A Deeper Look Into Oral Lesions: A Lecture Series

April 10, 2026 2:00 PM - 06:00 PM (GMT)

The American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology is hosting the 2026 Annual Meeting in Denver. While they are in town, the Colorado Academy of General Dentistry has partnered with 3 of their members to provide an interesting continuing education course on a variety of oral lesions. This 4-hour continuing education course will be held on Friday, April 10, 2026 from 8:00AM – 12:00 PM. Registration starts at 7:30 am. Location will be the First Floor Conference Room of 188 Inverness Dr., West, Englewood, Co. 80112. This is the Building that houses The Trust, DENTISTS PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY TRUST OF COLORADO, that many of us have. Thank you to Dr. David Geck for sharing the conference room for this event.

This is an in person event, but for those of you who would like to attend, but are too far away, we will have the opportunity to watch in real time on Zoom. You must register for the Zoom link. We will send out the Zoom link to your email 1 day prior to event (4/9/2026). You will be allowed to ask questions in the chat. And we will ask you questions throughout the lectures, to make sure you are still with us.

Join us on Sunday, April 12, 2026 for an “Unofficial” 2026 Dash for Detection sponsored by the Student AGD from CU School of Dentistry at City Park to raise recognition about this important disease: Head and Neck Cancer.

The Oral Pathology Lecture Series:

Speaker #1: Catherine M. Flaitz DDS, MS

Title: All Oral Lesions Are Not Painted with the Same Brush - Skin Color Matters

Course Description:

Diagnosing oral mucosal lesions is always a challenge but it can be trickier when patients of color have physiologic oral pigmentation that that may mask, distract, or change the “classic” appearance of common and important oral diseases. Case-based scenarios will compare and contrast the role of melanin pigmentation on the appearance of select oral lesions. In diverse communities, some of our patients do not match textbook images when they seek oral health care.

Objectives:

This course is designed to improve the participant’s ability to describe the role of oral inflammation and other causes in triggering reactive melanosis. In addition, the clinician will be able to compare and contrast how melanin pigmentation affects the clinical appearance of common and important oral lesions.

Brief Bio:

Dr. Catherine Flaitz is clinical professor and chair, Division of Diagnostic Sciences, University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine and consultant faculty, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Children’s Hospital Colorado and Denver Health, Pediatric Dental Residency Program. In addition, she is the faculty representative, Academic Leadership Council for the Center for Bioethics and Humanities, CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Flaitz earned her dental degree from Creighton University and received specialty certification in both pediatric dentistry and oral and maxillofacial pathology from The University of Iowa College of Dentistry. She participates on multiple editorial boards including section editor for Pediatric Dentistry and past section editor for Journal of the American Dental Association. Presently, she is the vice president of the American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology and past president of the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, and serves as a consultant on the Council of Clinical Affairs of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Throughout her career, she has been a recipient of multiple professional awards, including the 2005 Texas Dentist of the Year Award from the Texas Academy of General Dentistry and, more recently, the 2023 Honorary Fellowship from the American Academy of Oral Medicine, and the 2023 Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award from the School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Flaitz is a prolific author including 2 color atlases on oral diseases.

Speaker #2: Richard J. Vargo DMD, MBA

Title: “It Hurts When I Eat Spicy Foods!”

Course Description:

This course presents a potpourri of oral pathology cases from patients who presented with the chief complaint of “It hurts when I eat spicy foods!”

Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to discuss different oral pathologies that present with the chief complaint of “It hurts when I eat spicy foods!”. In addition, they will critically analyze different management strategies for lesions associated with this specific chief complaint.

Brief Biography:

Dr. Richard J. Vargo is an oral and maxillofacial pathologist with the SSM Health SLUCare Physician Group at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, MO, where he maintains a clinical oral pathology practice in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and a surgical oral pathology practice in the Department of Dermatology. He is the Director of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at the St. Louis Dental Center and an Associate Professor and Director of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at A.T. Still University – Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health, where he has received several awards for his didactic and clinical teaching. He also serves as an adjunct assistant professor at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine and as a part-time faculty member at the Mercy Hospital St. Louis General Practice Residency.

