2026 ADEA Fall Meetings - Elevating Vision, Navigating Uncertainty: Preparing a Future-ready Oral Health Workforce

The 2026 ADEA Fall Meetings will bring together oral health education leaders, faculty, staff, administrators, students, residents, fellows, and partners to explore the future of oral health education. The conference will address challenges such as rising overhead and educational costs, access to affordable health care, rapid technological change, evolving accreditation requirements, social determinants of health, increasing regulatory burdens, workforce shortages, geopolitical vulnerabilities, economic and market volatility, and shifting sociocultural dynamics. It aims to foster innovation and equip graduates to meet the healthcare needs of all communities, with a focus on future-based thinking and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in curriculum design and student assessment. Participants will analyze major trends and uncertainties, evaluate plausible future scenarios, and design future-informed actions for an inclusive, resilient oral health workforce.