The 2020 Annual Session (May 1-4 in Atlanta, Georgia) promises to be uniquely interesting, maintaining the meeting’s traditional world-class quality while introducing new speakers and new elements from the lecture halls to the Exhibit Hall and everywhere in between.

 Register now for the 2020 Annual Session. 

Speakers New to Annual Session to Join Traditional Favorites on the Program

The 2020 Planning Committee is led by AAO President Dr. Gary Inman and Annual Session General Chair Dr. DeWayne McCamish.

“We used a strategic approach that worked very well for broadening our base of lecturers to include a larger proportion of women and first-time speakers, so we can look forward to seeing many new faces at the podium in the lecture halls,” says Dr. Inman. “The AAO is committed to researching and identifying ways that women may be better-served as association members. Ensuring that qualified women from throughout the world are included on Annual Session programs is essential because we want all attendees to feel that it is their meeting.”*

“The Doctors Program in 2020 will feature 51 female speakers from around the world, with very high-level expertise on a variety of topics,” says Dr. McCamish. “Women make up 37 percent of our total Doctors Program speakers. In addition, over 50 percent of all speakers will be making presentations at the AAO Annual Session for the very first time.

“Our driving goal as we developed the lecture programs was to reflect the concept, ‘Perfect Vision for Orthodontics’ by incorporating state-of-the-art perspectives on every topic critical to the evolution of the specialty today and looking ahead to coming years,” adds Dr. McCamish. “We are determined to make this Annual Session one of the very best member benefits as we bring everyone together in Atlanta for the first time since 1982.”

* 28 percent of all AAO members are women.

Speakers Worldwide Search Process Sought New Lecturers


Annual Session Planning Committee members who focused on the Doctors Scientific Program were Dr. Jim Vaden, Dr. Greg Inman and Dr. Thomas Baldwin. They tapped many sources to fill the lecture slots in each category.

“We began with contacts all over the world,” says Dr. Vaden. “We asked them if they could recommend potential speakers, particularly women, with strong expertise in our preferred topics, interesting clinical or research perspectives and strong English skills. These contacts referred many individuals to us.”

In the United States, the Planning Committee asked leaders of orthodontic programs to refer potential speakers who are rising stars in the academic world, but who may have had limited speaking engagements thus far.

Lectures to Offer Cutting-Edge Information on Aligners, Mixed Dentition Treatment and More


Among high-interest treatment-related topics, Dr. Vaden notes the mix of speakers in the Aligner Therapy series.

“We have Dr. Maz Moshiri, who has become a widely regarded lecturer on this topic,” he says.  Also among the speakers in the Aligner Therapy series will be Dr. William Dayan, addressing the biomechanics of aligner orthodontics in solving malocclusions in the lecture, “Level, Align and Fall Together, a Pardigm Shift in Aligner Orthodontics.”

“We think the Mixed Dentition series is also very interesting,” says Dr. Vaden. “The series will include Dr. Shannon Owens on ‘Management of Impacted Central Incisors – Easy as 1, 2, 3?’ In addition, the series will include Dr. Silvia Allegrini speaking on ‘The Clinical Side of Two-Phase Treatments.’ And we will also have the one and only Dr. Jim McNamara who will address, ‘Orthodontic and Orthopedic Treatment in the Early Mixed Dentition: A 40-year Perspective.’”

The Interdisciplinary lecture series will offer speakers from five countries addressing challenges of interdisciplinary treatment of both children and adults:

Dr. Ivo Marek of the Czech Republic (“Central Incisor Ankylosis in Children: Extraction, Distraction or Autotransplantation”);
Dr. Liwia Minch of Poland (“Interdisciplinary Treatment: Fashion or a Must?”);
Dr. Elie Amm of Lebanon (“Solving the Catch-22 of the Agenesis 12-2”);
Dr. Jonathan Sandler of the United Kingdom (”The Chesterfield Mesialiser”);
Dr. Ruangrat Komoplis of Thailand (“Restorative Space Management with Clear Aligners”).

Dr. Minch did an excellent job at the 2017 Annual Session, where she presented ‘Soft Tissue Management and Orthodontic Treatment,’ so we asked her to expand on the information that she presented,” says Dr. Vaden. “Dr. Amm will present an overview of how the interdisciplinary team works in the context of a cutting-edge treatment approach. He has a prospective clinical study of canine substitution supported by temporary anchorage device (TAD) as a treatment for skeletal Class I or Class III patients with maxillary lateral incisor agenesis (MLIA).

“State-of-the-art perspectives will also be present in the Treatment Planning series, which has a mix of academics and clinicians speaking,” adds Dr. Vaden. “For example, Dr. He-Kyong Kang of the University of Detroit-Mercy will present ‘Treatment Planning for Class II Correction,’ a report on a retrospective study that evaluated dental, skeletal, and facial changes resulting from the use of different Class II corrections and treatment plans. Dr. Rosalia Maria Leonardi of Italy will present ‘Digital Technology and 3D Imaging in Orthodontics: Where We Are and Future Perspectives.’”

Technology Series Brings Together Top Expert Presenters

“Other sources that referred potential speakers to us included Drs. Inman and McCamish, who have traveled widely and heard many interesting lecturers,” says Dr. Vaden. “In addition, we had input from the Council on Orthodontic Practice (COOP), and from the Committee on Technology (C-TECH). Members of C-TECH shared their knowledge of speakers with very cutting-edge information on tech topics of interest within the specialty and we have several of those speakers on the program.”

Among the Technology series speakers will be:

Dr. Ching Chang Ko, recently appointed Chair of the Division of Orthodontics at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry (“Optimizing Treatment Outcomes with Integrated Systems: Current Controversy and Future Direction”);
Dr. William Scarfe (“Revolutionary Advances in CBCT for 3D Diagnostics in Orthodontics”);
Dr. Mohamed Bazina (“3D Superimposition for Everyday Practice”).

Full-Day Lecture Series Will Examine Orthodontic Career Management

With a large variety of practice modalities for orthodontic practice today, the young orthodontist has more options than ever – but also may feel intense pressure to make the right career choices to ensure future success, manage student debt and find satisfaction in the practice experience.

On Saturday, May 2, the 2020 Annual Session Doctors Program will feature a full day of lectures in the section entitled Our Specialty for Young and Old. Lectures are open to all attendees but emphasize the concerns of orthodontic residents and younger orthodontists.

“The series features several young lecturers who will share their journeys – how they made decisions and found the practice setting that was right for them,” says Dr. Vaden. Among the lecturers will be:

Dr. Rebekah Goforth (“Perspective on Being a New Associate Orthodontist”);
Dr. Lina Sharab (“Top Three Qualities for a Successful and Happy Career Path”).

Dr. Neal Kravitz will kick off the series with a longer-term perspective, his topic is ‘What I Wish I Knew Sooner,’ adds Dr. Vaden. “The series will also feature Drs. Bruce Haskell and Thomas Keefe who will deliver a joint lecture: ‘Surviving Orthodontic Graduate Debt: Making Correct Career Choices to Manage Debt Re-payment Reduction or Forgiveness.’ In addition, in separate lectures Mr. Chris Bentson and Dr. Terry Sellke will discuss economic issues and trends impacting the specialty.

“I really recommend this series for all residents and for younger orthodontists who are grappling with career path issues,” says Dr. Vaden.

View the complete, updated Annual Session lecture schedule.