The 106th Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting attracted 19,679 dentists, hygienists, assistants, students and other dental professionals and industry personnel to the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The theme, “Experience Hinman: Invest in Your Future,” emphasized the importance of continuing dental education for everyone, from Millennials just starting out to seasoned professionals looking to revitalize their practice.
Dr. Patrick Yancey, III, Hinman’s 2018 General Chairman, along with his program chairs, Dr. Max Ferguson and Dr. Brad Greenway, assembled an educational program that featured more than 80 world-class dental speakers, with 31 new to Hinman, and nearly 300 courses and special events, including 67 participation and interactive courses. The program also included the G.O.L.D. (Graduates of the Last Decade) Program; Learning Lab Co-Op; Total Health Pavilion; Career Connections; New Free Advice Booths; and nearly 400 companies demonstrating the latest in dentistry.
“We are so proud to have hosted nearly 20,000 attendees this year, especially given there were so many options to obtain CE in Georgia this past year,” said Dr. Yancey. “It was also extremely encouraging to see so many students, as well as young dentists and dental professionals, taking advantage of everything Hinman has to offer. They are the future of our profession and we were thrilled to see so many of them in the classrooms, on the exhibit floor and at our signature social events.”
The Keynote Session was well attended with more than 1,500 people turning out to hear Dr. Bennett Omalu, the world-renowned forensic pathologist, share his story, which is chronicled in the hit film, Concussion (starring Will Smith). Hinman’s Night Out at the Georgia Aquarium on Friday night hosted nearly 2,400 dental professionals and guests.
Hinman 2018 drew a total of 5,271 dentists, 4,196 dental hygienists and 2,648 dental assistants. The meeting saw an increase in dental hygienists, laboratory technicians, students and exhibitors over last year, which is a testament to the strong program.
Some of the most popular courses included: Dr. Harold Crossley’s “Marijuana’s Coming to Town: Will You Be Ready?” drawing 1,471 attendees, and Dr. John Svirsky’s “Great Cases with New Faces,” which attracted 1,040 people. Also popular were Dr. Robert Fazio’s “Medicine, Dentistry and Drugs,” that drew 999 in attendance; Ms. Diane Millar’s “State of the Art Hygiene: A Virtual Reality Trip Through Cutting-Edge Scaling Techniques,” attracting 879 attendees; and Dr. Richard Young’s “Tooth Preserving Dentistry, a 33-Year Perspective,” filling the room with 864 attendees. In addition, Prevention Convention drew 661 attendees to the all-day program on Thursday.
Dental student attendance was significant with a total of 768 students from schools across the country. In addition, 190 pre-dental students, 445 hygiene students and 732 assisting students attended Hinman this year to take advantage of various programs. Many took part in the G.O.L.D. Program, Dental Student Happy Hour and Scholars’ Luncheon. At the Scholars’ Luncheon held during the meeting, Hinman awarded 90 scholarships at 47 premiere dental programs throughout the Southeast. Over the past 17 years, the Hinman Dental Society has contributed nearly $9 million, with $500,000 this year alone, in scholarships and large gifts in support of dental education.
The Hinman Tradition
The Hinman Dental Meeting is designed with a commitment to quality and professionalism and a high regard for the value of continuing education. The meeting is sponsored by the Hinman Dental Society, a non-profit organization, and all excess revenue is invested and gifted in the form of individual scholarships to dental, hygiene, assisting and lab tech students and contributions to institutions that foster dental education. For additional information about the Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting, visit www.hinman.org or contact Ms. Sylvia Ratchford, Executive Director, at (404) 231-1663.
