Exhibitors: http://nwde2026.expofp.com/
  
  

  Schedule

  Salon 11 | 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

  Early Bird Lecture - Tooth–Implant Collisions: Navigating the Evidence for Safe Placement
  Speaker: Dr. Catherine Kucey

  
  

  Salon 9 | 9:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

  Beyond the Scaler: Advancing Periodontal Therapy with Adjunctive Innovation
  Speaker: Chrissy Ford

  Salon 9 | 1:15 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

  Beyond the Polish: Guided Biofilm Therapy as the New Standard of Care
  Fundamental Principles of the 2018 American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) of Classification of Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases and Conditions. 
  Speaker: Penny Hatzimanolakis

   

  Salon 10 | 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

  Digital Dentistry: How Technology is Transforming Dental Practices
  Speaker: Michelle Ryan

  Salon 10 | 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

  Identifying Red Flags Associated with Systemic Diseases
  Speaker: Kerry Lepicek

  Salon 10 | 1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.

  Fillings, Feelings and Friction: Managing Conflict in the Dental Office 
  Speaker: Kelly-Dawn Aulenbach & Annika Nordhagen

  Salon 10 | 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

  Temp Staff & CRA Compliance: What You Need to Know
  Speaker: Amir Reshef

   

  Salon 11 | 9:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

  Understanding the Public Dental Programs and Coordination of Benefits
  Speakers: Tabitha Skolski (Alberta Dental Association) & Seema Virji (Alberta Blue Cross)

  Salon 11 | 1:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

  The Intelligent Dental Practice - How AI is Transforming Patient Care, Clinical Decision-Making & Practice Growth
  Speaker: Dr. Amreesh Khanna

  
  

  Salon 12 | 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

  Exquisite Care, Exponential Growth: Elevating the Patient Experience to Drive Practice Success
  Speaker: Stephanie Richardson

  Salon 12 | 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

  Are My Patients Actually Healthy? Or Are We Just Busy? Using Your Philosophy of Care to Drive Strategy, Metrics, and Growth
  Speaker: Brittany Encina

  Salon 12 | 1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.

  Negotiating Commercial Leases & Renewals for Dummies
  Speaker: Jeff Granfield

  Salon 12 | 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

  Corporate Legacy or Private Sale? Understanding Your Dental Practice Transition Options
  Speaker: Darren Shanahan

  
  
  

  President's Message 

  I am honored to serve as president of the Edmonton and District Dental Society (EDDS) for the upcoming season's program and events, beginning with the NWDE on September 11, 2026.  Under the leadership of chairperson Dr. Kaylie La, the NWDE Committee continues to make this annual event one of the largest single-day dental events and trade shows in Western Canada.

  Please visit our website at www.eddsonline.com to learn more about the EDDS and all our other events and programs this season.  Our upcoming scientific sessions include international lecturers and a variety of topics.

  The EDDS and its events would not be possible without the support of our partners and sponsors, exhibitors and vendors, members and volunteers. Thank you. We look forward to hosting and sharing with you.

  Dr. Leon Yu

  EDDS President

   

  NWDE Chair's Message

  Welcome to the 2026 Northwest Dental Exposition (NWDE)! Whether you are joining us to discover the latest innovations, strengthen your clinical knowledge, reconnect with colleagues, or build new relationships, we are delighted that you are here. 

  This year’s theme, SPARK, represents the moments that inspire progress. A spark is where every new idea begins, whether it comes from a conversation with a colleague, a lecture that challenges your thinking, a new technology on the exhibit floor, or a fresh perspective that changes the way you care for your patients or team. While a spark may be small, it has the power to ignite meaningful change. 

  Dentistry continues to evolve at an incredible pace. As dental professionals, we are lifelong learners, constantly seeking better ways to serve our patients and support one another. The NWDE provides a unique opportunity to step away from the demands of daily practice and immerse yourself in an environment designed to inspire curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. 

