Colorado Dental Association (CDA)
Your guide to organized dentistry in Colorado: membership, the annual meeting, local component societies, the state dental board, and CE/license-renewal requirements.
About the Colorado Dental Association
The Colorado Dental Association is the ADA constituent (state) society for Colorado, headquartered in Greenwood Village (south Denver metro) at 8301 East Prentice Avenue. It coordinates ten regional component societies, advocates at the Colorado Legislature, and provides continuing education and practice resources to member dentists statewide.
The CDA's structure is notable for the size and independence of its largest component, the Metropolitan Denver Dental Society (MDDS). MDDS is a not-for-profit component society of both the ADA and the CDA, representing nearly 2,000 dentists in the Denver metro — its 1,900+ members account for roughly 70% of all licensed dentists in the metro area. MDDS runs its own large convention (the Rocky Mountain Dental Convention) and has its own executive director (Shelly Fava) and office at 925 Lincoln St., Unit B, Denver.
The state CDA itself holds an annual statewide governance meeting (House of Delegates). For example, the CDA Annual Meeting / House of Delegates was scheduled for May 2, 2026 at Hotel Polaris in Colorado Springs. As an ADA tripartite organization, CDA membership includes the ADA and the dentist's local component society. The Colorado Dental Board (within DORA) handles licensing separately from the association's advocacy and education roles.
Annual Meeting: CDA Annual Meeting / House of Delegates (statewide governance) and the Rocky Mountain Dental Convention (RMDC), organized by the MDDS component
CDA House of Delegates in spring (e.g., May 2, 2026 at Hotel Polaris, Colorado Springs); RMDC held annually in the Denver area (typically winter/early year)
The RMDC, run by Metro Denver, functions as the de facto statewide CE convention, while the CDA Annual Meeting is the policy/House of Delegates event.
Component & Local Dental Societies
Joining the CDA typically also enrolls a dentist in their local component society.Colorado has 10 component societies:
Southeastern Colorado Dental Society (SCDS)
southeastern Colorado
Boulder/Broomfield County Dental Society (BBCDS)
Boulder & Broomfield counties
Western Colorado Dental Society (WCDS)
Western Slope
Larimer County Dental Society (LCDS)
Fort Collins / Larimer County
Northeastern Colorado Dental Society (NECDS)
northeastern Colorado
Rio Grande Dental Society (RGDS)
San Luis Valley region
San Juan Basin Dental Society (SJBDS)
Durango / southwest Colorado
Weld County Dental Society (WELD)
Greeley / Weld County
Licensing Board
Colorado Dental Board (within the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Division of Professions and Occupations)
The board licenses and regulates dentists — distinct from the CDA, which is a voluntary membership and advocacy body.
dpo.colorado.gov/DentalCE & License Renewal
- Hours: 30 hours
- Cycle: Biennial (two-year license period)
- Mandatory topics: At least 16 of the 30 hours must be clinical or science-based; at least 50% of required hours must be live and interactive; current Basic Life Support (BLS) for healthcare providers required (max 2 hours of CE credit); Board automatically accepts ADA CERP-recognized courses
Always verify current requirements with the Colorado Dental Board (within the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Division of Professions and Occupations) before renewal.
Dental Schools in Colorado
Colorado Dental Market Snapshot
- Major metros: Denver–Aurora (anchored by MDDS, ~70% of metro dentists are members), Colorado Springs, Boulder/Broomfield, Fort Collins (Larimer), and Greeley (Weld) along the Front Range, plus Western Slope hubs (Grand Junction, Durango).
- The Front Range corridor concentrates most practices; mountain/Western Slope and southern (San Luis Valley) regions are more rural.
- Colorado has a large Hispanic population, especially in southern Colorado (Rio Grande/San Luis Valley) and metro Denver, driving Spanish-language front-desk demand.
AI Front Desk for Colorado Practices
Colorado's dental market is dense along the Front Range — anchored by the Metro Denver Dental Society and the Rocky Mountain Dental Convention — yet stretches to rural Western Slope and San Luis Valley practices. An AI dental receptionist helps CDA- and MDDS-member offices answer every call, book recare, and serve Spanish-speaking patients across all ten component regions, while practices keep current on Colorado's 30-hour biennial CE and DORA renewal rules.
Colorado Dental Association FAQ
How many CE hours do Colorado dentists need to renew a license?
Colorado dentists must complete 30 hours, biennial (two-year license period). Mandatory topics include At least 16 of the 30 hours must be clinical or science-based; at least 50% of required hours must be live and interactive; current Basic Life Support (BLS) for healthcare providers required (max 2 hours of CE credit); Board automatically accepts ADA CERP-recognized courses. Always confirm current rules with the Colorado Dental Board (within the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Division of Professions and Occupations).
What is the difference between the CDA and the Colorado Dental Board (within the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Division of Professions and Occupations)?
The Colorado Dental Association is a voluntary membership and advocacy organization for dentists. The Colorado Dental Board (within the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Division of Professions and Occupations) is the government body that licenses dentists and enforces regulations. Membership in the association is optional; licensure through the board is mandatory to practice.
Sources
- cdaonline.org/ — Colorado Dental Association main site
- cdaonline.org/metropolitan-denver-dental-society/ — CDA HQ (Greenwood Village), MDDS details, Shelly Fava (MDDS ED)
- cdaonline.org/news/latest-news/dentist-license-renewal-deadline-and-requirements-2026/ — CDA summary of 2026 renewal/CE requirements
- dpo.colorado.gov/Dental — Colorado Dental Board homepage (DORA)
- mddsdentist.com/ — Metro Denver Dental Society; Rocky Mountain Dental Convention
- dpo.colorado.gov/Dental/CE — Colorado Dental Board CE rules (30 hrs/biennium, 16 clinical, 50% live, BLS)
- www.facebook.com/MDDSdentist/ — MDDS ~1,900+ members / ~70% of metro dentists; CDA Annual Meeting/HOD May 2, 2026 Hotel Polaris, Colorado Springs
- cdaonline.org/components/ — ten Colorado component societies
- coda.ada.org/find-a-program — CODA accreditation (University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, Aurora)
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