Midwest Dental Conference returns to in-person activities
By BRYCE PUNTENNEY
The air was electric and the anticipation palpable among the nearly 2,700 dentists, hygienists and team members who descended on Kansas City for the first time since 2019 for the Midwest Dental Conference. The conference was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and conducted virtually in 2021, so this year’s theme, “getting the band back together” provided a fitting way to celebrate being back live and in person.
The longtime fans returning included Patrick Hooper (D.D.S. ’18), who has been coming to the conference since he was a child, when he tagged along with his mother, Jolynn Galvin (D.D.S. ‘81). They would travel all the way from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to attend the event annually. Now a proud alumnus in his own right, Hooper made the trip back to Kansas City for the first time since 2019.
“It’s always great to come back to the Midwest Dental Conference,” Hooper said. “It’s been a couple of years, so I’m enjoying reconnecting with old friends, colleagues, faculty.” Presented by the UMKC Dental and Dental Hygienist’s Alumni Associations, the conference kicked off with several specialty courses. This year’s conference, held April 21-24, featured nearly 40 lectures and hands-on sessions spread across two hotels, just down the street from the dental school, in the heart of downtown Kansas City.
The conference’s offerings are ever-evolving, just like the oral health-care profession it represents. This year’s conference was no different, featuring speakers like Paul Feurstein, D.M.D.; Kevin Kwiecien, D.M.D.; Laci Phillips; Mary Ellen Psaltis, Tom Viola, RPh and Jamison Spencer, D.M.D. In total, the conference featured 22 speakers, covering topics such as 3D technology, predictability, team building, brain health and sleep apnea.
The student poster presentations were a highlight for attendees. Their hard work was on display in the exhibit hall. More than 75 dental and dental hygiene students, as well as residents, presented their cutting-edge research.
“We’ve worked on our posters for the last two semesters, so it’s exciting to finally present them,” Shannon Finneran (B.S.D.H. ’22) said. “Seeing all the hard work pay off was a fun experience.”
The conference isn’t all business for attendees. Celebrations began with Pouring From the Heart on Thursday night. In its 23rd year, the fundraising event brought in more than $100,000, which will help cover the cost of care for patients who are treated by the fourth-year dental students and senior dental hygiene students.
Class reunions occurred in conjunction with the conference. This year, alumni from 13 class years gathered to reconnect and reminisce. Charles Mahaffey (D.D.S. ‘72) celebrated his 50th reunion with the Class of 1972 at the conference this year. He remembered attending the conference in the early part of his career, seeing older alumni celebrating their 50-year reunion, and thinking, “Gee, I’ll never be that old.”
Mahaffey said he knew, even back then, what a blessing it is to celebrate such a milestone.
“We were talking today, four years of dental school is very challenging, and it unifies you as a group,” Mahaffey said. “Every time you can come back to this conference and see your classmates, it is just so special. It renews friendships. It renews a lot of memories and all the stories get magnified every year to the point where they’re almost unbelievable.”
The alumni celebrations continued into Saturday with the Alumni and Friends Recognition Luncheon. The school awarded medallions to those who reached $10,000 in lifetime giving to the school. Those who gifted $25,000 and $50,000 were recognized with ceremonial pins. The school also celebrated the Young Alumni of the Year, Mack Taylor (D.D.S. ’14), as well as the school’s alumni achievement winners, Brenda Bohaty (Ph.D. ’09) and JoAnn Weatherwax (B.S.D.H. ’06, M.S. ’12). The event also provided a memorable moment for the Class of 1972, who celebrated 50 years since their graduation. Members of that class who were in attendance gathered on stage and were celebrated with a round of applause.
“Every time you can come back to this conference and see your classmates, it is just so special. It renews friendships. It renews a lot of memories and all the stories get magnified every year to the point where they’re almost unbelievable.”
–CHARLES MAHAFFEY (D.D.S. ‘72)
For Mahaffey, the luncheon was extra special this year. He not only celebrated a milestone reunion with his fellow 1972 classmates, but also saw his son, Darren Mahaffey (D.D.S. ‘05), receive his medallion. The family ties to this year’s conference didn’t stop there. Charles’ granddaughter, Samantha Mahaffey (D.D.S. ’22), took in the conference as a student and all three generations would return to campus in May for Samantha’s graduation, where she would be hooded by her grandfather.
Saturday’s events wrapped up with the annual Presidents’ Reception, where the school honored donors atop the Westin Hotel at Benton’s Prime Steakhouse. UMKC Chancellor C.
Mauli Agrawal also attended, where he outlined plans for the Health Sciences District expansion, which will have a large impact on the School of Dentistry.
The Midwest Dental Conference will be extra special next year, as the event will celebrate 100 years of the Alumni Meeting and the Conference. Although the event has only held the name Midwest Dental Conference since 1993, alumni have gathered for educational offerings dating back to at least 1923, when the UMKC Dental Alumni Association first met. In the decades following, the Dental Hygienists’ Alumni Association continued to grow and eventually joined the conference. The event has continued to thrive, and the 2023 conference is sure to be quite a celebration.
“Next year will be our five-year reunion, so I hope we can get a big group from the Class of 2018,” Nicole Long (D.D.S. ’18) said. “UMKC will put on a great event for the 100th.”