  Throughout the day, I encourage you to make the most of everything the expo has to offer. Attend lectures that challenge your thinking, explore the exhibit hall to discover new technologies and products, connect with peers, ask questions, and exchange ideas. You never know which conversation, demonstration, or presentation will provide the spark that shapes your practice or career. 

  This event would not be possible without the dedication of our speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers, and the Edmonton & District Dental Society team. Your generosity, expertise, and commitment are invaluable. 

  Thank you for being part of the NWDE 2026. I hope you leave with renewed energy, valuable knowledge, meaningful connections, and the spark to continue growing.

  Welcome to the NWDE 2026 and enjoy the expo! 

  
  Dr. Kaylie La

  Chair, NWDE 2026

  
  

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• Dr. Pommy Hallen - Endodontics A–Z: Predictable Molar Endodontics

  • When
    November 06, 2026
  •  
    8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    Edmonton Convention Centre
  • Spaces left
    300

  Dr. Pommy Hallen

  Lecture Synopsis

  This course is designed to help clinicians make molar endodontic treatment more predictable, efficient, and clinically manageable. Common barriers to success: particularly access, orifice location, and instrumentation will be addressed through a structured, step-by-step workflow.

  Participants will develop a consistent and reproducible approach to achieving patency and glidepath formation in all canal systems, including calcified and anatomically complex canals, with a strong emphasis on clinical efficiency and predictability.

  Recent advances in endodontic technology, materials, and instrumentation will be integrated into a practical workflow that can be immediately applied in daily practice.

  The program combines self-paced online learning, lecture-based case discussion, and hands-on training using extracted teeth.

  LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  Participants will learn how to:

  • Develop a predictable approach to molar access and orifice location
  • Locate MB2 canals with greater confidence and consistency
  • Establish and maintain patency and glidepath in complex canals
  • Apply Reciproc Blue rotary instrumentation efficiently and safely
  • Implement effective irrigation and obturation protocols
  • Manage common endodontic emergencies in clinical practice
  • Integrate modern endodontic workflows into daily practice

  COURSE FORMAT

  Online Pre-Course (Self-Paced)

  • Video lectures and clinical modules (Moodle access)
  • Armamentarium and reference handouts
  • Access and orifice location materials
  • Pre-course extracted tooth access preparation

  Friday, November 6 – Lecture Series

  • Diagnosis and case selection
  • Access and orifice location strategies
  • MB2 identification
  • Patency and glidepath concepts
  • Rotary instrumentation (Reciproc Blue)
  • Irrigation and obturation
  • Endodontic emergencies and office workflow
  • Complex “Beauty and the Beast” cases
  • Interactive Q&A

  Biography

  Dr. Hallen is a graduate of the UBC School of Dentistry (2002) and completed his Certificate in Advanced Endodontics at the University of Southern California. He maintains specialty endodontic practices in Maple Ridge, South Surrey, and North Surrey, British Columbia.

  He is a founding member of the BC Endo Solutions Study Club, a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada, and a member of both the British Columbia Society of Endodontists and the American Association of Endodontists.

  Dr. Hallen has lectured extensively across North America and is known for delivering highly practical, clinically relevant endodontic education focused on efficiency, predictability, and real-world application.

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• Dr. Todd Schoenbaum - Implant Prosthodontics: aesthetics, complications, innovations, and rescue treatment

  • When
    December 11, 2026
  •  
    8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    Edmonton Convention Centre
  • Spaces left
    300

  Dr. Todd Schoenbaum

  Lecture Synopsis

  This presentation will present the challenges and limitations unique to the treatment of partially edentulous implant patients. Focus will be on clinical techniques for restoration of implants in the aesthetic zone, complications in the restoration of implants with fixed options, and a case series of rescue treatment 

  in compromised implant scenarios. Clinically relevant scientific information will be integrated into the discussion for decision making and techniques.

  Topics to be covered:

  •      How to enhance the outcome and maximize predictability of implants in the aesthetic zone.

  •      Protocols and techniques to reduce the incidence of prosthetic implant complications, and how to correct them when they do occur.

