MISSISSIPPI DENTAL ASSOCIATION

What MISSISSIPPI DENTAL ASSOCIATION does

The Mississippi Dental Association (MDA) is a statewide, tripartite professional membership organization representing over 60% of Mississippi's approximately 1,000+ licensed dentists. Founded on April 21, 1875 in Vicksburg and reorganized under its current name in 1894, the MDA operates as a 501(c)-style nonprofit governed by a Board of Trustees and an Executive Director (Wahnee Sherman). Members are simultaneously members of the American Dental Association (ADA) and one of six local district dental societies, with dues collected collectively through ADA's eBusiness platform and forwarded to each tier. The organization is headquartered at 439 B Katherine Drive in Flowood, MS, and is staffed by a 5-person office.

The MDA's core product surface spans continuing education validation, advocacy through the MS Dental PAC, peer review mediation (established under Mississippi state law), member insurance programs, an ADA Credentialing Service powered by CAQH ProView, the Find-a-Dentist public directory, and digital publications including the monthly e-Insider newsletter and weekly e-Gram. Member benefits extend to ADA Member Advantage endorsed partner discounts across travel, office supplies, financial services, insurance, and practice technology vendors such as OnDiem and Weave. The affiliated MDA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1975, runs oral health outreach including Mission of Mercy and the Dental Lifeline Network's Donated Dental Services program.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through annual tripartite membership dues (subscription/recurring model) plus ancillary income from events (district meetings January–February, MDA Annual Dental Meeting), classified advertising ($150 for non-members, free for members), and endorsed partner programs. The organization has no disclosed revenue figures, no funding rounds, no parent company, and no M&A activity. The 150th anniversary was celebrated on April 21, 2025, marking 150 years of continuous operation as Mississippi's recognized state dental professional body.

Name

MISSISSIPPI DENTAL ASSOCIATION

Legal name

Mississippi Dental Association

Website

https://msdental.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Mississippi Dental Association is a nonprofit, tripartite professional membership organization representing over 60% of Mississippi's licensed dentists, providing advocacy, continuing education, peer review mediation, insurance programs, and member services since 1875.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Dental Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

School/Community-Based Preventive Dental Programs (HLABAHAM)

Keywords

• Dental professional association
• Continuing education services
• Professional advocacy representation
• Peer review mediation
• Membership dues organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Flowood

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual tripartite membership dues structure where members pay dues collectively that are forwarded to ADA, MDA, and local district dental societies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Mississippi Dental Association is a statewide professional membership organization that delivers tripartite membership linking Mississippi dentists to the American Dental Association and their local district dental society. It sells annual membership that bundles advocacy through the MS Dental PAC, continuing education validation and programming, mediation peer review services, insurance and endorsed partner programs, credentialing support, and access to district and annual meetings.

Product overview

The Mississippi Dental Association operates as a professional membership organization with a tripartite membership structure (ADA, MDA, and local district). Its core offerings include membership programs providing access to insurance benefits, continuing education validation services, advocacy through the MS Dental PAC, and member directory services. The organization publishes the MDA e-Insider monthly newsletter and weekly e-Gram, offers a Find-a-Dentist directory for consumers, and provides CE program validation for study clubs and individual courses. Additional services include the ADA Credentialing Service powered by CAQH ProView, MDA Mediation Peer Review Process for dispute resolution, and the MDA Foundation nonprofit program for community outreach. The organization hosts an Annual Meeting and various district meetings throughout the year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MDA Tripartite Membership Program Annual tripartite membership that enrolls a licensed Mississippi dentist simultaneously in the American Dental Association, the Mississippi Dental Association, and one of six local component district dental societies, providing access to advocacy, CE programs, insurance plans, endorsed partner discounts, ADA publications, and credentialing services.
• Find a Dentist Public Directory Public-facing directory service enabling consumers to search for and locate MDA member dentists in their local Mississippi community.
• Young Dentists CE Event Continuing education event limited to dentists who have been out of dental school 10 years or less, offering up to 8 CE credits.
• Study Club Registration Services Annual registration and support for dental study clubs, with CE validation numbers issued for Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners compliance.
• CE Program Validation Services Validation and registration services for live speaker presentations, independent studies, and webinar continuing education courses.
• MDA Healthcare Benefit Option Group health insurance benefit program available to MDA members.
• ADA Members Insurance Plans and Business Resources Professional liability insurance and business-related coverage options offered to members through ADA Members Insurance Plans and ADA Business Resources.
• MDA e-Insider Newsletter Monthly electronic newsletter emailed to MDA members containing timely dental news, announcements, and resource information.
• MDA Weekly e-Gram Weekly email newsletter providing updates and announcements from the week to MDA members.
• MDA Mediation Peer Review Process Complaint resolution service established under Mississippi state law that helps patients and dentists reach mutually satisfactory resolutions through trained mediators and peer review committees.
• ADA Credentialing Service (CAQH ProView) Streamlined credentialing paperwork service that enables dentists to submit and maintain credentials in a central location, powered by CAQH ProView.
• MDA Annual Awards Program Annual recognition program honoring Mississippi dentists with Dental Champion and New Dentist of the Year awards for contributions to dentistry and their communities.
• Classified Advertising Online classified advertising service for members and non-members to post practice opportunities, equipment for sale, employment listings, and CE opportunities.
• MDA Foundation Outreach Programs 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that sponsors projects and activities to improve the oral health of Mississippians through community outreach, Mission of Mercy, Give Kids A Smile, and Donated Dental Services programs.
• MS Dental PAC Political Action Committee providing legislative representation and advocacy on issues affecting dental practice in Mississippi.
• MDA Annual Dental Meeting Annual in-person gathering of MDA members offering continuing education, networking, and association business.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60% of licensed Mississippi dentists are MDA members

