Adelaide Dental Symposium 2026 Wrap-Up

The Adelaide Dental Symposium 2026 brought the dental community together at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Friday 21 August for a full day of professional learning, industry connection and practical ideas.

A Full Day Of Learning

Across two dedicated education streams, attendees explored a mix of aesthetic and practice-focused topics, with sessions designed to provide practical takeaways and fresh perspectives.

Keynote speakers Todd Sampson and Turia Pitt also inspired attendees to think differently, bringing their perspectives on performance, resilience, leadership and navigating change to the Adelaide stage.

Connecting With The Dental Industry

The exhibition featured 50+ exhibitors, giving delegates the opportunity to discover new technology, equipment and solutions, speak directly with suppliers and reconnect with colleagues from across the dental industry.

Thank You To The Adelaide Dental Community

Thank you to our presenters, exhibitors, sponsors, partners and everyone who joined us for the Adelaide Dental Symposium 2026. We were pleased to bring the dental community together for a day of learning, conversation and connection, and we look forward to doing it again.

Relive The Adelaide Dental Symposium

Take a look back at some of the people, conversations and moments from the Adelaide Dental Symposium 2026 in our event photo gallery.

VIEW EVENT GALLERY

Welcome to your monthly TGA and technical update. As your industry representative, your views shape the responses we make to consultations on everything from fees and charges to patient safety and sharing of your medical device data. If you have feedback on regulatory and technical matters, please get in contact at any time.

Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)

The Top 3 Tech Updates for this month are:

MTAA RegConnect Summit 2026 - 24-25 SEPTEMBER in SYDNEY

Is Medical Device regulation part of your world?

Then the MTAA RegConnect Summit 2026 is a must for you!

The Summit is bringing together regulatory professionals, global health authorities, industry leaders and key stakeholders over the two day program, to explore the most pressing challenges and emerging opportunities in medical device regulation.

REGISTER HERE

VIEW PROGRAM

Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code

The TGA is currently consulting on Improvements to the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code. This impacts:

- Advertising of Orthodontic Aligners

- Advertising requirements for Software-based Medical Devices

as well as proposed clarifications and amendments, mandatory statements and requirements for citations to research in advertising.

If you would like to have your views included in the ADIA submission, please send your comments and feedback to advocacy@adia.org.au by 25 August 2026.

CONSULTATION PAPER

COMPLETE THE SURVEY

Patient Matched Medical Devices (PMMDs)

The TGA are continuing consultations on the proposed regulatory reforms for PMMDs. ADIA attended an information session on 30 July to receive updates on the process. A Dental Sector specific session will be held in September and two public information webinars will follow.

We will continue to update you on this important issue in the coming months.

If you have information or issues you would like to raise, please contact us at advocacy@adia.org.au by 4 September 2026.

Questions & Feedback

We'd love to hear from you!
Contact Dr Sarah Raphael
Email: advocacy@adia.org.au
Phone: 0412 918 848

Please reach out to let us know what other Technical and Regulatory information you would find valuable in these monthly updates.

On behalf of the ADIA Board, I am calling for nominations for election to the Board of the ADIA from appropriately credentialed individuals to serve as a Director for a two-year term, commencing after the 2026 AGM in November.

The call for nominations for three Director positions will be held between 27 August and 10 September 2026.

Commitment

Skills and Attributes

Next Steps

To nominate for the election, please forward a recent photo, short bio, and a paragraph of no more than 100 words outlining your reasons for wanting to support the dental industry as an ADIA Director, to the Association by COB Monday, 24 August 2026.

Nominations are to be emailed to Kym De Britt at ceo@adia.org.au

On 23 and 24 July, ADIA Director of Policy and Education, Dr Sarah Raphael represented the association at the Federal Labor Business Exchange in Adelaide, held alongside the 50th Australian Labor Party National Conference.

Across the two-day program, Sarah met with senior members of the Albanese Government, including:

• Minister Mark Butler - Health and Ageing, Disability and the NDIS
• Minister Sam Rae - Aged Care and Seniors
• Assistant Minister Rebecca White - Women, Indigenous Health and Health and Aged Care
• Assistant Minister Emma McBride - Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and Rural and Regional Health
• Minister Tanya Plibersek - Social Services
• Assistant Minister Ged Kearney - Social Services and the Prevention of Family Violence
• Minister Jess Walsh - Early Childhood Education and Youth
• Minister Anne Aly - International Development, Small Business and Multicultural Affairs

The meetings provided an important opportunity to discuss the dental industry’s priorities and strengthen relationships with ministers responsible for health, aged care, social services and small business, all which intersect with the dental industry.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivered the keynote address at the Business Exchange lunch.

A Roadmap to Oral Health Reform

A significant outcome from the National Conference was the passage of an amendment to Labor’s policy platform committing the party to develop a roadmap to include dental services in Medicare. The roadmap would use a staged and evidence-based approach to improve access, prioritising people at the highest risk in the community. This represents an important policy development for oral health and provides a foundation for further engagement on how any future expansion could be designed and delivered.

Last week ADIA returned to Australian Parliament House for its 2026 Parliamentary Roundtable. President Ryan Green together with ADIA Board directors and members met with parliamentarians and senior departmental representatives to discuss opportunities to improve oral health outcomes across Australia.

The Roundtable provided a direct forum for ADIA delegates to raise priority issues affecting the dental industry and the broader community. Discussions focused on improving awareness and uptake of the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, supporting better access to oral health care in aged care, and ensuring product regulation balances patient safety expectations with the ability to foster innovative product technology in Australia.

A key focus of the day was ADIA’s Bite Sized Beginnings pilot, which attracted strong interest from both parliamentarians and senior members of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. The program was recognised for its potential to support early childhood oral health education, reach families through early learning settings, and help identify oral health issues before they become serious. The discussions highlighted the value of case studies, stronger data and practical evidence to demonstrate how prevention can reduce avoidable hospitalisations and improve outcomes for children.

The roundtable also marked an important advocacy milestone, with the Parliamentary Friends of Dental and Oral Health group reformed and co-chaired by Senator Helen Polley and Dr Monique Ryan MP.

ADIA welcomed this important opportunity to engage with Parliamentarians and Departmental staff and guests in a constructive day of discussion. The insights shared will help inform ADIA’s ongoing advocacy for a stronger dental industry and better oral health for all Australians.

If you would like to discuss any areas of ADIA’s Government advocacy, please get in touch with ADIA Director of Policy and Education, Dr Sarah Raphael at advocacy@adia.org.au