General Information

Registration

• Attendee pre-registration. View course descriptions and register for badges/tickets.
• Exhibitor badge pre-registration. Register all exhibitor booth employees (badges only).
• View course descriptions only. Course handouts will not be available on site at McCormick Place. Those MWM speakers who have provided course handouts available as a PDF download will feature the Acrobat logo next to their course title in the Course Directory.
• Download and print paper registration form.
• Alter your registration. To add staff to your registration.

Special Needs

To arrange for special assistance at the Midwinter Meeting, call Scootaround toll free at 888.441.7575. Service is available 24 hours a day; 72-hour notification is required. Carts reserved in advance can be retrieved at the main coat check located on Level 2, Hall E. Wheelchair-accessible entrances and elevators are marked on the map of McCormick Place. Wheelchairs are allowed in the exhibit area. Additionally, any individual requiring services recognized by the Americans with Disabilities Act, such as services for the hearing impaired, are encouraged to contact the Chicago Dental Society, Director of Scientific Programs, Aloysius Kleszynski, DDS, in writing by e-mail at akleszynski@cds.org, or fax 312.836.7329, no later than the final date of pre-registration for the Midwinter Meeting.

Do You Wear A Pacemaker?

If so, we suggest that you avoid being near demonstrations of:

• Electrosurgery
• Ultrasonics
• Induction casting
• Electronically controlled timers
• Electronic pulp testers
• Wireless intercom systems
• Ultraviolet curing units
• Microwave ovens
• Electronic spot welders
• Any arcing electric motors

These demonstrations could cause an erratic performance of the pacemaker.

City-wide Smoking Ban

To comply with the Chicago Indoor Clean Air Ordinance enacted by the Chicago City Council in 2005, McCormick Place is a smoke-free facility. There are no designed smoking areas at McCormick Place. All employees, attendees, clients and vendors will have to step outside the buildings to smoke.

No Baby Strollers, Wheeled Luggage

Baby strollers and wheeled luggage are not allowed on the exhibit floor.

Food Service At McCormick Place

Be sure to visit the main restaurant located on Level 2, Hall E, behind Registration. For other restaurants in McCormick Place, please see the Daily Review for restaurant hours and menu selections. All food prices will be posted in the main restaurant.

Daily Review

Presenting news, events and product promotions, pick up your complementary copy of the Daily Review in bins throughout the meeting hall.

Complementary Tote Bags

Redeem your tote bag tickets (included in your registration credentials) for a complementary tote bag on Level 2, Hall E.

Baggage Service

McCormick Place offers a Baggage Airline Guest Service (BAGS), which will be located in the Coat Check area during the Midwinter Meeting. For a fee, travelers can check into their flight and receive a boarding pass – all while still at McCormick Place.

Dinner Reservations

You can make a dinner reservation for any of Chicago’s fabulous restaurants while you are at the Midwinter Meeting. Look for the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau’s booth near Coat Check on Level 2, Hall E, for dinner reservations and other information about the city. This service is available 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Accessing The Exhibit Floor

Your badge is your ticket to the Exhibit Hall. If you do not register for the meeting or do not display your badge, you will not be admitted to the Exhibit Hall. The Exhibit Hall is open Feb. 27-March 1. The hours of the exhibition are:

• Friday-Saturday, Feb. 27-28, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
• Sunday, March 1, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Exhibit-Only passes are available to ADA dentists, international dentists and non-ADA dentists who wish to visit the Exhibit Hall only. The pass is only sold onsite at McCormick Place. Certain rules apply:

• ADA and international dentists will be charged $55 per day to visit the Exhibit Hall.
• Non-ADA dentists will be charged $150 per day to visit the Exhibit Hall.
• The pass does not allow entry into any course room, including free course rooms.
• No refunds are given even if you initially purchased a badge but only attend the exhibits.
• CDS member and associate member dentists need not purchase this pass. Your registration badges allow you access to the exhibit floor.

Minors who are not accompanied by a parent or guardian are not allowed into the Exhibit Hall. The Chicago Dental Society reserves the right to deny a child admission to, and to remove a child and their accompanying parent or guardian from, the exhibition floor when the child conducts himself or herself in a manner that disrupts other attendees.