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Dental Association (ADA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational professional dental organization forming the tripartite membership structure with MDA and local districts. Provides national standards, publications (JADA, ADA News), advocacy resources, business resources, and member benefits programs.
• ADA Member Advantage PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVarious endorsed partner programs including ADA Member Advantage with discounts on travel (hotels, car rentals), office supplies (Lenovo), financial services (CareCredit, KeyBank, Panacea Financial), insurance (Compliancy Group, HealthFirst), and retail (Lands' End, Mercedes-Benz, GE Appliances)
• UPSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShipping and logistics discounts through ADA Member Advantage program
• University of Mississippi School of DentistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDental education institution in Jackson, MS; MDA supports student membership, provides CE programs, and collaborates on volunteer initiatives like Mission of Mercy and Give Kids A Smile
• Dental Lifeline Network (Donated Dental Services)coreOthersProvides free comprehensive dental care to individuals with disabilities, elderly (65+), or medically-fragile who lack adequate income. MDA members volunteer as providers.
• Mississippi State Board of Dental ExaminerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState regulatory agency for dental licensure and practice standards. MDA assists with CE validation and MSBDE representative elections.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• California Dental Association: State dental association representing California dentists. Comparable to MDA in mission, tripartite ADA structure, and member services portfolio (CE, advocacy, insurance programs, peer review), though significantly larger in membership and budget.
• Florida Dental Association: State dental association serving Florida dentists with a similar tripartite ADA integration, advocacy focus, CE validation, and member benefit program structure to MDA.
• Pennsylvania Dental Association: Pennsylvania state dental association providing the same core services (advocacy, CE, peer review, insurance programs, member benefits) through tripartite ADA structure as MDA.
• New York State Dental Association: State dental association serving New York dentists with a comparable tripartite structure, peer review, advocacy, and member services portfolio to MDA.
• Illinois State Dental Society: Illinois state dental society offering the same core triad of advocacy, CE validation, and member benefits through its tripartite ADA structure, directly comparable to MDA's service model.
• Michigan Dental Association: Michigan state dental association providing parallel services (advocacy, CE validation, insurance programs, peer review) under a tripartite ADA structure, closely comparable to MDA's offerings.
• North Carolina Dental Society: North Carolina state dental society with a comparable tripartite ADA structure, advocacy mission, and member services portfolio to MDA.
• Ohio Dental Association: Ohio state dental association with a comparable tripartite ADA membership, legislative advocacy, peer review, and member benefit programs to MDA.
• Texas Dental Association: State-level dental professional membership association serving Texas dentists. Closely comparable to MDA in structure, tripartite ADA relationship, and core services (advocacy, CE validation, peer review, member benefits), though operating at much larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• American Dental Association: National umbrella professional membership organization for U.S. dentists and the apex of MDA's tripartite structure. Directly comparable as a professional association for dentists, but operates at national scale with a much broader portfolio of services and resources than MDA's state-level offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mississippi-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 MISSISSIPPI DENTAL ASSOCIATION