Michigan Dental Association

What Michigan Dental Association does

Michigan Dental Association (MDA) is a private nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1856 and headquartered at 3657 Okemos Road, Suite 200, Okemos, Michigan. It represents more than 5,500 licensed dentists across Michigan and serves as the state's recognized oral health authority and constituent society of the American Dental Association. Its operations span member advocacy, continuing education, practice resources, career services, and consumer-facing oral health education delivered through the Smile Michigan consumer brand (smilemichigan.com), The Smile Connection blog, and social channels on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

The MDA's core products are non-technological: the Smile Michigan website and Smile Connection content hub, the Michigan Donated Dental Services program, the MDA Foundation and its annual Mission of Mercy free dental clinic (five consecutive years through 2024), an MDA Job Board hosted on Jobboard.io, an online store at store.michigandental.org, and a directory of free and reduced-fee dental programs in Michigan. Underlying infrastructure is standard off-the-shelf SaaS — Mailchimp for the monthly Journal eNews email newsletter, Jobboard.io for job postings, and referral routing to the ADA's Find-A-Dentist directory — with no proprietary technology platform, AI/ML systems, APIs, or patents disclosed.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring membership dues from Michigan dentists, supplemented by transaction-based sales from the online store and advertising/promotional content in the Journal eNews and other member communications. Specific dues rates are not publicly disclosed. The MDA Foundation and Mission of Mercy are funded through corporate sponsorships (e.g., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Delta Dental Foundation, DentaQuest/Sun Life, HAP CareSource, Dort Financial Credit Union for the 2024 event). The MDA is member-governed, has no parent company, and is not listed on any public exchange.

Name

Michigan Dental Association

Legal name

Michigan Dental Association

Website

https://smilemichigan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1856

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Michigan Dental Association is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1856 representing over 5,500 member dentists in Michigan, providing advocacy, continuing education, consumer oral-health education through the Smile Michigan brand, and charitable programs including the annual Mission of Mercy free dental clinic.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Dental Association Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Offices of Dentists (621210)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Dental Equipment & Supplies (3843)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Public Health Dentistry Clinics (FQHC/School-Based/Nonprofit) (HLABAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

General Dentistry Group Practices (HLABAKAB)

Keywords

• Professional dental association
• Dental advocacy services
• Oral health education
• Dental workforce resources
• Community dental programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Okemos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The MDA generates revenue primarily through membership dues from dentists practicing in Michigan. The association serves over 5,500 member dentists with various member benefits, resources, and advocacy services.
2. Store Sales: MDA operates an online store at store.michigandental.org selling dental-related products and materials to members.
3. Newsletter and Communications: The MDA uses its monthly Journal eNews and other electronic communications to alert members to information, products, services, events and other opportunities, which may include promotional content.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Michigan Dental Association (MDA) is a private, nonprofit professional membership association representing over 5,500 licensed dentists across Michigan. It provides advocacy on oral health policy, continuing education, practice resources, and member services for dental professionals, while also operating public-facing initiatives including the Smile Michigan consumer website, The Smile Connection educational blog, the Michigan Donated Dental Services program, and the MDA Foundation Mission of Mercy free dental clinic events serving uninsured and underserved Michigan residents.

Product overview

The Michigan Dental Association operates primarily as a professional membership organization rather than a technology company. Its core offerings include the Smile Michigan consumer-facing website, The Smile Connection oral health blog, MDA Foundation charitable programs, Michigan Donated Dental Services, and MDA Mission of Mercy free clinic events. Additional resources include educational content on dental insurance, career information for dental professionals (RDA and RDH programs), and community dental program directories. The MDA also provides a job board for dental professionals and connects consumers with member dentists through an ADA-powered referral tool.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Smile Michigan: Consumer-facing brand of the Michigan Dental Association serving as the oral health resource for Michigan residents, featuring the 'Smile Connection' blog with oral health articles.
• Smile Connection

Products and services

• MDA Membership Paid annual membership for licensed dentists practicing in Michigan, providing access to advocacy representation, professional resources, continuing education, networking, and member benefits. The MDA represents over 5,500 member dentists across the state.
• MDA Job Board Online job posting platform connecting dental employers with job-seeking dental professionals including dentists, registered dental hygienists, and registered dental assistants. Powered by Jobboard.io.
• MDA Online Store E-commerce store operated at store.michigandental.org selling dental-related products and materials to MDA members.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American Dental Association (ADA)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe MDA directs consumers to the ADA's Find-A-Dentist tool to locate local MDA member dentists. The ADA also maintains a directory of dentists accessible through the MDA website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Dental Association: The national professional association for U.S. dentists, of which MDA is a constituent society. Directly comparable as a dental professional membership body providing advocacy, education, and member services at the national scale that MDA operates at within Michigan.

Direct peers

• California Dental Association: State-level professional dental association serving California dentists with advocacy, continuing education, and member resources. Directly comparable in mission, structure, and revenue model to MDA at the state level.
• New York State Dental Association: State professional association for New York dentists providing advocacy, education, and member benefits. Same constituent-society model under ADA as MDA, with comparable member services and policy advocacy function.
• Texas Dental Association: Constituent society of the ADA serving Texas dentists with legislative advocacy, continuing education, and member resources. Directly comparable state-level dental association peer to MDA.
• Florida Dental Association: Florida's statewide professional dental association providing advocacy, education, and member services to member dentists — directly parallel to MDA's role in Michigan.
• Ohio Dental Association: Ohio's state dental association offering advocacy, continuing education, and practice resources to member dentists in a Midwest geography closely adjacent to MDA's Michigan territory.
• Illinois State Dental Society: State dental society serving Illinois dentists with advocacy, member benefits, and professional development — directly comparable Midwest state-level peer to MDA.
• Pennsylvania Dental Association: Pennsylvania's constituent dental society under the ADA, providing advocacy, education, and member services to state-licensed dentists in a similar operational structure to MDA.

Regional players

• Indiana Dental Association: Indiana's state dental association, a regional peer serving a geographically adjacent state to Michigan with a similar Midwest dentist demographic and member-driven nonprofit association model.
• Wisconsin Dental Association: Wisconsin's statewide dental association, a regional peer operating in a neighboring state to Michigan with comparable membership, advocacy, and continuing education offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MichDentists
• Facebookfacebook.com/MichiganDentalAssociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/smilemichigan
• Xx.com/MIDentalAssoc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Michigan Dental Association