ADA Holds Third Annual Dental Olympics at SmileCon® 2024

CHICAGO, October 17, 2024 — Dental Olympics is back for its third year at SmileCon® 2024. Students from dental schools in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma will go head-to-head in a series of competitive events, which will take place on Oct. 18 and 19 during SmileCon in New Orleans, La., at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Opening this year’s Dental Olympics will be Camryn Bryant, D.D.S., a dentist from Hot Springs Village, Ark. The Dental Olympics are sponsored by Pacific Dental Services (PDS).

“Continuing onto our third year of Dental Olympics, this competition has been an exciting addition to the fun of SmileCon for both our member attendees and students involved,” said Linda J. Edgar, D.D.S., 2023-2024 president of the ADA. “These students embody the future of our industry, and their passion for the profession is inspiring as we witness their growth throughout this rewarding experience. Dental Olympics has shown to not only empower the students, but also our current member dentists, helping to affirm confidence that the future of dentistry is in capable hands.”

This year, teams from Louisiana State University, University of Alabama, University of Mississippi and the University of Oklahoma will take part in several competitive events that will test their skills and put their dentistry knowledge to the test. Students will face off in dental trivia and other competitive challenges throughout the two-day event. The winning team will be announced on the last day of SmileCon on Oct. 19.

Located in Dental Central, the four teams will participate in events at the ADA Hub, around Dental Central and at The Sugar Mill during the Bouncin’ Bayou Fest. Attendees are welcome to cheer on their favorite teams and enjoy the friendly competition.

SmileCon’s Dental Olympics 2024 will adhere to the following schedule of events:

• Day 1: Friday, Oct. 18, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. at the ADA Hub, includes the first round of Dental Trivia, pitting Louisiana State University against the University of Alabama followed by the University of Oklahoma competing against the University of Mississippi. Friday will also feature other events during Bouncin’ at the Bayou Fest.
• Day 2: Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10-10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. at the ADA Hub, includes a surprise competition and the Dental Trivia Finals. The overall winners of this year’s Dental Olympics will be announced during the Awards Celebration from 1:30-1:45 p.m. at the ADA Hub.

“Pacific Dental Services is truly honored to support Dental Olympics at SmileCon for the third year in a row,” said Gary Pickard, senior director of government & industry affairs for PDS. “This event demonstrates the warmth and camaraderie of the dental community, welcoming the new generation of dentists into the fold as the future of our beloved industry.”

For additional information about this year’s Dental Olympics, contact mediarelations@ada.org.

Editor’s Note: Reporters are invited to follow the ADA on “X” @AmerDentalAssn and #ADASmileCon for updates from SmileCon.

About the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing 159,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance has long been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), published monthly, is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA's consumer website MouthHealthy.org.

The ADA Forsyth Institute was founded in 1910 as the Forsyth Dental Infirmary for Children (later, the Forsyth Institute), to provide dental care to the disadvantaged children of Boston. While continuing to serve children in need, yet recognizing the ultimate goal is to prevent dental disease, the Institute in 1915 began to focus on scientific research and is today the world’s leader in oral health research. In October of 2023, the Institute joined with the American Dental Association to form the ADA Forsyth Institute, a 501(c)(3) entity dedicated to improving people’s oral and overall health and powering the profession of dentistry through cutting-edge basic research, creative translational science, innovative clinical technologies, and global public health outreach. Consistent with the Institute’s founding mission, the ADA ForsythKids mobile dental program continues to serve children in need.