Dr. Vargo received his undergraduate degree with distinction from the University of Virginia, graduating early in 2010. He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine in 2015, where he received numerous awards and honors, including the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dr. William S. Kramer Award of Excellence. Subsequently, he completed a residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and earned diplomate status with the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology in 2018. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, the American Academy of Oral Medicine, and the International College of Dentists. He completed his MBA with a Healthcare Administration Specialization at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business in 2022.

Dr. Vargo has lectured extensively to oral healthcare providers across the country on various oral pathology topics. He has authored and co-authored numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals, has presented his work both nationally and internationally, and has served as a peer reviewer for several national and international journals. He maintains an active oral pathology social media presence on Instagram as @STLOralPathology.

Speaker #3: John W. Hellstein DDS, MS

Title: Remember the 5 Ps but Wait - There Is More

Course Description:

This course will review the "5P's" of the gingiva which are by far the most common mass of the gingivae. The 5P's include: pyogenic granuloma, peripheral odontogenic fibroma, peripheral ossifying fibroma, peripheral giant cell granuloma and the "plain old" fibroma. In addition, we will cover some of the peripheral odontogenic cysts and neoplasms, a few mesenchymal neoplasms, as well as malignancies.

Objectives:

At the end of the course the participants will be able to recognize the wide diversity of possible gingival neoplasms and be better able to put their most likely differential diagnostic thoughts in a reasonable order of certainty.

Brief Biography:

Dr John W. Hellstein graduated from the School of Dentistry at University of Missouri at Kansas City in 1982. He received an M.S. in Stomatology and a Certificate in Oral Pathology from the University of Iowa in 1991. Since 2002, he has been appointed within the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Medicine and Radiology and is currently Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at the University of Iowa.

Current interest has centered on osteochemonecrosis of the jaws and he was part of past ADA “Expert panels” on the subject. Recent book chapters have centered on vesiculo-ulcerative diseases of the oral cavity as well as odontogenic cysts and tumors.

During a 20-year military career he served with the U.S. Army Dental Corps in many capacities and he retired as a Colonel in 2002. His past and present professional positions include: Chair and vice chair ADA Council on Scientific Affairs, President AAOMP, President and Director American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Director of Education AAOMP. Commissioner on Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) He is also on the Medical Advisory Board for the Basal Cell Carcinoma Nevus Syndrome Organization. His current professional memberships include: Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Fellow of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Member of the American Dental Association, Member of the American Dental Educators Association.

Cancellation Policy- No refund

Dash for Detection: Oral Cancer Awareness 5K

Join our UNOFFICIAL Dash for Detection Walk

GOOD NEWS!

We are hosting an “Unofficial” 2026 Dash for Detection.

EVEN BETTER NEWS!

We have partnered with the American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology who is holding their annual meeting in Denver at the same time.

We are keeping it simple this year without a lot of fanfare but with much enthusiasm.  We feel strongly about coming together to honor our advocacy mission and raise awareness for the importance of early oral cancer detection. Community is at the heart of this race — and we are fortunate to align with this dental specialty organization to make it even more meaningful.

Event Details:
Time: 7:00 AM
Date: Sunday, April 12
Location: City Park Pavilion (2001 Steele St, Denver, CO 80205)
Cost: Free (donations are welcome and appreciated)

We’ll gather at 7:00 AM for breakfast burritos and coffee, and begin our walk promptly at 7:30 AM as we walk in solidarity for oral cancer awareness.

We encourage everyone to wear a previous Dash for Detection shirt or a maroon shirt, the color dedicated to oral cancer awareness.

Please take a moment to complete this interest form so we can plan accordingly and order the right amount of food: https://forms.gle/Fwv1VVnLNWsvEYBg9

We hope to see you there as we continue this important mission together.

Dash for Detection: Oral Cancer Awareness 5K

More Events