Maryland State Dental Association

EMPOWER DENTAL PROFESSIONALS TO MAINTAIN THE HIGH ESTEEM AND RELEVANCE OF THE PROFESSION THROUGH ENGAGEMENTS THAT ENHANCE THE ART AND SCIENCE OF DENTISTRY AND BUILD UPON THE TRADITION OF EDUCATING AND PROMOTING PUBLIC HEALTH.

ANNUAL MEETING - THE ANNUAL MEETING OF MSDA IS THE ANNUAL CHESAPEAKE DENTAL CONFERENCE ("CDC") HELD EACH FALL. THE CDC PROVIDES A VENUE FOR MEMBERS TO EARN CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS THROUGH THE ROBUST LINEUP OF COURSES. THE CDC ALSO PROVIDES AMPLE TIME FOR MEMBERS TO NETWORK AND ATTEND SOCIAL EVENTS WITH THEIR PEERS.

ADVOCACY - MSDA LOBBIES ON BEHALF OF ITS MEMBERS AND THE PROFESSION ON ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE PRACTICE AND SCIENCE OF DENTISTRY. MSDA PRIMARILY LOBBIES/ADVOCATES FOR DENTAL ISSUES ON THE STATE LEVEL AND PARTNERS WITH THE AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION ("ADA") FOR NATIONAL ISSUES.PEER REVIEW / PATIENT RELATIONS - THE PEER REVIEW COMMITTEE SUPPORTS THE PROFESSION BY PROVIDING PEER MEDIATION SERVICES BETWEEN PROVIDER AND PATIENT IN CASES FOCUSED ON QUALITY OF CARE AND OTHER CLINICAL PROCEDURES. THE MSDA HAS A DEDICATED STAFF MEMBER TO SUPPORT THE PEER REVIEW COMMITTEE. THIS INDIVIDUAL WILL ANSWER AND RESOLVE AS MANY QUESTIONS/ISSUES AS POSSIBLE AND WILL TRIAGE AND SUPPORT THE CASES THAT REQUIRE ACTUAL MEDIATION. PUBLICATIONS / NEWSLETTER - ELEVEN TIMES A YEAR, THE MSDA PUBLISHES A MEMBERSHIP NEWSLETTER. THE NEWSLETTER IS AVAILABLE TO ALL MEMBERS DIGITALLY AND IN PRINT ON AN OPT-IN BASIS. THE MSDA SENDS REGULAR E-BLASTS, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, TEXT MESSAGING, AND UPDATES THROUGH THE WEBSITE ON VARIOUS EVENTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION.ADA REPRESENTATION - LIKE MSDA, THE ADA IS GOVERNED BY ITS HOUSE OF DELEGATES. THE ADA HOUSE OF DELEGATES IS COMPRISED OF MEMBERS FROM EACH STATE (DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES) THAT MEET ANNUALLY AT THE ADA MEETING TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THE ADA. EACH YEAR THE MSDA WILL ELECT ITS ALTERNATES FOR THE COMING YEAR AND ROUGHLY ONE THIRD OF ITS ALLOCATED DELEGATES FOR A THREE-YEAR TERM.COUNCIL, COMMITTEE, AND LEGISLATION - MSDA IS ORGANIZED INTO STANDING AND AD-HOC COMMITTEES AND CHARGED WITH CONDUCTING THE ACTIVITIES OF MSDA TO ACHIEVE ITS MISSION. COMMITTEES ARE COMPRISED OF MSDA MEMBERS WITH A MSDA STAFF REPRESENTATIVE(S) ASSIGNED AS ITS LIAISON(S).DENTIST WELL BEING - MSDA IS THE DESIGNATED ASSOCIATION BY THE MARYLAND STATE BOARD OF DENTAL EXAMINERS TO ADMINISTER THE STATE REGULATED DENTIST WELL BEING PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE DENTISTS SUPPORT FOR RECOVERY FROM DRUG AND/OR ALCOHOL ABUSE, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH, AND OTHER POTENTIAL FACTORS THAT COULD HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE DENTIST'S PRACTICE. PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROGRAM ARE ANONYMOUS AND THE DENTIST WELL BEING PROGRAM SERVES AS A RESOURCE BEFORE A DENTIST REACHES THE POINT OF NEEDING TO BE BROUGHT TO THE STATE DENTAL BOARD'S ATTENTION AND, THEREFORE, RISKING LOSING HIS OR HER LICENSE.

MEMBERSHIP - MEMBERS OF THE MSDA ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LICENSED DENTISTS IN MARYLAND. MSDA 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 ("ADA"). THERE ARE TWELVE COMPONENT DENTAL SOCIETIES LOCATED THROUGHOUT MARYLAND AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY. THESE THREE ENTITIES MAKE UP THE TRIPARTITE MEMBERSHIP SYSTEM OF THE ADA: THE NATIONAL LEVEL, STATE LEVEL, AND LOCAL LEVEL. AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP IS AVAILABLE TO DENTISTS THAT ARE MEMBERS OF THE TRIPARTITE THROUGH ANOTHER STATE CONSTITUENT SOCIETY. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUALS OR COMPANIES THAT ARE NOT DENTISTS BUT ARE CONNECTED TO THE PROFESSION AND WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES OF MSDA.

CLASSROOM AND CONTINUING EDUCATION - COORDINATES AND MARKETS CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND SEMINARS FOR DENTISTS, HYGIENISTS, AND DENTAL ASSISTANTS; IDENTIFYING TOPICS, ARRANGING FOR SPEAKERS, AND IDENTIFYING SITE LOCATIONS. PREPARING INITIAL DRAFTS OF ALL FLYERS, AND BROCHURES FOR ALL MSDA EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. MSDA OFFERS CONTINUING EDUCATION IN-PERSON AT OUR OFFICE CLASSROOM, THE CHESAPEAKE DENTAL CONFERENCE, AND THE MEMBER PERKS CE RETREAT. THE MSDA ALSO OFFERS CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES VIRTUALLY.