Continuing Education Credit

The Chicago Dental Society is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. As such, specific continuing education (CE) credit may be awarded for courses presented. CE Certification Stations are located in General Registration (located on Level 2, Hall E). CDS will also have generic forms for documenting course accreditation on counters throughout the General Registration area. The State of Illinois has instituted mandatory continuing education requirements for dentists and dental hygienists. To verify attendance and obtain CE credit, the attendee must record the code number announced at the end of each session on an appropriate form. It is the responsibility of the individual to obtain this code, complete the form and retain all CE documentation.

The Chicago Dental Society is not responsible for tracking CE for its convention attendees, nor does the Chicago Dental Society keep attendance records. However, MWM attendees can download their CE credits from paid courses and those F Courses for which they registered at the CDS Web site, www.cds.org, free of charge through April 30, 2009. You will need your course numbers, CE codes and your convention number (found on your registration badge). There will be a $25 charge for this service beginning May 1, 2009. This service will be available starting in March.

Members of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) should obtain forms for continuing education credit directly from the AGD headquarters office.

Each state’s requirements for documentation and verification of course credits differs. It is the responsibility of each participant to verify the requirements of his/her state licensing board(s). Some programs at the Midwinter Meeting are not accepted for credit. For example, the State of Illinois does not accept CE hours for estate planning, financial planning, investments or personal health. CDS includes these topics because of their value to those attending. We encourage you to attend these courses for the personal benefits.

Tickets Required For Each Course

Since 2004, all courses, including F courses, are ticketed. Internet pre-registration guarantees you a seat in any paid course.

Hands-on Participation Courses

Participation courses provide opportunities to handle and manipulate materials, equipment and instruments, and to practice techniques under the supervision of an expert clinician. Participation courses are scheduled for full- or halfday sessions. Some participation courses have a mandatory lecture as part of the presentation (these courses are marked with an “M”). Seats are reserved for those taking the mandatory participation courses; however, as a service to the membership, the remaining seats may be offered without charge or with a ticketed fee. Room capacity is limited and seats are available on a first-come, first-seated basis. Registration fees vary with each course, depending on the supplies that are necessary, the capacity of the room and the ability of the instructor to give close attention and supervision to the registrants. Some courses require the participant to bring instruments or materials from the office. Please check schedules and tickets carefully for such information.

Paid Courses

The ticketed paid courses assure you a seat, as well as cutting-edge information on a particular subject. The charge is $60 ($75 on-site) per half-day program.

Lectures And Panels

Lectures are either full- or half-day sessions. Panels are group presentations on a subject or theme of common interest to all panelists. Questions from the audience are encouraged. Panelists are listed alphabetically, not necessarily in the order in which they will speak.

Free Courses

Only your registration badge is required to obtain a ticket at the door for admittance to F Courses. Those who request tickets to F Courses during pre-registration will be seated first if they arrive before the published start time of the course. Those without tickets will be seated according to available space. When the room is filled, no more people will be admitted because of fire department regulations. If you have not pre-registered for an F Course, please be prepared to select an alternate session to attend. Many sessions are recorded, enabling you to hear the program later if you are unable to attend the live session and wish to acquire the CD.

Special Interest Programs

These programs are designed for dentists, hygienists, assistants, laboratory technicians, office staff, spouses and guests. They offer universal subject appeal. This year’s special interest programs offer something for everyone.

Meeting Old Friends At MWM?

Try one of these easy to spot locations:

• Main Information Center: Level 2, Lobby
• Coat Check: Level 2, Hall E
• Internet Stations (Thursday-Sunday): Lakeside Ballroom, Level 3

Official Disclaimer

The Chicago Dental Society endorses neither speaker content nor products presented during the scientific program. Any references by speakers to products, equipment and techniques are the opinions of the speakers.

Repeat Courses

Many of our courses are repeated during the meeting to enable as many people to attend as possible. Repeat courses are denoted with an “R”. For example, P07R is a repeat of course P07. Those courses that are repeated more than once will be designated with a number such as P07R2, which means this is the second repeat of the course P07.

MWM Special Events

Tickets are required for special events. Please make certain that you order your special event tickets at the same time you order your scientific program tickets.