Hinman meeting canceled over coronavirus fears

The 2020 Thomas P. Hinman Meeting has been canceled over fears of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its potential spread. No plans were immediately released to have the meeting held at a later date this year.

The meeting had been scheduled for March 19-21 in Atlanta. According to show organizers, this will be only the third time in its 108-year history that the meeting has been canceled. In 1931, the meeting was canceled out of respect for the death of its founder, prominent Atlanta dentist Thomas P. Hinman, DDS. In 1933, the meeting was canceled due to the Great Depression.

The announcement came on Wednesday evening, as the Hinman joined meetings such as the Academy of Osseointegration annual meeting, which was scheduled to be held March 18-21 in Seattle, in canceling their gatherings out of health concerns. Other organizations, such as the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO), which had its annual meeting scheduled for March 11 in Maryland, have postponed their gatherings until a later date.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp recently said that he expects more cases to be confirmed in his state.

A list of dental meetings and cancellations can be found on the Dental Trade Alliance website.