  •      Management of clinical implant complications with a team approach.
  

  Biography

  Todd Schoenbaum is Professor at the Dental College of Georgia where he trains residents and students in implant restorations. He also serves as the Director of Clinical Research for the college.

  He has published over 60 papers, 10 chapters, and two textbooks. He is the recipient of the scientific writing award from the JPD. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Dentistry Review. He has a master’s in clinical research from the UCLA School of Medicine and is a Fellow and Diplomate of the Academy of Osseointegration. Dr. Schoenbaum has been invited to present his clinical and scientific work at conferences worldwide. His clinical practice is limited to fixed implant restorations.

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• Dr. Mark Donaldson - Pharmacology 101 from A to Z: Antibiotics, Analgesics, Cannabinoids, Illicit Drugs, Sedatives & Zopiclone

  • When
    January 22, 2027
  •  
    8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    Edmonton Convention Centre
  • Spaces left
    300

  Dr. Mark Donaldson

  Lecture Synopsis

  This one-day lecture is designed to illustrate how uniting the medical, dental, and pharmaceutical fields ultimately leads to “Better Medicine, Better Dentistry.”

  Wouldn’t it be nice to go to a continuing education program that gives you the tools to be more successful starting on Monday morning? Wouldn’t it be great to be known as the dentist who offers excellent pain-free, post-operative care without the use of narcotics? Wouldn’t you like to be more confident in all of your prescription writing, knowing that you are on the cutting edge, that you are evidence-based and that you are guideline-driven? This is that program.

  In addition to analgesic and antibiotic prescribing, the use of oral benzodiazepines such as triazolam and lorazepam (with or without nitrous oxide) for the diminution of perioperative anxiety and fear in dental patients will also be reviewed. Provincial Colleges have changed or developed new standards outlining the training and equipment needed for in-office anxiolysis and minimal sedation. These topics including the use of inherently safe drugs, the use of pulse oximetry, and the availability of emergency equipment including pharmacologic antagonists will also be discussed.

  Finally, now more than ever, dental professionals are faced with the additional challenge of treating patients’ oral health needs in the face of recently deregulated cannabinoids and potential illicit drug use such that the simple approach to,

  “drilling and filling” has just been cranked up a few more notches. Since substance abuse and dependence affects one in ten Canadians, this means one in ten of your patients – do you know current best practices in keeping you, your Team and your patients safe?

  This interactive program looks at the appropriate prescribing of analgesics, antibiotics and sedatives with a particular focus on the dental realm. The impact of cannabinoids and illicit drugs will also be highlighted and case studies will augment the delivery of key points with a problem-based learning approach so that each participant’s questions are addressed.

  
  

  Biography

  Mark Donaldson received his baccalaureate degree from the University of British Columbia and his Doctorate in Clinical Pharmacy from the University of Washington. He has practiced as a clinical pharmacy specialist, clinical coordinator and director of pharmacy services at many healthcare organizations in both Canada and the United States. He is currently Associate Principal of Clinical Pharmacy for Vizient’s Advisory Solutions, and lives in Whitefish, Montana. Dr. Donaldson is a Clinical Professor at the University of Montana, Clinical Associate Professor at the Oregon Health & Sciences University, and affiliate faculty in Dentistry at UBC. He has lectured internationally to both dental and medical practitioners focusing on dental pharmacology and therapeutics and is a leader in the field.

