The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) 2019 Annual Session will take place May 3 to 7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, with an expected attendance of 16,000, including more than 4,400 international attendees representing 96 countries.

The event, which includes 5 days of learning, discussion, study, and collaboration for orthodontists and their staffs, will feature more than 240 lectures from the world’s leading orthodontic clinicians, researchers, and experts in practice management. Among the lectures offered are the AAO’s Named Lectures on Saturday, May 4. These include:

  • The Jacob A. Salzmann Lecture, presented by Hugo de Clerck, DDS, PhD, of Brussels, Belgium, and titled “Miniplate Skeletal Anchorage: An Update and New Perspectives.”
  • The Edward H. Angle Lecture, presented by Peter Buschang, PhD, of Dallas, Tex, and titled “Thirty Years of Achievements: Our Proudest Moments.”
  • The John Valentine Mershon Lecture, presented by Greg Huang, DMD, MSD, MPH, of Seattle, Washington, and titled “Results from the National Dental Practice Based Research Networks (PBRN) Adult Anterior Openbite Study.”

“The 2019 AAO Annual Session is an incomparable opportunity to gain knowledge and insights into emerging treatment topics that will benefit orthodontists at all stages of their careers,” said Brent Larson, DDS, MS, president of the AAO.

For those who cannot attend the Annual Session in person, the AAO will offer livestreaming of four half-day lectures on Saturday and Sunday, May 4 and 5, through which viewers can earn up to 12 hours of CE. Topics will include sleep apnea, pre-adolescent treatment, and evidence/advances.

Meanwhile, the AAO Annual Session Exhibit Hall will feature more than 350 exhibitors, filling nearly 125,000 sq ft of space. The Exhibit Hall will be open Saturday, May 4, through Tuesday, May 7, and showcase products and services essential to a contemporary orthodontic practice.

Special events offered exclusively to 2019 AAO Annual Session attendees include a performance by the World Classic Rockers at the May 4 Opening Ceremonies, and two May 5 events, a keynote speech by renowned filmmaker Ron Howard at the Excellence in Orthodontics Luncheon and Awards Ceremony, and that evening’s AAO Celebration featuring Tom Thumb & the Hitchhikers, a rock band comprised of orthodontists.

On Sunday, May 5, a number of individuals and their accomplishments will be celebrated at the Excellence in Orthodontics Awards Ceremony and Luncheon. Those recognized will include:

  • Jaime de Jesús-Viñas, DMD, MS, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, will receive the 2019 James E. Brophy AAO Distinguished Service Award. It is presented to those who have made contributions to orthodontics in addition to other valuable and devoted services to the AAO and to its membership.
  • Peter Buschang, PhD, of Dallas, will be presented the Lifetime Achievement Award in Orthodontic Research, which recognizes significant contributions to the science related to the specialty of orthodontics over the course of the recipient’s lifetime.
  • J. Moody Alexander, DDS, MS, of Arlington, Tex, will receive the AAO 2019 Humanitarian Award. The award recognizes significant contributions to improve the quality of human life that extends beyond the usual scope of private practice, academic functions or organized dentistry.
  • Paul Gange, Sr, president of Reliance Orthodontic Products, will be the first to be awarded the AAO Outstanding Contribution Award. This new award recognizes outstanding service to the specialty of orthodontics made by a non-orthodontist.
  • Anne Marie Kuijpers-Jagtman, DDS, PhD, of Nijmegen, The Netherlands, will receive the 2019 Louise Ada Jarabak Memorial International Teachers and Research Award presented by the AAO Foundation for her significant contributions to orthodontic teaching and research.
  • Michael Riolo, DDS, MS, of Seattle, Wash, will receive the 2019 Albert H. Ketcham Memorial Award, presented annually by the American Board of Orthodontics to an orthodontist who has made a notable contribution to the science and art of orthodontists.