What is the 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
- Charitable Outreach
- Continuing Education for Dentists
- Education for Non-Dentist Clinicians
- Patient Advocacy
- MSDA Endorsed Products
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.
Maryland State Dental Association Organizational Structure
The Maryland State Dental Association (MSDA) is part of the American Dental Association’s TRIPARTITE membership structure. When a dentist joins, their dues pay for their membership to the American Dental Association (ADA – National), the Maryland State Dental Association (MSDA – State or Constituent Society), and the local level component. Each part of the tripartite provides its own unique benefits and value. In Maryland, we have 12 components plus the University of Maryland School of Dentistry that makes up our Association. Components are comprised of one or more geographical counties in Maryland.
- Allegany-Garrett Dental Society (AGDS) – Allegany and Garrett Counties
- Washington County Dental Society (WCDS) – Washington County
- Frederick County Dental Society (FCDS) – Frederick County
- Carroll County Dental Society (CCDS) – Carroll County
- Howard County Dental Association (HCDA) – Howard County
- Anne Arundel County Dental Society (AACDS) – Anne Arundel County
- Baltimore City Dental Society (BCDS) – Baltimore City
- Baltimore County Dental Association (BCDA) – Baltimore County
- Harford-Cecil Dental Society (HCDS) – Harford and Cecil Counties
- Southern Maryland Dental Society (SMDS) – Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties
- Patuxent Dental Society (PDS) – Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties
- Eastern Shore Dental Society (ESDS) – Talbot, Dorchester, Somerset, Queen Anne’s, Worcester, Wicomico, Kent, and Caroline
Each component is unique and independent from the MSDA, although we try to work in concert with one another. Each component has its own bylaws, policies, board, committees, etc.
View the component map here!