A CE credit can satisfy a requirement. The right education can do much more—it can change how you practice.
The challenge is choosing where to invest your time when the specialty, technology, and the business of practice are changing so quickly.
AAO education is designed to help members make sense of those changes. Through Annual Session, Winter Conference, and online learning, orthodontists can examine new evidence, compare clinical perspectives, evaluate emerging technologies, and tackle practice challenges with education developed around the specialty itself, not a single product or commercial point of view.
Not all CE is created equal. AAO Learning is designed to help members solve real problems in practice by challenging assumptions, connecting evidence with experience, and providing practical guidance for more informed decisions.
That relevance is reflected in two September 8 programs. On September 8, a live webinar on sleep-disordered breathing will give members an opportunity to hear from authors of the AAO’s 2026 White Paper and ask questions about a complex topic generating discussion across the specialty. When Patients Ask AI for an Orthodontist will examine how AI tools recommend providers and how orthodontists can strengthen their visibility, professional authority, and contribution to practice growth, whether they own a practice or work as an associate in a group or OSO/DSO setting.
AAO education is also evolving. New ADA CERP standards and AAO’s own heightened expectations place greater emphasis on learning that can meaningfully improve professional competence, clinical performance, or patient outcomes. The new Learning Governance Committee brings a broader and more diverse group of member experts into educational planning, while councils and committees contribute subject-matter expertise to help identify priorities and shape programming.
Annual Session, Winter Conference, and online learning give members different ways to learn throughout the year. At AAO’s in-person education events, the learning does not stop when a session ends. Conversations with colleagues, questions from peers, and exposure to new ideas and technologies can be just as useful.
Mastery has no finish line. As the specialty evolves, continuing education gives members a way to keep questioning, learning, and refining how they practice.
If license renewal is on your calendar in 2027, Winter Conference offers one opportunity to put that ecosystem to work. The January 22–24 meeting in San Antonio will provide 15 live CE credits focused on evidence-based, data-driven, and AI-enabled clinical care.
The credits may help you meet a requirement. The greater value is what you bring back to practice.
