Registration Fees
Dentists
$225
Note: Single Day options are available. Conference registration includes annual membership in SAID.
Auxillary | Non-Dentists*
$175
Note: Single Day options are available. Conference registration includes annual membership in SAID.
Students
$75
Note: Single Day options are available. Conference registration includes annual membership in SAID.
Dentist Membership Fee
$50
Only pay membership dues if you are not attending this year's meeting.
Non Dentist Membership Fee
$25
Only pay membership dues if you are not attending this year's meeting.
** Office Group Discounts valid for full registrations. Single-day registrations excluded.
*Non-Dentist include Registered Dental Hygienists, Dental Assistants, Dental Staff, or any health practitioners other than a dentist.
SAID's Prelude to 60
60 Years of Dental Service, Advocacy & Education for Individuals with Special Needs
Presentation topics to include:
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Dental Materials
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Non-Invasive Treatment
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Infection Control
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Dental Medicaid & Medicare Updates
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Sensory Enhancement Care
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And More
Agenda and Speaker Information Coming Soon!
We're Calling It Our ½ for a Reason
This year's virtual conference is more than CEs, it's a turning point.
We're gathering online September 18-19, 2025 to regroup, refocus and decide where we go from here as an organization.
You'll still earn up to 10 CEs (DDS & RDH) and learn from excellent speakers on:
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Dental Materials
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Infection Control
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Sensory Enhanced Care
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Dental Medicaid &Medicare Updates
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Non-Invasive Technique for Special Needs Dentistry
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and more!
But we also need YOU.
Please share the registration link with colleagues and consider lending your voice to SAID by joining the planning committee, helping to refresh and update resources, or becoming a board member (we're looking for a secretary and 2027 President Elect).
We've made it to 60 Years of Dental Service, Advocacy & Education for Individuals with Special Needs. Let's keep SAID going strong!
Registration Information
To Get More Involved
Speakers
Jacob Dent
DDS
Dr. Jacob Dent is an outside the box general dentist and speaker. In practice for 21 years and a multi practice owner, Dr. Dent has built a successful career treating patients of all ages and disabilities in a nonconventional way using desensitization. Dr. Dent is a fellow of Academy of Dentistry Intern-ational, clinical director for Special Olympics Special Smiles, adjunct faculty at UTSD-Houston, and Co-founder of the Dental Desensitization System. Dr. Dent is married to his wife Jennifer, father to his daughter Jayden, and son Ethan, who has Autism. As a professional speaker, Dr. Dent has given presentations and workshops around the country for the past 8 years to dental professionals, health care providers, dental students, and families.
Equipping Yourself to Care for Patients with
Special Needs
Dawn Houston
CCC-SLP
Ms. Houston has specialized in the field of Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities for over 25 years. She has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist in the school system, nursing home setting, and within the State of Louisiana Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities system. She began working at Hammond Developmental Center / Northlake Supports and Services Center in 1999 until the facility was privatized in 2012. Following privatization, she began working with the Northlake Resource Center / OCDD Resource Center where she was given the opportunity to her expand her service area and provide services to many individuals with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities across multiple regions within the state. Ms. Houston lends her expertise while working with an interdisciplinary team including Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Dietitians, Nurses, Social Workers, and Psychologists providing consultative services in the community to individuals with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities as the OCDD Resource Center Speech-Language Pathologist Supervisor. The OCDD Resource Centers provides integrated services to support individuals with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities and assist them in achieving their goals and accessing needed supports to live as independently and successfully as possible in the community. Ms. Houston provides assessment, consultation, and training services to promote a person-centered approach to intervention in the areas of communication and swallowing disorders. She also offers training and consultation services for professionals working with individuals with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities regarding specific issues related to Speech-Language Pathology. She also guest lectures at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Southeastern Louisiana University to assist students in learning more about provision of quality services for people with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities.
