FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 6, 2025

Contact: Jack Cardinal, jcardinal@communitycatalyst.org 

SACRAMENTO, CA — The 2025 National Dental Therapy Conference (NDTC) will convene December 8-10, bringing together advocates, policymakers, educators, and dental professionals from across the country for three days of learning, connection, and collaboration. The conference will kick off with a keynote address from legendary labor and civil rights leader Dolores Huerta. Registration closes November 19.

Conference highlights include: 
  • Dynamic learning experiences from national leaders and up to 17 CDE credits available 
  • Hands-on workshops and interactive sessions 
  • Exclusive insights into new policy developments and practice models 
  • Opportunities to network with peers, leaders, and advocates from across the nation 

Led by Community Catalyst, the American Dental Therapy Association and the California Oral Health Equity Coalition, this year’s conference will feature an expanded agenda of opportunities for dental professionals across the industry. Conference attendees can expect up to 17 hours of Continuing Dental Education (CDE) credits with sessions led by national leaders, hands-on workshops designed to strengthen clinical skills and expand knowledge, policy and practice insights on new care delivery models, and networking opportunities with dental professionals and innovators shaping the future of oral health care.

“We really have two dental care systems in the United States: one for people with private insurance and enough money to pay out of pocket for any additional care, and then a safety net for everyone else, and that safety net is really failing folks,” said Laura Hale Brannon, Senior Project Manager for Dental Therapy at Community Catalyst. “This conference comes at a critical moment as more states recognize that dental therapists are an effective solution for expanding access to equitable, compassionate, community-centered care.”

Dental therapists are now authorized to practice in 14 states, and the movement continues to grow as communities seek innovative approaches to address oral health care shortages. About 58 million people in the United States live in areas with dentist shortages, and significant oral health disparities persist among people of color and those on public insurance.

The conference is designed for dental professionals at all career stages, including dentists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental assistants, educators, and practice managers.

Registration is open through November 19. Sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities are still available for organizations interested in connecting with this growing community. Visit the conference website to review the full agenda, learn more about the co-host organizations, and register.

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About Community Catalyst: 

Community Catalyst is a national organization dedicated to building the power of people to create a health system rooted in race equity and health justice, and a society where health is a right for all. We’re an experienced, trusted partner to organizations across the country, a change agent to policymakers at the local, state, and national level, and both an adversary and a collaborator to health systems in our efforts to advance health justice. We partner with local, state and national organizations and leaders to leverage and build power so that people are at the center of important decisions about health and health care, whether they are made by health care executives, in state houses, or on Capitol Hill. Together with partners, we’re building a powerful, united movement with a shared vision of and strategy for a health system accountable to all people. Learn more at www.communitycatalyst.org.