Virginia Dental Association

What Virginia Dental Association does

The Virginia Dental Association (VDA) is a non-profit 501(c)(6) professional membership organization, founded in 1870 and headquartered at 4701 Cox Road, Suite 111, Glen Allen, Virginia (Henrico County). It represents nearly 4,000 dentists licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia and operates within the tripartite ADA/VDA/local-component structure alongside eight regional component societies (Tidewater, Peninsula, Southside, Richmond, Piedmont, Southwest Virginia, Shenandoah Valley, Northern Virginia). Its functional role is collective advocacy before the Virginia General Assembly, the Virginia Board of Dentistry, the Virginia Bureau of Insurance, and DMAS, combined with continuing education, practice support, peer review, and member-benefit services for dental professionals and their teams.

The VDA delivers a portfolio of member programs on a relatively conventional SaaS stack. The Virginia Dental Academy provides on-demand continuing education through PathLMS; the CART (Confidential Assessment and Review of Treatment) program, launched in 2024, codifies peer-review privilege under Virginia Code Section 8.01-581.17(iii); the Dental Insurance Grievance (DIG) Tracker runs on OpinionX; member credentialing is powered by CAQH ProView; member portal authentication flows through Salesforce; and the digital Virginia Dental Journal (transitioned fully online in September 2025) and The Fulcrum Podcast (Buzzsprout) round out the communications layer. Flagship events include the annual Virginia Dental Showcase (CE conference in September), Dental Days at the Capitol (advocacy day in Richmond), and the VDA/VCU Career Fair.

Commercially, the VDA funds its operations primarily through annual membership dues under a tripartite bundling model, supplemented by non-dues income from event registration, exhibit/sponsorship sales at the Showcase, journal and digital advertising, and partner programs such as VDA Member Perks, the WiseChoice Healthcare Alliance (group health insurance via Anthem), and SafeHaven wellness. Affiliate membership for front-office staff is offered free of charge to staff of VDA member dentists. Pricing for core dentist membership is not publicly disclosed and is processed through the vadental.org / joinvda.com enrollment flow. The organization is privately governed by a Board of Directors with elected officer leadership (President Dr. Marlon Goad, CEO Ryan Dunn) and operates an affiliated charitable arm, the VDA Foundation.

Name

Virginia Dental Association

Legal name

Virginia Dental Association

Website

https://vadental.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1870

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Virginia Dental Association is a non-profit 501(c)(6) professional membership organization representing nearly 4,000 dentists in the Commonwealth of Virginia, delivering advocacy, continuing education, peer review, and practice-support services through a tripartite ADA structure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Henrico

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The VDA operates as a non-profit 501(c)(6) professional organization representing dental professionals in Virginia. Revenue is generated through membership dues from dentists and affiliate members. The tripartite structure means members typically hold membership in three associations simultaneously (ADA, VDA, and local component society).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Virginia Dental Association (VDA) is a non-profit 501(c)(6) professional membership organization representing nearly 4,000 dentists licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Through a tripartite structure with the American Dental Association (ADA) and eight regional component societies, VDA delivers advocacy before the Virginia legislature and regulatory bodies, continuing education via the Virginia Dental Academy, practice support services (credentialing, peer review, CART legal protection program, Dental Insurance Grievance Tracker), member discounts (VDA Member Perks), workforce development initiatives, wellness resources (SafeHaven), and the Virginia Dental Journal.

