The 2023 Pacific Dental Conference (PDC) is right around the corner. For the first time in over two years, dentists from across Canada will gather — in person — to discuss the latest trends, technologies, and techniques in dentistry. Plus, the 5 CE credits aren’t too shabby either. As the countdown begins, we want to quickly give you a sneak peek of the event, discuss why it rocks socks, and let you know we’ll be there (with our bag full of prizes).

Background + Disruption

The PDC has been integral to the Canadian dental landscape for decades. Organized by the British Columbia Dental Association (BCDA), the PDC is basically the dental conference of the year. Accept no substitutes.

Unfortunately, it also happened to be BC’s first superspreader event. So, it’s a little later than some conferences to squeak open the doors. Still, we’re finally back in action. The smell of booths, dental products, and cheesy dental ads is in the air.

If you ever want to mainline some nostalgia, check out the collection of programs going back for the past decade. We were so young… so innocent. Today, we expect a fair few speakers to touch on the headache-inducing “Great Resignation,” the inflationary global economy, and the challenges associated with positioning a wealth of new technologies and procedures.

So, maybe not quite as fun as “the early days.” Still, there are plenty of hands-on workshops and live dentistry sessions — not to mention the yearly Life is Too Short to Drink Band Wine event in the ballroom. You can also expect a silent auction and a nice dinner (i.e., the Toothfairy Gala).

Dates, Prices, and Location

Per usual, the PDC will be at the Vancouver Convention Centre. BCDA member dentists still have until January 13th to get free tickets. Otherwise, tickets range widely depending on whether you’re a hygienist, assistant, dentist, BCDA member, or student. In general, non-BCDA members and non-students should expect to pay at least $250 for tickets.

The conference runs from March 9th to the 11th, with plenty of nearby hotels. Always check out the hotel discount page before you book. You can look through the sessions if you want to get strategic or potentially bounce after the first day or two. Otherwise, it’s not too difficult to navigate the convention center to find what you need. Of course, you will need to sign up for any courses beforehand.

What to Expect

Let’s quickly tackle the safety protocols:

  • Face masks are recommended, not required.
  • All courses are limited capacity, and most rooms are the same.
  • There will be floor markers for distancing (probably 2m).
  • You will see protective barriers, signage, sanitizer stations, and lots of cleaning during the event.

There are lots of other measures behind taken behind the scenes — including during our booth setup. You can see lots of these details in the prospectus. Most will have already received some emails surrounding these things.

Obviously, this year still won’t be the same as… the before time. But at least we get to meet in person, have conversations, and get together as a community. We’re honestly extremely excited.

Meet Us at PDC 2023

We have our tickets, our booth, and our prizes. As we finally return to in-person meetings, we want to do our best to have fun, spread cheer, and create fantastic experiences. Obviously, we also want to have real discussions surrounding our ongoing labor crisis with dentists and the current labor conditions with hygienists and assistants. But, between trying to help hygienists and assistants take control of their lives and dentists take control of their offices, we’ll be doing tons of fun stuff at the booth. Come by and see us. Let’s talk.