What is MSDA?
The Maryland State Dental Association represents the dental profession's efforts to provide high quality and ethical oral health care to the public. It is the professional association for dentists in the state of Maryland, and a constituent of the American Dental Association. There are twelve component dental societies located throughout Maryland. These three entities make up the tripartite membership system of the ADA; the national level, state level, and local level.
The Maryland State Dental Association has been serving the dental community since 1883 in providing:
- Advocacy to Protect Oral Healthcare and the Profession
- Representation in Annapolis and D.C. to give dentists a voice in oral healthcare legislation to:
- Protect patients and oral healthcare standards
- Protect the profession and its future
- Representation in other state and local regulatory agencies
- Representation in Annapolis and D.C. to give dentists a voice in oral healthcare legislation to:
- Charitable Outreach - through our Foundation, we:
- Support the Missions of Mercy clinics in bringing free dental care to thousands of underserved people
- Make National Children’s Health Month donations
- Make Give Kids a Smile donations
- Provide a Relief Fund to dentists and their dependents in need
- Offer the Dentist Well Being program to dentists experiencing personal problems
- Provide volunteer opportunities
- Provide scholarships to promising dental students
- Continuing Education for Dentists – continuously offered at:
- MSDA classroom
- Annual Chesapeake Dental Conference
- DAC Gives Back meeting
- Access to Care Day
- Education for Non-Dentist Clinicians
- Basic dental assisting
- Radiology
- Expanded functions
- And others
- Patient Advocacy Programs
- Find a dentist referral program to connect patients with member dentists
- Peer review system for processing patient complaints
- MSDA Endorsed Products
- MSDA Endorsed connects members with trusted companies that support the profession and offer member discounts
Tripartite Organized Dentistry
What is tripartite organized dentistry?
As the ADA exists with a component on the national, state, and local level, it may be described as a tripartite association. To be a tripartite member, dentists must join all three of these levels. Each level within the tripartite sets its own dues, elects its own officers and directors, and makes decisions on the services and benefits it offers to its members.
What are key benefits of the tripartite structure?
It is mutually supportive, promotes unity in the dental profession, facilitates consistency, and encourages a unified voice. Association members are impacted by issues and regulations at the local, state, and national levels, and tripartite organized dentistry encourages joint advocacy at each level. This collaboration provides a powerful voice to speak on issues to improve public health, and the art and science of dentistry.
How many dentists are members of the tripartite?
About 157,000 dentists. This is approximately 70% of all the eligible dentists in the nation.