Registration opens for 2026 Dental Testing & Regulatory Summit

Registration is now open for the 2026 Dental Testing & Regulatory Summit and Educators Conference, a five-day gathering in National Harbor, Md., that will bring together dental regulators, educators and examiners Oct. 14-18, 2026. The event adds new hands-on programming for dental hygiene educators and continues a charitable donation tradition tied to host cities.

Why it matters: - The Summit brings together state regulators, program directors, faculty leaders and examiners to shape dental licensure policy, examination standards and education practices. - The event is one of the few national forums where regulators and educators work side-by-side on licensure issues. - The 2026 Educators Conference adds a hands-on dental hygiene session that lets faculty experience the ADEX exam and SimProDH typodont scaling. - Educators can earn up to 4.5 CE credits in clinical dentistry and exam preparedness.

What happened: - Registration opened for the 2026 Dental Testing & Regulatory Summit and Educators Conference. - The five-day event runs Oct. 14-18, 2026, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. - ADEX, the American Association of Dental Boards and the American Association of Dental Administrators are hosting the summit. - The summit is focused on the future of dental licensure.

The details: - The program will include focused sessions on licensure policy, examination standards and dental education. - Stephanie Beeler, director of communications, board affairs and events at ADEX, said the summit’s connections between boards, educators and examiners drive progress. - Beeler said the 2026 gathering includes new hands-on sessions for dental hygiene educators and expanded programming on licensure and examination standards. - Registration is available at the event website.

Between the lines: - The summit appears designed to do two things at once: influence policy and give educators practical exposure to testing methods. - The added hands-on hygiene session suggests ADEX and its partners want more direct educator familiarity with exam expectations. - The conference also leans on community giving to reinforce its public-service message, not just its professional agenda.

What's next: - Organizers will use the October summit to advance discussion on licensure and testing standards. - Donations collected during registration will support Mission of Mercy Maryland/Pennsylvania’s Mobile Dental Clinic. - The charitable partner serves six communities in Maryland and has expanded to include veterans through two new community partnerships. - Mission of Mercy MD/PA has provided free healthcare to nearly 50,000 patients since 1994, with more than 221,100 visits and over 440,900 medications dispensed. - The summit’s fundraising effort follows more than $50,000 raised for host-city charities since 2024, including Mission of Mercy Texas in 2025 and Kosair for Kids in 2024.

The bottom line: - The 2026 summit is positioning itself as both a policy forum and a practical training event for the dental licensure ecosystem.