AADOM Annual Conference 2026: The Dental Office Manager's Must-Attend Event

The AADOM Annual Conference is the one national event built specifically for dental office managers and practice administrators — not as an afterthought to a clinical meeting, but as the primary audience. The 2026 conference takes place September 3-5, 2026 at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando in Orlando, Florida. Organized by the American Association of Dental Office Management (AADOM), it brings together the people who run dental practices for several days of management education, leadership development, and peer connection. With the conference still ahead, now is the time for office managers to make the case to their practice owner and secure a spot.

AADOM Annual Conference 2026 At a Glance

Dates	September 3-5, 2026 (Thursday–Saturday)
Location	Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando, Orlando, FL
Keynote	Meridith Elliott Powell
Focus	Dental practice management, operations, leadership, and technology
Registration	Register via aadomconference.com
Website	aadomconference.com
Organized by	American Association of Dental Office Management (AADOM)

What Makes the AADOM Annual Conference Unique

Most dental conferences are designed around clinicians, with practice management squeezed into a side track. The AADOM Annual Conference inverts that completely: dental office managers, practice administrators, and business-side team members are the entire audience. Every session, every keynote, and every networking moment is built for the person responsible for the operations, finances, scheduling, hiring, and patient experience of a dental practice.

AADOM is the nation's largest educational and networking association dedicated to dental practice management professionals, and the Annual Conference is its flagship event. It is also where the AADOM community comes together in person — including recognition of members advancing through the association's professional designations. For an office manager, walking the conference means being surrounded by hundreds of peers who do the same job, face the same staffing and insurance and scheduling challenges, and can compare what is actually working in their practices.

AADOM Annual Conference 2026 Schedule

The conference runs three days, Thursday through Saturday:

• Thursday, September 3 — Opening day. Registration, the opening keynote, and the first education sessions set the tone; early arrival means time to settle into the resort before the program ramps up.
• Friday, September 4 — The fullest day of programming — breakout sessions, the exhibit area at its busiest, and community recognition events.
• Saturday, September 5 — Closing sessions and final networking before departure.

Because AADOM is as much a peer community as a CE event, leave room for the unstructured conversations between sessions — comparing notes with managers from other practices is often the most valuable part. The live agenda is published at aadomconference.com.

Education & CE Credits

The 2026 program is led by keynote speaker Meridith Elliott Powell alongside a lineup of top educators and industry leaders in dental practice management. Sessions are built around the realities of running a modern dental office, with content typically spanning:

• AI and front desk automation — AI phone agents, automated scheduling, and reducing the administrative load on the front office
• Revenue cycle and insurance — verification, claims management, collections, and lowering accounts receivable
• Staff recruitment and retention — practice culture, compensation, onboarding, and career development amid the dental staffing shortage
• Leadership and team management — coaching, accountability, and communication for office managers leading clinical and administrative teams
• Multi-location and DSO operations — systems and technology for scaling group practices

AADOM offers continuing-education credit toward its professional designations, and conference attendance contributes to a member's path through the association's recognition programs for dental practice management professionals. Specific CE credit amounts and approved sessions for 2026 are published on the official conference site; attendees should confirm details at aadomconference.com.

Exhibit Hall

The AADOM Annual Conference includes an exhibit area where dental practice management vendors connect directly with the office managers who evaluate and recommend the tools their practices buy. For administrators, it is a rare chance to compare the systems that shape daily operations side by side, including:

• Practice management software and AI-powered front-office tools
• AI receptionist and automated scheduling platforms
• Insurance verification, billing, and revenue cycle services
• Patient communication, recall, and engagement platforms
• HR, payroll, hiring, and team-training solutions
• Financial, lending, and practice services

Because office managers are the primary audience, the exhibit conversations tend to be practical and operations-focused — vendors are talking to the actual decision-influencers, not just walking a clinical trade-show floor.

Practical Details

• Venue: Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando, Orlando, FL — a resort hotel that hosts the conference and the room block under one roof
• Travel: Orlando International Airport (MCO) is the nearest major airport, roughly 20-25 minutes from the Universal Orlando resort area
• Hotels: AADOM arranges a discounted room block at the host resort — booking within the block is the most convenient option; check aadomconference.com for current rates and the block deadline
• Schedule: The conference runs Thursday through Saturday, September 3-5, 2026, with education sessions, keynotes, an exhibit area, recognition events, and networking activities; contact AADOM at meetings@dentalmanagers.com or 732-842-9977 with logistics questions

Who Should Attend

The AADOM Annual Conference is built for the business side of the dental practice: dental office managers, practice administrators, treatment coordinators, scheduling and front-desk leads, insurance and billing coordinators, and financial coordinators. It is equally valuable for practice owners and dentists who want to invest in their administrative team — sending an office manager to AADOM is one of the clearest ways to strengthen the operations of a practice. New managers find a roadmap and a peer network; experienced administrators find advanced leadership content and the AADOM community.

While You're at the AADOM Annual Conference, Who's Answering Your Phones?

Here is the irony of an office manager attending a conference: the person who normally makes sure every call is answered is now the one out of the office. Three days in Orlando means three days when the front desk is short its most experienced operator. And the phone does not stop — patients call to schedule, reschedule, ask about insurance, and book new-patient visits regardless of who is in the building. Dental practices miss 30-38% of inbound calls even on a fully staffed day; with the office manager away, that number climbs.

This is exactly the problem an office manager is positioned to solve before leaving for the conference. An AI receptionist answers every call 24/7, books appointments directly into your PMS (Dentrix, EagleSoft, OpenDental), answers routine patient questions, and sends the front desk a summary of every call. It does not replace your team — it covers the gaps, including the days your team is at AADOM learning how to run the practice even better. For the manager who owns the practice's phone performance, it is the cleanest way to attend the conference without losing a single bookable call.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does AADOM Annual Conference 2026 registration cost?

Registration fees vary by registration type and timing, and AADOM members typically receive discounted pricing over non-members. For current 2026 rates, registration deadlines, and group options, visit the official conference site at aadomconference.com or contact AADOM at meetings@dentalmanagers.com or 732-842-9977.

Is the AADOM Annual Conference only for office managers?

The conference is designed for dental office managers and practice administrators as the primary audience, but it is also highly valuable for treatment coordinators, billing and insurance coordinators, front-desk leads, and practice owners who want to develop their administrative team. The common thread is responsibility for the business side of a dental practice rather than clinical care.

Can I earn CE credit at the AADOM Annual Conference?

Yes — conference education contributes toward AADOM's continuing-education and professional designation programs for dental practice management professionals. Specific credit amounts and approved sessions for 2026 are published on the official conference site, so confirm the details at aadomconference.com when planning your schedule.

What AI and technology topics are covered at the AADOM Annual Conference 2026?

The program addresses AI front desk automation, automated scheduling, revenue cycle and insurance technology, and the practice management software office managers use every day. The exhibit area features AI receptionist platforms, patient communication tools, and operations software — making the conference a practical place for managers to evaluate the technology that reduces front-office workload.

When and where is the AADOM Annual Conference 2026?

The 2026 AADOM Annual Conference runs Thursday, September 3 through Saturday, September 5, 2026, at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando in Orlando, FL.

How does an office manager keep the front desk covered while at AADOM?

The cleanest option is to set up an AI receptionist before leaving. It answers every call 24/7, books appointments directly into the PMS, and handles routine patient questions for the three days the manager is in Orlando — so no bookable call is lost while the practice's most experienced front-office operator is away. It covers the gap rather than replacing the team, and most practices can have it running within days.