CDA Presents Anaheim 2026: May 14-16 Dates, CE Credits & Registration

CDA Presents is the California Dental Association's premier annual convention — the largest dental meeting on the West Coast. The May 2026 edition in Anaheim brings together 17,000+ dental professionals, 450+ exhibitors, and 130+ speakers for three days of world-class continuing education, hands-on workshops, and the largest dental exhibit hall in California. Registration is free for CDA members.

CDA Presents Anaheim 2026 At a Glance

Dates	May 14-16, 2026 (Thursday–Saturday)
Location	Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA 92802
Attendance	17,000-18,500 dental professionals
Exhibitors	450+ companies
CE Courses	200+ courses, up to 24 CE units
Speakers	130+ nationally recognized
Registration	Register at cda.org — FREE for CDA members
Non-member cost	$0–$1,050 (varies by course selection)
Website	cda.org

Why CDA Presents Anaheim 2026 Is the Must-Attend West Coast Event

California has over 30,000 licensed dentists — the largest dental market in the United States. CDA Presents Anaheim 2026 captures this market in one event. Attendance has grown steadily: 15,038 (2022), 17,229 (2023), 17,177 (2024), 18,459 (2025) — and the 2026 May edition is expected to exceed 18,500 attendees, the largest crowd in CDA Presents history. For dental technology companies and practice owners evaluating new solutions, CDA Presents offers unmatched access to the West Coast dental community.

The event is also uniquely accessible — registration is free for CDA members, removing the cost barrier that limits attendance at other major dental meetings.

What to Watch at CDA Presents Anaheim 2026

The 2026 edition leans heavily into the technology shifts reshaping dental front offices and clinical workflows. Tracks and exhibitor focus areas attendees should plan around:

• AI dental front office adoption — voice AI receptionists, automated insurance verification, AI-powered recall campaigns. Expect multiple practice-management CE tracks dedicated to AI implementation strategies.
• PMS modernization — Dentrix Ascend, Open Dental, Curve Dental, and Denticon are all sending product teams. Practical migration sessions for practices on legacy systems.
• DSO operations at scale — multi-location workflow automation, centralized scheduling, and call-center alternatives are major themes for the 100+ DSOs attending.
• Digital imaging + 3D printing — same-day crowns, in-office aligners, and surgical guides continue to expand the addressable in-office workflow.
• Patient communication platforms — replacing legacy phone-tree systems and traditional dental answering services with omnichannel AI.

CDA Presents Anaheim 2026 Schedule

CDA Presents follows a consistent three-day format, Thursday through Saturday. Planning your days around the rhythm of the convention helps you balance CE courses against exhibit hall time:

• Thursday, May 14 — Opening day. Exhibit hall opens mid-morning; lecture courses and hands-on workshops run throughout the day. Arrive early to collect your badge and beat the registration lines.
• Friday, May 15 — The busiest day. Full CE programming, peak exhibit hall traffic, and most hands-on workshops. Schedule vendor meetings and technology demos for Friday when product teams are fully staffed.
• Saturday, May 16 — Closing day. CE courses continue through the morning and early afternoon; the exhibit hall closes earlier. A good day for follow-up exhibitor conversations and final workshop sessions.

Hands-on workshops and limited-enrollment courses fill quickly — once registration opens, book those first and build lecture courses around them. The full session catalog and live schedule are published on cda.org.

Education & CE Credits

CDA Presents offers 200+ continuing education courses with up to 24 CE units available:

• Lecture courses — clinical techniques, practice management, regulatory updates
• Hands-on workshops — limited enrollment, equipment provided for practical skill building
• Practice management tracks — AI adoption, staffing, workflow optimization, patient communication
• Team CE sessions — courses for hygienists, assistants, and front office staff
• Online courses — 180+ additional online CE options for pre- and post-event learning

How to Register for CDA Presents Anaheim 2026

Registration runs through the CDA Presents page at cda.org. CDA members register free for exhibit hall and lecture access; ticketed hands-on workshops carry an additional fee. Non-members pay a registration fee that scales with course selection (roughly $0–$1,050). The full dental team — hygienists, assistants, and front office staff — can register, and team CE is a core part of the program. Register early: workshop seats are capped, hotel group rates sell out, and early registration periods often include perks such as travel-credit drawings. Out-of-state dentists are welcome, and California CE units earned here transfer to most other state boards.

