Page Comparison

attendees,
registered attendees

• preferred term for those who attend and participate in CDA Presents conventions

attendees, participants

• preferred term for those who participate in online events and courses; not users

California Dental Association app

• the app for CDA Presents, with app lowercase, is preferred; however, should always reflect naming in app stores

• available in the App Store or Google Play

• note: App content is specific to CDA Presents in-person conventions

California dental schools

• For speaker biographies, dental schools should be listed as follows:

  • California Northstate University

  • Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry

  • Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC

  • Loma Linda School of Dentistry

  • UCLA School of Dentistry

  • UCSF School of Dentistry

  • Western University College of Dental Medicine

cda.org/cdapresents

• convention landing page, always lowercase; in general, use without “www.” prefix

• pages are integrated into cda.org; cdapresents.com now redirects to cda.org/cdapresents

• as of fall 2023, no longer using locations as short urls (i.e., cda.org/ANA); can use cda.org/cdapresents or link directly to details on Attendees page at cda.org/Home/Education-and-Events/CDA-Presents/Attendees

#cdaPresents

• official hashtag of CDA Presents in-person conventions; not city-specific (note capitalization)

CDA Presents 360º

• no longer in general use. It may still appear in some logo lockups or URLs but not in copy

• originally positioned as the overarching brand for CDA’s suite of learning options, encompassing conventions, the Online Learning catalog, live learning events and future offerings

• please note that marketing and communications should reference the specific program (CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry, CDA Presents Online Learning, etc.) and “360” is not part of program or offering names

CDA Presents Online Learning

• the name of our set of offerings that deliver live, virtual and on-demand education through a dentistry-centered online course catalog or through select online events

• can use CDA Presents Online Learning on first reference and Online Learning thereafter; depending on context, can use simply Online Learning

• while Docebo is the Online Learning platform, neither the term learning management system nor LMS nor Docebo is used on public-facing communications

• as TDIC also uses the Docebo platform, be mindful of audience/segment and avoid phrasing that would cause confusion

CDA Presents On-Site Program

• the guide is designed to help attendees navigate their on-site experience; offered as a condensed printed publication with schedule and map (attendees are also directed to mobile planning tools)

• if offered digitally, refer to as CDA Presents On-Site Program on first use and simply on-site program (lowercase) thereafter

CDA Presents Program

• the preliminary program is no longer offered as a printed/mailed publication (attendees are directed to online and mobile planning tools)

• if offered digitally or referencing a past program, CDA Presents Program on first use and simply program (lowercase) thereafter

CDA Presents Study Clubs

• the name of our past education offerings that delivered deep-dive, small-group learning on specific areas of dentistry in a combination of in-person and virtual sessions

• can use CDA Presents Study Clubs on first reference and Study Club or Study Clubs thereafter; depending on context, can simply use Study Clubs

• note that study clubs (lowercase) may be used if referring to the concept rather than a CDA offering

CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry

• no longer italicized; spell out “and” (no ampersand)

• in headlines and in short copy, CDA Presents alone is sufficient; can also use CDA’s convention as appropriate in context

• full name is used when possible; however, for audiences familiar with the convention, CDA Presents is sufficient

• otherwise, when possible, use the full name on the first reference and then CDA Presents thereafter

continuing education, C.E.

• generally referred to as C.E., not capitalized when spelled out

• may use C.E. on first reference

• when using the acronym, capitalize and punctuate: C.E. (C.E. credits, C.E.-eligible, etc.)

convention

• depending on context, can often use CDA’s convention or the convention without using CDA Presents

• convention is the preferred description; do not use session, show, tradeshow or conference
  (however, show may be used with exhibitor audience only)

• meeting may also be used but is generally not applied in marketing communications

convention location

• moved to a single, large-scale event in 2024, the location name will not be needed as a differentiator

• do not use Spring and Fall or South and North as identifiers for in-person convention

• city and year are not part of the convention name; use in supporting copy or graphic elements

• the location of CDA's convention in Southern California is the Anaheim Convention Center

Cool Products

• descriptor of the section of the exhibit hall at the live convention that is dedicated to showcasing new and remarkable products; capitalize

courses

• term for educational offerings that encompass both lectures and workshops

course content 

• write descriptions in future tense (“you will learn crown lengthening…,” “this course will cover…,” etc.)

• rewrite content so it speaks to the reader directly; for instance, instead of “attendees will learn” use “you will learn,” “you and your team,” etc.

• rewrite content to improve clarity and readability, if necessary

• be mindful of the intended audience, whether students, practice owners or the whole team, so that the messaging is relevant

course names / titles 

• use title case for consistency, even when there is a subtitle after a colon (Periodontics 101: The Future Is Now)

• when in doubt, try this title case converter (AP style)

• exclamation marks should not be used in titles

• in most cases, replace an em dash (—) in titles with a colon

• when possible, and in collaboration with the presenter, ensure course titles are not overly long (as can be an impediment to some marketing channels) and clearly differentiate the course from others

credit, unit

• can be used interchangeably if consistent within the same document

dates

• abbreviate months Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. in publications per AP style
  (Sept. 9, 2022)

• months do not need to be abbreviated in marketing materials (direct mail, emails, etc.), but formatting should be consistent within each marketing piece

• date ranges should be separated by an en dash with no space on either side (Sept. 8–10, 2022).

