The 2026 FDI World Dental Congress (FDIWDC26), taking place in Prague in Czech Republic, from 4 to 7 September 2026, will bring together dental professionals, researchers and policymakers from around the world. Developed through collaboration between FDI, the Czech Dental Chamber, and scientific and clinical experts from across dentistry, the scientific programme will address both established clinical disciplines and areas of current development and professional importance, such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital technologies and workflows, advanced surgical technologies, prevention and sustainability. Dental Tribune International spoke with FDI Education Committee Chair Dr Antonio Estrada Valenzuela and FDIWDC26 scientific programme chairs Prof. Falk Schwendicke and Dr Roman Šmucler about the priorities that informed the scientific programme and what participants can expect in Prague.

FDI Education Committee Chair Dr Antonio Estrada Valenzuela. (Image: Dr Antonio Estrada)

Dr Estrada, what principles guided the development of the scientific programme for FDIWDC26, and what were your main priorities from the outset?
Dr Estrada: As the FDI Education Committee, we always seek to cover all fields of dentistry, selecting clinically relevant topics for both general practitioners and specialists attending the congress. In developing the FDIWDC26 programme, we also aimed to ensure broad international representation among the invited speakers, who are highly respected in their respective fields.

As for the priorities for this year’s congress, we added more slots for emerging topics of interest. These include digital dentistry and AI, which will be covered in two symposia and several individual lectures, as well as oral surgery, which will be covered in 13 individual lectures and one symposium.

The congress will bring together a global dental audience. How have you balanced international relevance with topics that matter strongly to Czech and regional participants?
Dr Estrada: When arranging an FDI World Dental Congress, the FDI Education Committee works very closely with the host country’s organising committee to create the scientific programme. This year, we worked closely with the Czech organising committee to identify topics important to local and international audiences, such as general dentistry, prosthodontics and periodontics, and many more. Our goal is to ensure that we offer a comprehensive programme for every attendee.

Prof. Falk Schwendicke is one of the 2026 FDI World Dental Congress scientific chairs. (Image: Prof. Falk Schwendicke)

What criteria guided the selection of speakers, and how have you ensured a strong mix of clinical expertise, scientific credibility and practical experience?
Prof. Schwendicke: When shaping the programme for FDIWDC26, our goal was to create a genuinely international and interdisciplinary programme that reflects both the scientific progress and the clinical realities of contemporary dentistry. Speaker selection was therefore guided by several key criteria: scientific credibility, clinical excellence, innovation and the ability to translate knowledge into practical application.

We intentionally combined internationally recognised researchers with highly experienced clinicians and opinion leaders from daily practice. This balance was important because dentistry advances most effectively when strong research evidence and real-world applicability come together. We looked not only at publication records and academic impact but also at whether speakers could communicate complex topics in a way that is useful for practitioners.

Another important aspect was speaker diversity in relation to discipline, region, career stage and perspective. The programme brings together experts in restorative dentistry, preventive care, oral surgery, prosthodontics, periodontics, public health, digital workflows and emerging technologies. This range of speakers is intended to encourage dialogue across traditional boundaries within dentistry.

Finally, every session was evaluated through one central question: what practical value will participants take back to their clinics, universities or healthcare systems? This helped ensure that the congress programme would be scientifically rigorous while also highly relevant to everyday patient care.

The programme highlights major areas of development, such as AI, digital dentistry and advanced treatment technologies. How did you determine which emerging topics should be given prominence this year?
Prof. Schwendicke: The programme has been designed around the major transformations that dentistry is undergoing globally. We focused on developments that are not simply technological trends, but that are already beginning to influence clinical decision-making, patient expectations, workflows and healthcare delivery.

AI has been given particular prominence because it is rapidly moving from theoretical discussion into practical implementation, for example in image analysis to support diagnosis, risk prediction and clinical decision support. At the same time, the use of AI raises important questions regarding ethics, regulation, education and professional responsibility, all of which require international discussion.

Digital dentistry is another central focus because digital workflows are increasingly becoming standard in many areas of care. These technologies include intra-oral scanning, CAD/CAM workflows for personalised prostheses and digital planning tools for guided implant treatment. Such tools and workflows are improving the efficiency and precision of care, as well as communication between clinicians, technicians and patients.

In determining priorities, we considered several factors: current scientific momentum, relevance to patient outcomes, adoption in clinical practice and long-term impact on the profession. We also paid close attention to topics that are likely to influence dental education and workforce development in the coming years.

Dr Roman Šmucler is one of the 2026 FDI World Dental Congress scientific chairs. (Image: Dr Roman Šmucler)

Importantly, we did not want the programme to address technology in isolation from clinical application. Innovation is meaningful only when it ultimately improves patient care and public health outcomes. The congress will therefore also emphasise prevention, sustainability, minimally invasive dentistry, ageing populations and equitable access to oral healthcare.

How did collaboration between FDI, the local organisers and the wider dental community shape the programme?
Dr Šmucler: Standard medical congresses can sometimes be a bit predictable. We did not want that; we wanted a wake-up call. FDI gave us a fantastic global canvas, but as local organisers, we brought the fireworks. We encouraged the experts involved in the programme to step outside familiar congress formats and contribute fresh perspectives. Instead of creating one large, predictable congress programme, we wanted to include more focused sessions that would allow specialised topics to be explored in greater depth. This was not simply a matter of inviting speakers; we looked internationally for experts who could challenge assumptions, contribute fresh perspectives and demonstrate approaches with clear relevance to clinical practice. This approach helped shape a stronger, more balanced and more relevant programme.

What do you hope participants will take away from the scientific programme this year?
Dr Šmucler: Dentistry is changing faster right now than at any time in the past 100 years. Between AI, robotics, changing disease patterns and the growth of large dental organisations, our profession is fundamentally transforming. We want attendees to leave Prague with a clearer understanding of how to respond to these changes rather than feel overwhelmed by them. Those who engage with these developments early will be better positioned to adapt, while those who don’t may find it increasingly difficult to keep pace. FDIWDC26 will offer an opportunity to explore where dentistry is heading and how dental professionals can respond in an informed and proactive way.

Editorial note:

More information about the 2026 FDI World Dental Congress can be found here.