Exhibit Hall

CDA's exhibit hall features 450+ companies — one of the largest dental exhibit halls in the country:

• AI and front desk automation solutions
• Practice management software and PMS integrations
• Digital imaging, CAD/CAM, and 3D printing technology
• Dental materials, instruments, and equipment
• Patient communication and engagement platforms
• Financial services, practice lending, and insurance partners

View the interactive floor plan and full exhibitor list at cda26.mapyourshow.com.

Practical Details

• Venue: Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA 92802
• Airport: John Wayne Airport (SNA, 15 min) or LAX (45 min)
• Hotels: Disneyland Resort area hotels within walking distance; CDA negotiates group rates
• Parking: Convention center parking available; rideshare recommended
• Contact: CDA at +1 800-232-7645 or contactcda@cda.org

CDA Presents Anaheim (Spring) vs San Francisco (Fall)

The California Dental Association runs CDA Presents twice a year, and search results often mix the two up. The spring edition — the one covered here — is held in Anaheim in May and is the larger of the two, drawing 17,000–18,500 attendees to the Anaheim Convention Center near the Disneyland Resort. The fall edition is held in San Francisco at Moscone Center, typically in September. Both carry CE credit and a full exhibit hall, but the Anaheim spring meeting has the larger exhibitor floor and attendance. If you are searching for "CDA Presents 2026" and your calendar points to May, you are looking for the Anaheim event.

What CDA Presents Means for Solo and Small-Group Practices

Solo and two-to-three-location practices get outsized value from CDA Presents because it compresses a year of technology evaluation into three days. Rather than scheduling separate vendor calls, an owner-dentist can compare AI front office tools, practice management systems, and imaging hardware side by side, then negotiate show pricing on the floor. The practice management CE track is built for exactly this audience — sessions on staffing shortages, no-show reduction, and AI adoption are aimed at owners who wear the operations hat themselves. For independents competing against DSO-backed offices with 24/7 call coverage, the front-office automation on the exhibit floor is the most direct way to close that capacity gap without adding payroll.

While You're at CDA, Who's Answering Your Phones?

Three days in Anaheim means your front desk is either short-staffed or running on autopilot. California practices already miss 30-38% of inbound calls on normal business days — during a conference, that rate spikes as your best people are walking the exhibit hall instead of answering phones.

An AI receptionist keeps your practice running while you're at CDA. It answers every call 24/7, books directly into your PMS, speaks 24+ languages (critical in California's diverse markets), and handles patient questions with your practice-specific knowledge base. Deploy before you leave for Anaheim and your schedule stays full while you earn CE credits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CDA Presents free to attend?

Registration is free for CDA members. Non-member pricing ranges from $0 to $1,050 depending on which CE courses you select. Exhibit hall access is typically included with registration. Early bird registration often includes bonus perks like chances to win free roundtrip flights.

How many CE credits can I earn at CDA Presents?

CDA Presents offers up to 24 CE units across 200+ courses. Options include lectures, hands-on workshops, and team-based sessions. An additional 180+ online courses are available for pre- and post-event CE. California Board of Dental Examiners requires 25 CE units per renewal cycle.

Is CDA Presents worth attending for practice technology evaluation?

With 450+ exhibitors, CDA Presents is the largest dental technology exhibition on the West Coast. You can evaluate AI receptionists, practice management software, digital imaging solutions, and patient communication platforms from multiple vendors in one location. The practice management CE track includes sessions on AI adoption, digital workflows, and technology implementation strategies.

When and where is CDA Presents Anaheim 2026?

CDA Presents Anaheim 2026 runs Thursday, May 14 through Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA 92802 — adjacent to the Disneyland Resort.

Do I have to be a California dentist to attend?

No. CDA Presents welcomes dentists and dental team members from any state and from outside the US. CDA membership lowers the registration cost, but non-members can register at standard rates. CE units earned are accepted by most state dental boards — confirm specifics with your own licensing board.

Is there a virtual or hybrid option for CDA Presents 2026?

The main convention is an in-person event. CDA does offer 180+ online CE courses through cda.org that you can take before or after the meeting, but the exhibit hall, hands-on workshops, and most lecture courses require attending in Anaheim.

What's the difference between CDA Presents and CDA Now + Next?

CDA Presents is the association's large twice-yearly convention (Anaheim in spring, San Francisco in fall). CDA Now + Next is a separate, smaller single-day event focused on innovation and the future of dentistry, held in Los Angeles. They are distinct programs with different formats and registration.