SMART Pedodontics – 4th Edition (2026)

In 2026, SMART Pedodontics enters its 4th edition — a milestone year marking a meaningful evolution in our educational vision.

If the first three editions helped us build the foundations of modern pediatric dentistry, this year we move toward a new level of mastery: one that goes beyond techniques and touches the core of what it truly means to treat children responsibly, comprehensively, and collaboratively.

This edition invites you to go beyond procedures—to connect dental care with the child’s psychosomatic state. To understand the complex needs of children with chronic and systemic conditions.

To embrace a truly integrative approach where science, empathy, and updated knowledge converge.

Pediatric dentistry isn’t a separate branch of medicine. It’s a multidimensional discipline—one that defines us as complete professionals.

For us, each edition has been another level of education — a progression carefully designed so that participants receive the right expertise at the right moment. We searched, met, and selected each international speaker with intention, choosing those who could bring the most relevant knowledge for the stage of development our community was ready for.

NOW, after three successful editions and a constantly expanding audience, the 2026 edition is where everything changes.
It is the moment we shift from:

“How do we treat?” → to → “How do we understand, evaluate, communicate, and decide?”

This year is about the deeper layers of pediatric dentistry — the medical, diagnostic, behavioral, and interdisciplinary dimensions that shape a truly complete clinician.

How We Grew Together: The Journey of the First 3 Editions

Every edition of SMART Pedodontics was built with intention — choosing topics only when participants were truly ready for them.

SMART Pedodontics 2023

Minimally invasive dentistry & restorative essentials

Speakers: Dr. Amparo Perez Silva, Dr. Thierry Boulanger, Dr. Eliza Stan, Dr. Meenakshi Kher, Dr. Antonio Pedro Silva, Dr. Raimond van Duinen, Dr. Ana Vucovic, Dr. Laura Diaconașu, Dr. Teodorina Secară, Dr. Burak Buldur, Dr. Dario Novak.

SMART Pedodontics 2024

MIH, neuro-occlusal rehabilitation, baby malocclusion, advanced restorative approaches

Speakers: Dr. Silvia Chedid, Dr. Paloma Perez Prieto, Dr. Jorge Casian, Dr. Janette MacLeen, Dr. David Manton, Dr. Katrin Bekes, Dr. Vincenzo Giorgino.

SMART Pedodontics 2025

Trauma, biofilm science, pulp therapy, early childhood health, myofunctional therapy

Speakers: Dr. Jenny Abanto, Dr. Meenakshi Kher, Dr. Michal Sobczak, Dr. Matteo Basso, Dr. Vincenzo Giorgino, Dr. Zafer C. Cehreli.

These editions became the primary school of SMART Pedodontics — the techniques, the clinical reasoning, the essential foundations.

And now…the community is ready for the next level.

Why the 2026 Edition Is Different — and Why It’s Unmissable

This is the year we go beyond “how to treat a tooth.”
This is the year we explore:

Prevention Reinforcement & Parent Communication — mastering the techniques needed to build a real partnership with parents, so dentist and family work together toward the same goal: long-term health and effective prevention
Pathology
Medically Compromised Children
Orthodontic Referral & Early Diagnosis
… and other essential subjects that should form the starting point of pediatric dental education.

2026 is not about adding more techniques.

It’s about understanding more — deeply.
Understanding why we see what we see,how it affects the child, and what a truly responsible clinical decision looks like.

It’s about becoming the kind of clinician whose clarity inspires trust, whose communication transforms families, and whose thinking builds long-term health.

Meet the 2026 Speakers

PROF. DR. JUAN F. YEPES

Oral Pathology & Pediatric Dentistry Specialist

Pediatric Oral Pathology You Can’t Miss
Red Flags & Real Solutions for Systemically Compromised Children

Prof. Dr. Yepes, brings diagnostic confidence — the kind that makes you calm and competent in complex cases.

Dr. LAREE JOHNSON

Pediatric Dentistry Specialist

You Got This! Restorative Keys in Pediatric Dentistry /I’ve Got You! Keys to Personal and Professional Harmony

Dr. DIMITRIS EMMANOUIL

Pediatric Dentistry Specialist

What Really Works (and What Doesn’t) in Managing the Anxious Child in Daily Dental Practice

A session for clinicians who want more clarity, peace, and predictability in daily practice.

Dr. PALOMA PEREZ PRIETO

Pediatric Dentistry Specialist

When Children Truly Need General Anesthesia — Safety, Team Roles & Parent Guidance

A topic that requires responsibility and courage — delivered with exceptional clarity.

Dr. LINA JASULAITYTĖ

Pediatric Dentistry Specialist

Parents First: How Motivational Interviewing Transforms Communication

MI is not a technique — it is a mindset. And it changes everything.

Dr. ȘTEFANIA DINU

The Pediatric Dentist’s Eye: Early Signs for Orthodontic Referral

Clear, structured, practical — instantly elevating diagnostic confidence.

🌱 If previous editions helped you grow technical skills, 2026 will help you grow your judgment, your confidence, your communication, and your clinical vision.

SMART Pedodontics 2026 is not just a conference. It is a transformational learning journey. A new educational standard.
A modern framework for pediatric dentistry.

🎟️Save the Dates — You Will Want to Be Here

📅 9–11 October 2026 📍 Timișoara, Romania

A city full of culture, energy, and innovation — now becoming the annual home of one of Europe’s pediatric dentistry conferences.

Registrations open in January 2026.
Until then, explore the sessions, meet the speakers, and prepare for the most advanced edition we’ve ever created.

👉 This is the year you don’t want to miss.
👉 This is the edition that will reshape how you practice — and how you think.

We cannot wait to welcome you.

With gratitude and excitement,
Mariana Zaharia & Dr. Cosmina Dușan
Founders & Organizers — SMART Pedodontics