Manitoba Dental Association

What Manitoba Dental Association does

The Manitoba Dental Association (MDA) is a provincial professional regulatory body established in 1883 under the Manitoba Dental Association Act, headquartered at 202-1735 Corydon Avenue in Winnipeg. It is a private nonprofit organization mandated to regulate the practice of dentistry and dental assisting in Manitoba in the public interest, currently overseeing more than 760 licensed dentists and 1,400+ registered dental assistants who collectively serve Manitoba's 1.4 million residents. Its operational scope spans licensing and registration, continuing education compliance, infection prevention and control standards (including the April 2025 IPC Guidelines Version 2.0), peer review, complaint resolution, and administration of the Canadian Dental Care Plan within the province.

The MDA's offerings consist of a member portal for CE self-reporting and license renewal, the annual Prairie Lights Dental Convention (rebranded in 2026 from the MDA Annual Convention and co-branded with the Canadian Dental Association), a Mentorship Program with the University of Manitoba's Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, the General Practice Study Club for early-career dentists, and a product catalog that includes Fee Guides (hard copy at $600 CAD and electronic at $2,000 CAD), Certificates and Letters of Standing for interprovincial licensing ($100-$175 CAD), bulletin advertising, job postings, ADS individual and office memberships, and Trapezio orthodontic clinical training. The organization is governed by an elected Board led by President Dr. Rodrigo Sanches Cunha and operated by a staff of approximately 12, including CEO/Secretary-Treasurer Rafi Mohammed and Registrar Dr. Arun Misra.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual membership dues, fee guide and certificate sales, bulletin advertising, and convention-related activity. The MDA holds corporate membership in the Canadian Dental Association and maintains partnerships with the Manitoba Dental Assistants Association, CDSPI (financial/insurance services), Scotiabank (Healthcare Plus banking), the Manitoba Dental Foundation (its affiliated philanthropic arm), and regional societies. There is no public revenue disclosure.

Name

Manitoba Dental Association

Legal name

Manitoba Dental Association

Website

https://manitobadentist.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1883

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Manitoba Dental Association is a provincial nonprofit regulatory body, established in 1883 and headquartered in Winnipeg, that licenses and oversees 760+ dentists and 1,400+ dental assistants in Manitoba, operating member services, continuing education, the Prairie Lights Dental Convention, and Canadian Dental Care Plan administration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

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: Annual membership fees for dentists and dental assistants providing recurring revenue for the association.
2. Product Sales: Sale of fee guides, directories, certificates of standing, letters of standing, and advertising space in bulletins.
3. Job Posting Fees: Fees charged for posting job advertisements and practices for sale on the MDA website.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Manitoba Dental Association is the provincial self-regulatory body for dentists and dental assistants in Manitoba, established under the Manitoba Dental Association Act. It issues professional licenses, maintains public registries, administers continuing education, publishes fee guides and standardized directories, produces infection prevention and control guidelines, and runs member programs including mentorship, career boards, and the annual Prairie Lights Dental Convention.

Product overview

The Manitoba Dental Association operates primarily as a professional regulatory body rather than a traditional product company. Its offerings include: the MDA Website Member Portal (online platform for CE self-reporting, license renewal, and member resources), Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines and approved courses, Fee Guides in hard copy and electronic formats, Certificates/Letters of Standing for interprovincial licensing, ADS membership programs, the Mentorship Program connecting practicing dentists with dental students, the General Practice Study Club for continuing education, Career Opportunities Board for job postings, and the Prairie Lights Dental Convention (annual event). The Manitoba Dental Foundation provides philanthropy services for underserved populations. These products and services support the regulation of dentistry and dental assisting in Manitoba's public interest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Prairie Lights Dental Convention: Annual convention rebranded from MDA Annual Convention to Prairie Lights Dental Convention, serving as the primary dental education and trade show event for Manitoba and the region.

