Colorado Dental Association

Based in Denver, the Colorado Dental Association (CDA) is the state's primary agent in the promotion, education and legislation of oral health care practices and policies. The CDA enjoys one of the highest membership rates among all dental associations in the U.S., with approximately 82 percent -- or over 3,000 -- of its practicing dentists counting themselves as members. The association strives to maintain a high public profile of the dental profession, offering its programs and services to create a cooperative network of dental care practices throughout the state.

The Colorado Dental Association serves the oral health care interests of both dental professionals and the public at large. Pursuing high-quality oral health care services and maintaining the best professional standards are CDA's main goals, whether in reaching out to local communities or communicating with lawmakers about legislative reform in matters of oral health care. Members of the CDA also benefit from special competitive rates from a wide range of professional services, from advertising agencies and credit card processing companies to dental and office equipment suppliers, along with a complete selection of dental insurance providers.

The CDA supports a host of dental charities and non-profit dental clinics offering oral care for the state's low-income and uninsured residents. Among the organizations the CDA supports is KIND (Kids in Need of Dentistry), which has provided low-cost dental care to children from low-income families since 1912. Each year, more than 4,000 children benefit from KIND's services through its five clinics in the Denver metro area. Also part of CDA's support network is the National and Colorado Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped, which dispenses dental care to the medically compromised, the elderly and those with physical disabilities. Since 1985, volunteer dentists and dental labs have donated more than nine million dollars worth of services to almost 7,000 patients across the state. The CDA also recognizes the Melvin Turner Trust. Managed by the Colorado Springs Dental Society, the Trust directs its funds to treating children of low-income families in the Colorado Springs region.

With so many members, the CDA's publications enjoy wide popularity in the state's dental community. The CDA puts out the quarterly Journal of the Colorado Dental Association as well as the newsletter CDA Dentistry, published seven times a year. Both the Journal and CDA Dentistry are distributed to each member of the CDA, as well as to dental organizations throughout the U.S. and the world.