Local Orlando Speaker and Dentist, Dr. ArNelle Wright, to Offer Opening Remarks
Dental Olympics is back for a second year at SmileCon® 2023. Students from dental schools in Florida and Puerto Rico will go head-to-head in a series of competitive events, which will take place on Oct. 6 and 7 during SmileCon in Orlando, Fla. at the Orange County Convention Center.
Opening this year’s Dental Olympics will be Dr. ArNelle Wright, an Orlando dentist, speaker and co-host of the American Dental Association’s Dental Sound Bites podcast. The Dental Olympics are sponsored by Pacific Dental Services (PDS).
“I’m excited that Pacific Dental Services is once again sponsoring the Dental Olympics at SmileCon this year,” said Gary Pickard, senior director of government & industry affairs for PDS. “It is an honor to support this incredible new concept, and I look forward to seeing it continue to grow, getting bigger every year with more dental schools and students participating. As they are the future of our industry, we need them to feel welcome and be engaged as soon and as much as possible.”
This year, teams from the University of Florida College of Dentistry, LECOM School of Dental Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, and University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine will take part in several competitive events that will test their skills and put their knowledge to the test. Students will participate in a Social Media Competition and face off in dental trivia and other challenges throughout the two-day event. The winning team will be announced on the last day of SmileCon on Oct. 7.
“Our first-ever Dental Olympics brought a lot of fun to SmileCon last year, and we’re excited to continue this tradition in Orlando,” said Dr. George R. Shepley, 2022-2023 president of the ADA. “We welcome these young, aspiring dentists from across the U.S. into our community to foster comradery with their peers and inspire them as they get a chance to connect with industry professionals all while enjoying a little friendly competition during the events.”
Located in Dental Central South Hall A and B, the four teams will participate in events at the ADA Hub and around Dental Central. Attendees are welcome to cheer on their favorite teams and enjoy the competition with provided refreshments.
SmileCon’s Dental Olympics 2023 will adhere to the following schedule of events:
● Day 1: Friday, Oct. 6, from 2-3:30 p.m. at the ADA Hub, includes the kickoff of the Social Media Competition, which runs from Friday afternoon to Saturday at noon and invites students to post from specific areas at SmileCon and around Orlando. Also on Friday is the first round of Dental Trivia, pitting LECOM against the University of Florida and Nova Southeastern against the University of Puerto Rico.
● Day 2: Saturday, Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. at the Dental Team Hub and ADA Hub, includes a variety of other challenges as well as the Dental Trivia Finals, featuring the winners from Day One’s events. The overall winners of this year’s Dental Olympics will be announced during the Dental Central Closing Party, from 1-2:30 p.m. in the ADA Hub.