Products and services

• MDA Website Member Portal Online member portal providing CE self-reporting, license renewal and payment capabilities, access to resources, and payment histories for dentist and dental assistant members of the Manitoba Dental Association.
• MDA Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Guidelines and Approved Course Comprehensive guidelines document (Version 2.0, April 2025) providing infection prevention and control practices for dental professionals in Manitoba, along with an approved IPC course.
• MDA Fee Guides Dental fee guides available as hard copy (CAD $600) or electronic Excel file with unlimited downloads (CAD $2,000), providing standardized fee information for dental professionals in Manitoba.
• Certificate of Standing / Letter of Standing Official certificates and letters confirming professional standing for dentists (CAD $175), dental hygienists (CAD $150), and dental assistants (CAD $100), required for licensing in other provinces. Standard processing time is 10 business days.
• ADS (Alumni Dental Society) Membership Annual membership program for dental professionals including individual (CAD $32.50/year) and office (CAD $275/year, max 10 staff members) options with associated member benefits.
• MDA Mentorship Program Four-year mentorship program connecting practicing dentists with University of Manitoba dental students, including formal structured events, informal activities, and professional development opportunities.
• General Practice Study Club (GPSC) Study club established in 2013 offering dentists in their first five years of practice continuing education points through networking, career support, and comradeship, with lectures and events.
• Career Opportunities Board Job posting and career opportunities board for dentists, dental hygienists, registered dental assistants, and office administrative staff, with posting fees ranging from CAD $50-$250 based on geographic scope.
• Bulletin Advertising Advertising space in the MDA quarterly bulletin (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter issues), with placements ranging from business card (CAD $150) to full page back cover (CAD $1,000).
• Manitoba Dental Foundation The philanthropy arm of the MDA serving as the unified centre of professional philanthropy for Manitoba dentists, providing dental services to underserved populations, improving dental health of long-term care residents, and supporting educational institutions in oral health research.
• Public Dentist and Dental Assistant Registries Public registries of licensed dentists and registered dental assistants maintained for the public to verify credentials and find qualified dental professionals in Manitoba.
• Orthodontic Hands-On Clinical Training One-day hands-on clinical training course for orthodontic assisting certification, offered in partnership with Trapezio Academy of Orthodontic Assisting and Manitoba Orthodontic Society. Maximum of 12 registrants per session at 2541 Portage Ave.

Quantifiable outcome

• Regulates over 760 dentists and 1,400+ dental assistants serving 1.4 million Manitobans

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canadian Dental Association (CDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MDA is a Corporate Member of the Canadian Dental Association. The CDA confers awards such as the CDA Mentorship Advancement Award to MDA members. MDA's annual convention is co-branded as the CDA & MDA Convention (Prairie Lights Dental Convention).
• Manitoba Dental Assistants Association (MDAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDAA logo appears on MDA website as a partner organization for dental assisting professionals.
• CDSPI (Canadian Dental Service Plans Inc.)coreTechnology or IntegrationCDSPI logo appears on MDA website. Provides financial services and insurance solutions for dental professionals. MDA provides CDSPI resources to dentist members.
• ScotiabankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare Plus banking partner offering business banking services for practising dentists. Referenced on MDA website with partnership link.
• Manitoba Dental FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe philanthropy arm of the MDA serving as the unified centre of professional philanthropy for Manitoba dentists. Vision: Healthy smiles through inspired generosity. Mission: Provide the under-served with support for improved oral health.
• University of Manitoba Dr. Gerald Niznick College of DentistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDA partners with the University of Manitoba's dental college for the Mentorship Program, creating a continuous four-year relationship between practicing dentists and dental students.
• Trapezio Academy of Orthodontic AssistingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDA offers Trapezio Orthodontic Module and coordinates hands-on clinical training through this partnership for orthodontic assisting certification.
• Manitoba Orthodontic SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with MDA to coordinate hands-on clinical training for orthodontic assisting certification.
• Western MB Dental SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with MDA for GPSC Retreat events and golf activities at Riding Mountain National Park.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia: Provincial dental regulator in Nova Scotia with comparable mandate of licensing and complaint resolution. Useful peer for assessing Atlantic Canada regulatory operating models.
• Ordre des dentistes du Québec: Quebec's professional order regulating dentists under Quebec's professional code framework. Comparable regulatory body, though operating under Quebec's distinct professional orders system.
• British Columbia College of Oral Health Professionals: British Columbia's unified regulator for dentists, dental therapists, and dental hygienists/assistants formed via amalgamation in 2022. Functionally equivalent to MDA but at larger scale and with broader scope—useful as a structural evolution case study.
• Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario: Provincial regulatory body for dentists in Ontario under provincial statute, with very similar mandate of licensing, complaints, and standards-setting. Closest functional analog to MDA outside of Manitoba.
• Alberta Dental Association and College: Combined professional association and regulatory college for Alberta dentists, performing the same dual regulatory/member-services role as MDA within a larger provincial membership base.
• College of Dental Surgeons of Saskatchewan: Provincial dental regulator in neighbouring Saskatchewan. Directly comparable mandate and scale, serving as a geographic peer to MDA in the Prairies.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Dental Association: National voluntary association representing Canadian dentists. MDA is a corporate member of CDA and co-brands its annual convention with CDA, making CDA a natural national-level peer and parent-body counterpart.
• College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba: Manitoba's parallel provincial regulatory body for physicians. Operates under analogous provincial statute and self-regulation model, providing a cross-profession governance peer for MDA within the same jurisdiction.

Emerging players

• Manitoba Dental Assistants Association: Provincial association specifically for dental assistants in Manitoba. Overlapping scope with MDA's dental-assistant registry functions, representing a closely related but separately organized professional body.

Others

• National Dental Examining Board of Canada: National body responsible for the certification examination of dentists in Canada. Adjacent to MDA's regulatory function—NDEB sets the credentialing standard MDA ultimately relies on for licensure in Manitoba.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manitoba-dental-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Manitoba Dental Association