The Smarter Practice: AI, Innovation & the Future of Dentistry

The future of dentistry isn’t coming. It’s already here. And Clinic Day 2026 is where Queensland’s dental community gets to explore it together.

This year’s theme, The Smarter Practice: AI, Innovation & the Future of Dentistry, puts digital transformation front and centre. From AI-assisted diagnostics and CAD/CAM workflows to the clinical skills and personal resilience that define great practitioners, the program is built to be genuinely useful, not just inspiring.

Expect deep dives into three areas that matter right now:

• Digital & AI in Practice: real tools, real applications, real confidence.
• Clinical Mastery: evidence-based upskilling across high-demand clinical areas.
• The Resilient Practitioner: because a smarter practice starts with a well-supported team.

And when the sessions wrap, the evening social program gives you the chance to keep the conversation going with colleagues, speakers, and the broader Queensland dental community, at one of Brisbane’s leading venues.

Friday, 6 November at the W Brisbane. Mark it in your diary now.

Registrations open soon. Keep an eye on your inbox and follow ADAQ on socials so you don’t miss your spot. This one will fill fast.

Dental Topics in the Tropics: Recap

The recent DTT event provided a valuable opportunity for members to connect, collaborate, and engage with colleagues from across the profession. Over the two-day program, attendees participated in meaningful discussions, shared experiences, and strengthened professional networks that will continue to benefit the dental community well beyond the event.

We were pleased to receive strong support and engagement from our partners and James Cook University (JCU), whose involvement contributed significantly to the success of the event. Their participation highlighted the importance of collaboration between the profession, education providers, and industry partners in supporting the future of dentistry.

One of the standout aspects of the event was the opportunity to build connections among colleagues. Whether through educational sessions, networking activities, or informal conversations, attendees were able to exchange ideas, discuss challenges, and foster relationships that support professional growth and development.

The tropical location provided a unique and welcoming setting, showcasing one of Queensland’s most beautiful regions. The venue offered an ideal environment for both learning and networking, allowing participants to enjoy the benefits of professional development while experiencing the vibrant local surroundings.

It was particularly encouraging to see James Cook University dental students in attendance. Their participation provided valuable opportunities to engage with experienced practitioners, gain insight into the profession, and begin building networks that will support their future careers.

The event also featured important updates and discussions from the ADAQ Board, including insights into current professional issues and priorities. Members benefited from hearing about initiatives and developments within the profession, including discussions relating to Ahpra and ongoing efforts to help close the gap in oral health outcomes across our communities.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making the event such a success. We look forward to continuing these conversations and connections at future events.

Cone Beam CT in Queensland: Are You Truly Equipped?

Cone Beam CT has become one of the most powerful diagnostic tools available to the modern dental practitioner. Yet for many clinicians, the journey with this technology begins and ends at the licence — a regulatory checkbox rather than a gateway to genuine clinical capability. ADAQ's two upcoming Cone Beam CT courses, led by Brisbane-based and Ahpra registered Dental and Maxillofacial Radiologist Dr Yastira Lalla, are designed to change that.

Start Where It Matters: The Licence

For any Queensland clinician working in a practice with a CBCT unit, holding a Cone Beam CT Use Licence is not optional — it is a legal requirement under the Radiation Safety Act and Radiation Safety Regulation of Queensland. But obtaining that licence should be more than a formality. Beyond the Licence: CBCT Use Licensing and Fundamentals of Interpretation Workshop ensures it isn't.

This comprehensive hands-on workshop covers everything required to sit the Queensland CBCT Use Licence examination — radiation theory, image acquisition principles, clinical applications, radiation dosage, and the relevant legal framework — alongside supervised practical experience in patient positioning and operation of a CBCT unit in demo mode. The morning session can be attended by dental assistants with a Cert IV (Radiology), dental therapists, dental hygienists, dentists and dental specialists.

What sets this course apart is what happens after the exam. The afternoon session introduces participants to the fundamentals of systematic CBCT dataset interpretation — equipping every clinician with the foundational skills to recognise clinically significant pathology across the jaws, paranasal sinuses, upper cervical spine, and airways. These skills are not supplementary, they are essential for every clinician operating a CBCT unit.

Dr Lalla's approach is clear: obtaining a licence to operate the technology is only the beginning. Understanding what that technology is showing you is what transforms it into a genuine clinical asset.

Go Further: Beyond the Scan

For clinicians ready to take their Cone Beam CT skills to the next level, Beyond the Scan: Practical Cone Beam CT Interpretation for General and Specialist Dental Practice offers a full-day, specialist-led deep dive into systematic CBCT interpretation.

This is not a theoretical exercise. Drawing on real cases from Dr Lalla's specialist radiological reporting practice, the course builds a structured, reproducible interpretation framework covering the clinical applications most relevant to everyday dental practice — endodontics, implant planning, impacted teeth, and periodontics — alongside anatomy, pathology recognition, and imaging justification. Participants leave with a practical take-home reporting template and the confidence to approach every scan systematically, thoroughly, and with a clear understanding of when to act and when to refer.

Together, Beyond the Licence and Beyond the Scan represent a progressive curriculum in Cone Beam CT education — one that meets clinicians where they are and takes them where they need to be.

About the Presenter

Dr Yastira Lalla is a Dental and Maxillofacial Radiologist whose reporting practice encompasses Cone Beam CT, Medical CT, MRI, and plain films. Ahpra-registered and a Member of the Royal Australian College of Dental Surgeons, she holds a Bachelor of Dental Science, a Master of Philosophy in Oral Oncology, and a Doctorate of Clinical Dentistry in Dentomaxillofacial Radiology — all from the University of Queensland. She works at Queensland X-Ray and as a Senior Dental and Maxillofacial Radiologist at the Metro North Oral Health Centre in Brisbane, and has served as a visiting lecturer at Griffith University and examiner for Doctorate of Clinical Dentistry candidates at the University of Queensland.

Upcoming Dates

• Beyond the Scan: Practical Cone Beam CT Interpretation for General and Specialist Dental Practice — 22 August 2026, Brisbane
• Beyond the Licence: CBCT Use Licensing and Fundamentals of Interpretation Workshop — 1 October 2026, Brisbane

Both courses are available for registration through the ADAQ CPD events calendar at adaq.org.au.