Virginia Dental Association (VDA)
Your guide to organized dentistry in Virginia: membership, the annual meeting, local component societies, the state dental board, and CE/license-renewal requirements.
About the Virginia Dental Association
The Virginia Dental Association (VDA) was established on November 3, 1870, when nine Virginia dentists met in Richmond; the organization adopted its current name in 1970. Today it represents nearly 4,000 member dentists across the Commonwealth. The VDA is a constituent (state) society of the American Dental Association, so members join the ADA, the VDA, and one of eight geographic component societies under the tripartite model.
The VDA created its component-society structure in 1931 to improve communication and professional development for dentists statewide. Historically the association ran on three elected officers — president, president-elect, and secretary-treasurer — plus appointed officers including the journal editor; it is governed today by a Board of Directors and a House of Delegates representing the components.
The VDA advocates before the Virginia General Assembly on dental practice, scope, and access issues, provides continuing education, and runs the Virginia Dental Showcase and Virginia Dental Academy education events. Its charitable affiliate, the Virginia Dental Association Foundation (VDAF), runs Mission of Mercy (MOM) projects and the Donated Dental Services program for underserved Virginians.
Annual Meeting: Virginia Dental Showcase (with the Virginia Dental Academy CE program); the VDA also holds its annual House of Delegates session
Recent VDA meetings have been held in Williamsburg; the Showcase is typically held in the fall
The VDA Dental Showcase combines CE courses, an exhibit hall, and association business, and partners with the VCU School of Dentistry on career fairs and research events.
Component & Local Dental Societies
Joining the VDA typically also enrolls a dentist in their local component society.Virginia has 8 component societies:
Component 1 — Tidewater Dental Association (founded 1880)
Accomack & Northampton Counties; Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk
Component 2 — Peninsula Dental Society (founded 1934)
Middlesex, Mathews, Gloucester, York, James City, Charles City, New Kent Counties (Newport News/Hampton peninsula)
Component 3 — Southside Dental Society (founded 1925)
Isle of Wight, Southampton, Sussex, Surry, Prince George, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Greenville, Brunswick, Nottoway, Amelia, Prince Edward, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg Counties
Component 4 — Richmond Dental Society (founded 1894)
Richmond metro — Henrico, Hanover, Goochland, Powhatan, Louisa, Caroline, and surrounding counties
www.richmonddentalsociety.org/membershipComponent 5 — Piedmont Dental Society (founded 1916)
Lynchburg/Roanoke region — Halifax, Charlotte, Campbell, Amherst, Pittsylvania, Bedford, Botetourt, Roanoke, Franklin, Henry, Patrick, Floyd Counties
Component 6 — Southwest Virginia Dental Society (founded 1917)
Far southwest — Pulaski, Giles, Wythe, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Russell, Buchanan, Wise, Scott, Lee, Montgomery (Blacksburg) Counties
Component 7 — Shenandoah Valley Dental Association (founded 1914)
Frederick (Winchester), Clarke, Warren, Shenandoah, Page, Rockingham (Harrisonburg), Augusta, Rockbridge, Albemarle (Charlottesville), Nelson Counties
Component 8 — Northern Virginia Dental Society (NVDS)
Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Fauquier, Prince William, Stafford, Rappahannock, Culpeper, Madison, Orange, Greene, Spotsylvania Counties (DC suburbs)
Licensing Board
Virginia Board of Dentistry (Virginia Department of Health Professions, DHP)
The board licenses and regulates dentists — distinct from the VDA, which is a voluntary membership and advocacy body.
www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/DentistryCE & License Renewal
- Hours: Minimum 15 hours per annual renewal (except the first renewal after initial licensure and restricted volunteer licenses)
- Cycle: Annual
- Mandatory topics: Must maintain current CPR/BLS certification with hands-on airway training (unless ALS is required); dentists who administer or monitor general anesthesia, deep sedation, or moderate sedation must complete 4 hours every two years of CE directly related to anesthesia/sedation administration and monitoring (counted within required hours); courses must be clinically relevant — financial/marketing/personal-health courses are excluded. Retain CE documentation for 4 years following renewal.
Always verify current requirements with the Virginia Board of Dentistry (Virginia Department of Health Professions, DHP) before renewal.
Dental Schools in Virginia
Virginia Dental Market Snapshot
- Major metros: Northern Virginia (Arlington/Fairfax/Loudoun — large, affluent, fast-growing), Richmond, Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Newport News), Roanoke/Lynchburg, Charlottesville, the Shenandoah Valley.
- DSO presence is heaviest in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads; rural southwest and Southside Virginia remain solo/small-group dominated.
- Northern Virginia is one of the most diverse and multilingual regions in the US (large Hispanic, South Asian, East Asian, and Middle Eastern populations).
- Multilingual front-desk capability is a strong differentiator in NoVA.
AI Front Desk for Virginia Practices
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Virginia Dental Association FAQ
How many CE hours do Virginia dentists need to renew a license?
Virginia dentists must complete Minimum 15 hours per annual renewal (except the first renewal after initial licensure and restricted volunteer licenses), annual. Mandatory topics include Must maintain current CPR/BLS certification with hands-on airway training (unless ALS is required); dentists who administer or monitor general anesthesia, deep sedation, or moderate sedation must complete 4 hours every two years of CE directly related to anesthesia/sedation administration and monitoring (counted within required hours); courses must be clinically relevant — financial/marketing/personal-health courses are excluded. Retain CE documentation for 4 years following renewal.. Always confirm current rules with the Virginia Board of Dentistry (Virginia Department of Health Professions, DHP).
What is the difference between the VDA and the Virginia Board of Dentistry (Virginia Department of Health Professions, DHP)?
The Virginia Dental Association is a voluntary membership and advocacy organization for dentists. The Virginia Board of Dentistry (Virginia Department of Health Professions, DHP) 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
- www.vadental.org/about-us — nearly 4,000 members, mission
- archives.library.vcu.edu/repositories/3/resources/6 — founding 1870 in Richmond, name change 1970
- www.vadental.org/components — 8 components, founding years, regions, 1931 component creation
- www.vadental.org/board-of-directors — governance / Board of Directors
- www.vadental.org/showcase — Virginia Dental Showcase / Academy annual meeting
- www.vadental.org/events-ce — events, Williamsburg meeting location
- www.vdaf.org/about-us.html — VDA Foundation, Mission of Mercy
- www.richmonddentalsociety.org/membership — Richmond (Component 4) membership
- www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Dentistry/PractitionerResources/ContinuingEducation/Dentists/ — Board CE page (annual renewal)
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency60/chapter21/section250/ — 18VAC60-21-250, 15 hrs CE, CPR, sedation rules
- blogs.vcu.edu/dentistrydean/2022/09/23/the-vda-showcase-was-refreshing/ — VCU School of Dentistry / VDA partnership
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