• in channels where an en dash is not available as a character, (such as social posts or email subject lines), use a simple dash

Dental Team Summit

• the name of a new education offerings, launched in 2024, that delivers a full-day, interactive experience for the whole dental team

• can use Dental Team Summit on first reference and Summit hereafter; depending on context, use Dental Team Summit in <City Name>

early career dentists

• in general, term for those in their first 10 years of practicing dentistry

• avoid “new dentist” when possible, as it can be received pejoratively

exhibit hall

• use exhibit hall, lowercase, when referring to the exhibit area at CDA Presents

• exhibit hall floor may also be used; do not use expo

• the words tradeshow and show are permitted only in exhibitor-specific communications and should be limited in use; tradeshow is never to be used in communications directed to dentists, as dentistry is a profession and not a trade

 exhibitor(s)

• the term exhibitor, not vendor, is preferred

Hands-on Workshops

• the name of a new education offering, launched in 2024, that deliver deep-dive, small-group learning on specific areas of dentistry at multi-day events in premier destinations

• can use Hands-on Workshops on first reference and workshops thereafter; depending on context, can use the name of the specific study club (note that capitalization may differ situationally, based on design, aesthetics or format)

• note that hands-on workshops (lowercase) should be used if referring to the concept (such as workshops at CDA Presents) rather than the new CDA offering

learning, eLearning

• in general, the simple word learning can be used instead of online learning or eLearning, as our platforms are intended to reduce barriers to access and create engagement with education regardless of format

• if used comparatively or to illustrate differences/aspects of the experience, can be expressed as live virtual or on-demand, as applicable (for example: “… can attend in Anaheim this spring or through virtual livestream courses…”)

learning objectives 

• use parallel construction: Each objective should be a complete and punctuated sentence like this

• start each bullet/objective with an active verb: Learn about caries risk management. Develop your patient-selection criteria. Improve your intraoral camera techniques.

• focus on communicating what the attendee will learn, not what the speaker is teaching; consider what a participant will know or do differently after course completion

lectures

• preferred term for convention presentations that are offered at no cost to attendees

live, real-time

• in general, live can be used to describe an event taking place in person or online if it is happening in real time.

• real-time/real time can be used to describe programs that are happening live virtually

• on-demand can be used to describe programs that are accessible at the user’s convenience

livestream

• livestreamcan be used to describe an event that is taking place synchronously (real time) and online

• note: the term “virtual convention” was used when only a remote experience was offered; when the convention is offered synchronously in both in-person and virtual formats, prefer using convention alone and in-person experience/course or virtual experience/course as a qualifying descriptor

New Speaker Series

• name for Express Lectures, wherein speakers debut at CDA’s convention. Their reception determines future presentation opportunities

Now + Next in Dentistry events

• the name of a series of events, launched in 2023, that are fun meetups across the state geared toward early career dentists

• can use Now + Next in Dentistry or Now + Next event on first reference and Now + Next or simply  event thereafter; depending on context

ongoing education

• while many of the offerings are C.E.-eligible, some are not; when describing learning offerings as a whole, use ongoing education or other expansive descriptors of the benefit

Online Learning

See CDA Presents Online Learning entry.

platform, environment, experience

• in general, platform is used to describe the technical/functional home of the LMS (for example: “… sign in to our innovative platform to access…” or “our learning library is moving to a new platform…”)

• environment and experience are appropriate marketing descriptors for Docebo (for example: “… as a member, benefit from an enhanced learning experience …” or “… access a robust lineup of courses across learning formats and dentistry topics in an interactive environment…”)

schedule planner

• online tool for reviewing C.E. offerings and speakers, separate from registering for courses

Showcase Theater

• name for corporate forum at virtual events, where sponsored or in-house speaker presentations are hosted

speakers, moderators and presenters

• in general, on primary or first use, the first and last name should be followed by professional designations and academic credentials (John Doe, DDS); do not use Dr. Doe on first reference

• exception: May use Dr. or Drs. in headlines and photo captions for brevity, e.g., Drs. Smith, Jones and Green attend the CDA Party

• per ADA style, use only academic credentials with a person’s name; do not use fellow credential abbreviations

• in second reference, use Dr. Smith, Mr. Jones, etc., and then only the last name in subsequent references

students

• term for students enrolled in California’s seven dental schools; also dental students

Study Clubs / study clubs

See CDA Presents Study Clubs entry.

The Spot

• the area of the exhibit hall at live conventions that is home to drop-in lectures and areas to network, recharge and relax

• capitalize and always use with The; when in two locations, refer to as The Spot in <location>, never Spots

times

• format times consistently, using a colon and minutes only when needed (7 a.m., 7:30 a.m.; not 7:00 a.m.)

• in general, a space follows the last digit of the time, then a.m. or p.m. (with punctuation, not am or pm); however, am or pm may be used in specific digital channels for design simplicity

• time ranges should be separated by an en dash (7–7:30 a.m.); if both times in the range fall in the a.m. or p.m., a.m. or p.m. only needs to follow the second time

• noon may be used in lieu of 12 p.m.

titles

• when an official title immediately precedes the individual’s name, capitalize

• when the title follows the individual’s name, lowercase; job descriptions are always lowercase

• see the course descriptions section for additional guidelines on professional designations and degrees

workshops

• preferred term for convention courses that are hands-on and fee based