  Dr. Donaldson has published numerous peer-reviewed worksand textbook chapters. He serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of the American Dental Association and is the 2016 recipient of the Academy of General Dentistry’s Dr. Thaddeus Weclew Award. In 2019 he was conferred by the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) with the “Special Friend of Canadian Dentistry Award.” This award is given to an individual outside of the dental profession in appreciation for exemplary support or service to the profession as a whole. He can be reached via email at: drmarkdonaldson@gmail.com

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• Dr. Taiseer Sulaiman – Pursuit of Excellence: Optimizing Direct and Indirect Restorative Outcome…Material selection and clinical application

  • When
    March 12, 2027
  •  
    8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    Edmonton Convention Centre
  • Spaces left
    300

  Dr. Taiseer Sulaiman DDS, PhD, FICD

  Lecture Synopsis

  The first two phases of any restorative care are treatment planning and clinical execution. The third phase, material selection and clinical application, is often underestimated, resulting in failure to serve our patients. The abundance of restorative dentistry materials, such as dental ceramics, adhesives, composite resins, cements, and provisional material, coupled with the constant release of new materials by manufacturers, can be daunting. When clinicians comprehend the fundamental features and characteristics of each material as well as their precise application, the maximum potential of each material can be achieved, resulting in extraordinary patient care. This course will focus on clinical recommendations and material selection criteria to complement the pursuit of restorative dental excellence.

   

  Learning Objectives:

  1.     Understanding the advancement of adhesive systems, tooth-colored direct restorative materials, and which adhesion technique maximizes bonding to the tooth structure. In addition, understanding the relevance of light-curing and the polymerization process, as well as the role it plays in extending restorative therapy.

  2.     Establish criteria for the selection and use of modern ceramics, including bonding, with a focus on monolithic zirconia, its numerous generations, and how an understanding of ceramic material qualities can lead to successful and long-lasting indirect restorative treatment.

  Biography

  TAY-see-er SU-la-men is a Tenured Professor of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials at the Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned his clinical certificate in Operative Dentistry and his PhD in Prosthetic Dentistry and Biomaterials from the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry and Biomaterial Sciences at the University of Turku in Finland in collaboration with the Department of Restorative Dentistry at UNC. Dr. Sulaiman is a wet-handed clinician and a researcher who is passionate about bridging the gap between dental research and clinical application. Dr. Sulaiman’s research focus is on maximizing the clinical relevance of in vitro testing. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, and book chapters. He is a fellow of the International College of Dentists and a member of many academies, including the prestigious American Academy of Restorative Dentistry and vice president of the Academy of Operative Dentistry. He has presented on numerous national and international stages and serves as a reviewer for many peer-reviewed journals.

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• Dr. Vinay Bhide - Periodontal Potpourri: A No-Holds Barred Approach to Anything and Everything You Want (and Need) to Know!

  • When
    April 23, 2027
  •  
    8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    Edmonton Convention Centre
  • Spaces left
    300

  Dr. Vinay Bhide

  Lecture Synopsis

  This lecture is designed to meet the needs of clinicians who want practical answers and guidance regarding periodontal and implant therapy for their patients. The format of this course will be composed of a series of focused presentations answering clinical questions Dr Bhide gets asked on a daily basis touching on various relevant topics in periodontics and implantology. Topics covered typically include non-surgical vs. surgical periodontal therapy, treating mucogingival deformities around natural teeth and dental implants, regenerative periodontal therapy, periodontal-restorative synergies, peri-implant diseases, and many others. A critical and evidence-based approach will be emphasized. Participants will leave this program with practical pearls of wisdom that can be implemented in their practices immediately.

  Learning objectives:

  Upon completion of this session, attendees should be able to:

  • Identify the core issues of periodontics and surgical implant therapy, including classification and diagnosis, non-surgical vs. surgical therapy, regenerative therapy, and interdisciplinary treatment synergies.

  • Improve case selection and recognition of patients who would benefit from therapies discussed in this presentation.

  Biography

  Dr. Vinay Bhide is a board-certified periodontist who provides the full scope of surgical periodontal and dental implant therapy. Dr. Bhide has a special interest in esthetic and reconstructive periodontics. Dr. Bhide completed his dental and speciality training at the University of Toronto. Dr. Bhide is an Examiner and Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada and Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. In addition to private practice practice, Dr. Bhide is a clinical instructor in the Graduate Periodontology Program at the University of Toronto and he is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Periodontics at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Bhide has lectured nationally and internationally and published on various topics related to periodontics and implantology.

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