Program areas at MSDA
Annual meeting - the annual meeting of the 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.
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. The msda offers continuing education both in-person at our office classroom, the chesapeake Dental conference and the member perks ce retreat. The msda also offers continuing education courses virtually.
Membership - members of the msda are individuals that are licensed dentists in Maryland. Affiliate and associate memberships are also available for individuals and organizations that are connected to oral health and dentistry and wish to participate in events and activities of the State Dental Association. 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. 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.
Advocacy - the msda lobbies on behalf of its members and the profession on issues that are important to the future practice and science of dentistry. The msda primarily lobbies/advocates for Dental issues on the State level and partners with the american Dental Association ("ada") for national issues.
Publications/newsletter - eleven times a year, the msda publishes a membership newsletter. The newsletter is available digitally to all members and in print on an opt-in basis.
Dentist well being - the 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.
Council and committee - the 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). The msda board of trustees meetings at least four times a year (february, may, july, and november) and is the administrative body of the organization. The board is composed of the executive committee (president, president-elect, past president, vice president, vice president-elect, secretary, editor, treasurer, speaker of the house, and executive director) and twelve (12) trustees representing each of the msda's components. The university of Maryland school of dentistry american student Dental Association ("asda") has a representative on the board. The msda house of delegates meets annually, usually in conjunction with the chesapeake Dental conference to conduct the business of the Association. The house of delegates is comprised of elected members from each component. The house of delegates is the governing body of the Association.
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.
Ada representation - like the msda, the american Dental Association ("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.