Dysphagia, Aspiration, and Oral Hygiene Strategies for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Arnold James
MPH, PhD
Dr. Arnold H. James is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Home Base Primary Care at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System in New Orleans. He received his education from The University of South Carolina: a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Master of Public Health in Health Education and Promotion, and his Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical-Community Psychology. He was affiliated with the Tulane School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences for over 20 years as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, in the Psychology Section. He has specialized in diagnosing and treating mental disorders. Currently, he treats outpatients in his private practice. Dr. James has completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from the New Orleans-Birmingham Psychoanalytic Institute, and was awarded DIPLOMATE status in the International Academy of Behavior Medicine, Counseling and Psychotherapy in Psychotherapy. Dr. James has recently been selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar for the 2020-2023 cohort.
Trauma Informed Care
Alfred "Fred" McMullen
DDS
Fred McMullen graduated from the LSUHSC- Dental in 1987 with a DDS. He completed the Endodontic Residency program in 1989and earned Diplomate status from the American Board of Endodontics in 1993.He was as a solo endodontic practitioner for 25 years in Monroe, LA. While duck hunting in Mexico, he suffered a traumatic injury to the head/neck region that eventually forced him out of practice due to physical disabilities. In 2014 he began teaching part-time in the LSU Endodontic Department and has been the Post-Graduate Director of Endodontics since 2020. He is a member of the AAE, the College of Diplomates of the ABE, the American College of Dentists, the ADA, the LDA, and NODA. He was awarded the New Dentist Award by the LDA in 1997, Alumnus of the Year by the LSU School of Dentistry in 2006, and the Distinguished Service Award by the LDA in 2013. Married to his high-school sweetheart, Joanna, for 40 years, they have 2 daughters, Mary(CPA) and Anna (attorney) who live and practice their professions in Houston Texas. Anna and her husband, JD, welcomed their first grandson, Max, into the world on July the Fourth this year.
After the Trauma...What's Next
Haley Kessler
DDS
Dr. Kessler began her career as a dental hygienist before earning her DDS from the University of Utah School of Dentistry in 2022. After dental school, she practiced general dentistry in California for a year. She is now a second-year endodontic resident at LSU, where she delves into the intricacies of root canal therapy, managing dental trauma cases and finding accurate diagnoses for patients.
After the Trauma...What's Next
Cheryl Knight
PhD
In 1994, Cheryl L. Knight earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Western Michigan University where there was a strong emphasis on behavior analysis. Since her pre-doctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD, she increasingly worked for individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental conditions, including autism or autistics. Joining the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities at the Louisiana Department of Health in 2008, she maintains active contact with applied research and shares science-based information in webinars, presentations, formal meetings, and in everyday contact with colleagues, clinicians, administrators, and individuals and their families.
Application and Benefits of
Applied Behavior Analysis in Dentistry
Robert Rada
DDS, MBA
Dr. Rada is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences at the University of Illinois College of Dentistry. He also maintains a private practice in LaGrange Illinois focusing on patients with special needs. Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities of all ages are cared for in his practice. Advanced behavior management, anesthesia care and hospital dentistry are all part of his practice. Dr. Rada has facilitated many live patient courses to assist dentists and dental students in their learning to care for dental patients with special needs. He teaches in the Group Practice Clinics and currently has dental students rotate through his private practice and directs the Special Care Dentistry Track at UIC.
Challenges in Special Care Denstistry
David Itzkoff
DDS
Dr. David Itzkoff has been the Supervising Dentist at Shapiro Center, a 500-bed residential facility for adults with IDD operated by the State of Illinois in Kankakee for over 30 years. He is a graduate of NYU School of Dentistry. He is a senior fellow of National Academies of Practice where he serves as Chair of the Dental Academy and is a Diplomate and immediate past president of the American Board of Special Care Dentistry. He has been a proud member of SAID for 30 years and hasn’t missed a meeting yet.
