American Dental Association
The American Dental Association (ADA) is an American professional association established in 1859 which has more than 161,000 members. Based in the American Dental Association Building in the Near North Side of Chicago, the ADA is the world's largest and oldest national dental association. The organization lobbies on behalf of the American dental profession and provides dental accredation.
| Founded | August 3, 1859 |
|---|---|
| Founder | William Henry Atkinson |
| Founded at | Niagara Falls, New York, U.S. |
| Type | Professional association |
Tax ID no. | 36-0724690 |
| Legal status | 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Location |
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Membership | 161,000 |
Board President | George Shepley |
| Raymond A. Cohlmia | |
| Subsidiaries | ADA Foundation, ADPAC Education Fund, ADA Business Enterprises Inc, American Dental Association Political Action Committee |
Revenue (2020) | $124,074,848 |
| Expenses (2020) | $114,649,855 |
Employees (2014) | 461 |
Volunteers (2020) | 325 |
| Website | www |
The ADA publishes a monthly journal of dental related articles named the Journal of the American Dental Association.
As part of its lobbying efforts, the ADA has sought to restrict non-dentists (such as dental hygienists and dental therapists) from providing basic dental care. The organization has played an important role in blocking the inclusion of dental coverage in Medicare. The ADA has expressed opposition to the opening of new dental schools or to increasing the number of dentists in the United States, even as the United States trains almost half as many dental students (relative to population) in the 2000s as it did in the 1980s.