Organized dentistry
Missouri Dental Association
The state dental association for Missouri dentists, a non-profit professional organization founded in 1865 that is the state level of the ADA's three-tier structure.
The Missouri Dental Association, or MDA, is the state dental association for Missouri. It describes itself as a non-profit, professional organization founded in 1865, with more than 2,000 members statewide, representing all areas of dentistry. It calls itself a unified organization of individual members committed to the highest quality of care for the public.
The MDA is a state component of the tripartite structure of organized dentistry. Members belong to the American Dental Association and to a local component dental society. It also works on advocacy, education and member services.
The MDA is separate from the Missouri Dental Board, which licenses dentists. This entry is a general definition.