Pearls, Perils & Parables
7:30a - 8:00a CT
Welcome & BYO Coffee
Registration and Check-in
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2025 SAID
8:00a - 10:00a CT
Dental Materials
Robert Rada, DDS, MBA
2 CE
2025 SAID
10:00a - 11:00a CT
Sensory Integrated Dentistry
Ben Hudson, CEO
1 CE
2025 SAID
11:00a - 11:15a CT
Break
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1 CE
2025 SAID
11:15a - 12:15p CT
Pearls of Wisdom: Learn from Each Other
David Itzkoff, DDS, Moderator
1 CE
2025 SAID
12:15p - 12:30p CT
Break & Grab Lunch for the Business Meeting
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2025 SAID
12:30p - 2:00p CT
Lunch & Business Meeting
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2025 SAID
2:00p - 4:00p CT
Infection Control
Gaylene Baker, RDH, BSDH, MBS
2 CE
2025 SAID
4:00p - 4:45p CT
Collaborative Exchange
Breakout sessions for each of the day's topics
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2025 SAID
5:00p - 6:00p CT
Social Hour & Networking Time
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2025 SAID
Accommodations
Hotel Tonnelle
2203 St. Charles Avenue,
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
The SAID Room Rate from Wednesday, November 6th through Friday, November 8th is $209/night.
The room rates will be available until October 6th.
If you wish to extend you stay, please contact
Hotel Tonnelle at 504-522-3650 or visit their website for more information.
Virtual Information
Our 59th Annual Session offers a virtual option held on Zoom. You'll receive a zoom link via email to attend during schedule session times.
To download Zoom for your device, click here
What about technical difficulties?
If technical issues arise, we’ll be recording several speaker presentations for later viewing. These recordings will be available the following week for a 10-day period, with details sent as soon as they're accessible.
Will I be able to socialize with in-person attendees?
During speaker presentations, Zoom participants will be muted. However, feel free to stay on during breaks to catch up with colleagues! We’ll unmute Zoom and encourage in-person attendees to join in as well.
Can I attend the strategic planning meeting virtually?
Yes! Virtual attendees are invited to attend the Strategic Planning Meeting (Wednesday, Nov 6 at 5:00 pm CST) and the General Business Meeting (Thursday, Nov 7, from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm CST) via Zoom.
Pearls, Perils, Parables
A message from David Itzkoff, Pearls Moderator:
Colleagues and fellow SAID Members/Attendees,
The “Pearls" session has been a staple and feature of SAID meetings since our organization’s inception. It is a chance for us to all learn from each other.
Presentations can be about anything that you think fellow attendees would find interesting or informative. They can be an interesting clinical case, an instrument you find particularly helpful, pharmaceuticals or medical issues, a technique you use that works well (or doesn’t), a problem you have faced that you’ve solved or are soliciting advice about….. really anything. We usually limit these to under 5 minutes, but we may be able to accommodate a longer presentation if you let me know in advance. Short ones that last just a few seconds are also encouraged. (example pearls session below)
I have had the honor of moderating Pearls for many years and will again this year. We will hold it on Friday of our upcoming meeting in NOLA. I URGE every attendee to consider something they can share with the group. It is a wonderful way to interact with your colleagues and teach as well as learn. Please contact me so I can place you on the list. We will have a good time.
Looking forward to seeing you in New Orleans!
I Man (David)
About Pearls, Perils and Parables
Pearls is an open forum moderated by SAID member David “I Man” Itzkoff where members of the audience share a 30-second to 5-minute talk on something new that they have tried, something old that has been revived, or ideas that have yet to be realized. Both wisdom and new insight will be the focus of this fun and interactive presentation. Come prepared or be spontaneous!
Student Scholarships
Are you a student with a passion for special care dentistry? Would you like to attend an upcoming Special Care Advocates in Dentistry meeting?
Thanks to the support and generosity of SAID members, we have a limited number of student scholarships available for this year’s Annual Session.
Each scholarship covers:
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One full conference registration to our Annual Session
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A complimentary one-year SAID membership
If you’re preparing for a career in dentistry, dental hygiene, public health, or a related field (and you’re committed to inclusive care) we encourage you to apply!
Complete the application form linked below. We'll review your submission and respond shortly.
Our Sponsors