Product overview

The Virginia Dental Association (VDA) is a professional membership organization representing nearly 4,000 dentists in Virginia as part of the tripartite ADA structure. Rather than a single product, VDA offers a portfolio of member benefits and programs including: the CART legal protection program for quality assurance reviews; the Virginia Dental Academy for continuing education via PathLMS; the Dental Insurance Grievance Tracker for advocacy; VDA Member Perks for discounts; Peer Review for patient mediation; and the Virginia Dental Journal. VDA also hosts events including the annual Virginia Dental Showcase CE event, Dental Days at the Capitol advocacy day, and VCU Career Fair. The organization provides Find A Dentist directory services and wellness programs like SafeHaven. Communications include The Fulcrum Podcast and various news alerts through the News Hub.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VDA Membership Professional membership organization for dentists in Virginia, affiliated with ADA through tripartite structure. Includes standard dentist membership and affiliate membership for front office staff of member practices.
• CART (Confidential Assessment and Review of Treatment) A member benefit program providing dental practices with legal protection for quality assurance reviews. CART allows practices to conduct honest evaluations of patient care incidents while maintaining privilege under Virginia Code.
• Virginia Dental Academy Online continuing education platform for Virginia dental professionals, providing courses on clinical topics, practice management, and regulatory compliance through PathLMS.
• The Fulcrum Podcast Podcast series covering Virginia dentistry news, featuring episodes on practice management, insurance issues, and legislative updates. Available on Buzzsprout.
• Dental Insurance Grievance (DIG) Tracker Online tool for collecting dental provider complaints about insurance carriers to identify patterns and advocate for legislative changes.
• VDA Member Perks Exclusive partnership program offering discounts on products and services from vendors supporting organized dentistry. Includes consultation with former office managers.
• Peer Review Mediation service for resolving patient concerns and disputes between patients and member dentists.
• Virginia Dental Journal Professional dental journal published by VDA, transitioned to digital format only since October 2024, with Journal Excellence Awards recognizing outstanding contributions.
• VDA Career Center Online career marketplace connecting dental employers with job seekers in Virginia, with discounted access for VDA members.
• Find A Dentist Public directory helping patients locate VDA member dentists in Virginia.
• SafeHaven Confidential wellness resource program providing dentists, dental hygienists and their families support for mental health, substance abuse, and burnout prevention.
• VDA PAC Political Action Committee for advancing dentistry through political contributions and advocacy at the state level.
• Virginia Dental Showcase Annual premier continuing education event for Virginia dental professionals held each September, featuring courses, exhibits, and networking opportunities.
• Dental Days at the Capitol Annual legislative advocacy event bringing dentists to Richmond to meet with legislators.
• VDA/VCU Career Fair Career fair connecting dental employers with dental students and new dentists from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry.
• Credentialing Service ADA credentialing service powered by CAQH ProView, enabling dentists to enter professional information once for digital credentialing with insurance carriers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 4000 member dentists served through advocacy, education, and practice support programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Dental Association (ADA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe VDA is affiliated with the ADA as part of the tripartite membership structure. A member of the ADA is typically a member of three associations simultaneously: ADA (national), VDA (state), and local component society. The VDA promotes ADA resources, credentialing services, and advocacy positions.
• Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough a partnership with DMAS, the VDA offers members personalized assistance with Medicaid claims. Dr. Zachary Hairston serves as VDA member dentist and DMAS Dental Consultant to help resolve Medicaid claim issues. Claim documents are submitted to [email protected].
• Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of DentistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVCU School of Dentistry is the only dental school in Virginia. The VDA collaborates with VCU to advocate for dentistry, hosts the VDA/VCU Career Fair (October 6), and supports planning for a new VCU School of Dentistry building. The VDA fosters a pipeline from VCU to organized dentistry.
• Virginia Bureau of InsuranceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe VDA recommends that members contact the Virginia Bureau of Insurance for help with denied claims, insurance problems, and determining patient benefits. The BOI assists with state-registered insurance companies and is a resource for VDA members facing insurance challenges.
• Virginia Board of DentistryminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe VDA maintains relations with the Virginia Board of Dentistry which regulates and licenses dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and related professionals. The VDA identifies opportunities for members to volunteer and serve.
• WiseChoice Healthcare Alliance (Virginia Chamber of Commerce)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe VDA partnered with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce's WiseChoice Healthcare Alliance to offer members an exclusive, self-funded group health insurance option through Anthem, designed for small businesses with 2-50 employees.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• California Dental Association: A large state-level tripartite dental society in California offering the same architecture of advocacy, CE, member benefits, and component society support as VDA. Operates a member services company and component structure that closely mirrors VDA's model.
• Texas Dental Association: State tripartite dental association serving Texas dentists with advocacy, continuing education, and member programs. Structurally and operationally comparable to VDA as a state-level professional association in a comparable regulatory environment.
• Illinois State Dental Society: State tripartite dental society serving Illinois dentists with advocacy, continuing education, and member benefits. Directly comparable in organizational structure and member services portfolio to VDA.
• Florida Dental Association: State-level tripartite dental society in Florida with analogous advocacy, CE, and member benefit portfolio. Comparable scope of services and tripartite structure to VDA.
• North Carolina Dental Society: State-level dental society for North Carolina dentists offering advocacy, CE, peer review, and member benefits in the same tripartite framework. Regional peer with similar workforce and regulatory dynamics as VDA.
• Pennsylvania Dental Association: State tripartite dental society representing Pennsylvania dentists with a parallel mix of advocacy, education, and member services. Closely comparable in size, structure, and member benefit architecture to VDA.
• New York State Dental Association: State-level tripartite dental society representing New York dentists with advocacy, CE, and member benefits. Comparable in member-driven structure, governance model, and the mix of state-level lobbying plus practice support services.

Broad incumbents

• American Dental Association (ADA): The national parent in VDA's tripartite membership structure, ADA is the largest professional dental association in the U.S. and provides overlapping CE, advocacy, credentialing (CAQH ProView), and member benefits to all U.S. dentists, including the ~4,000 VDA members.

Others

• American Dental Education Association (ADEA): National organization representing academic dental institutions including VCU School of Dentistry, VDA's key education partner. Adjacent to VDA's workforce and student pipeline mission rather than a direct competitor for dentist membership.

Regional players

• Maryland State Dental Association: Tripartite dental society serving Maryland dentists in a neighboring Mid-Atlantic jurisdiction. Operates a comparable advocacy/CE/benefit model, making it a relevant regional peer for VDA even though it does not directly compete in Virginia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubebuzzsprout.com/2458132
• Facebookfacebook.com/va.dental.association
• Xx.com/va_dental

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Virginia Dental Association