Washington State Dental Association (WSDA)
Your guide to organized dentistry in Washington: membership, the annual meeting, local component societies, the state dental board, and CE/license-renewal requirements.
About the Washington State Dental Association
The Washington State Dental Association (WSDA) has been "the voice of dentistry in Washington" since its founding in 1887, representing 4,000+ member dentists as the Washington constituent of the American Dental Association. WSDA positions itself as the leader in advocacy and support for dentists pursuing excellence in patient care.
WSDA's core functions are advocacy, continuing education, and member support. The association has been notably active on dental benefits reform — Executive Director Bracken Killpack has written extensively about fixing Washington's dental benefits system and wins for dentists on dental-insurance policy at the state and national level. Killpack, who holds an MBA from the University of Washington's Foster School and is a Certified Association Executive, became WSDA's 7th Executive Director in January 2015.
The presidency rotates annually among member dentists; Chris Dorow, DDS served as 2025 President (Nathan G. Russell, DDS was 2024 President). WSDA also champions dental education expansion in the state, partnering with institutions like Pacific Northwest University on the new dental school in Yakima and running a Campaign for Dental Futures to invest in the next generation of Washington dentists.
Annual Meeting: Pacific Northwest Dental Conference (PNDC)
Held annually in late spring in Seattle (three days); PNDC 2026 is May 28–30, 2026 in Seattle
PNDC is WSDA's flagship annual continuing-education event and the region's premier dental conference, with a large CE catalog, exhibit hall, and a member-exclusive New & Emerging Speaker Series that lets WSDA members present lectures.
Component & Local Dental Societies
Joining the WSDA typically also enrolls a dentist in their local component society.Washington has 17 component societies:
Grays Harbor District Dental Society
Grays Harbor county
Kitsap County Dental Society
Kitsap county
Lewis County Dental Society
Lewis, Pacific counties
Lower Columbia District Dental Society
Wahkiakum + portions of Cowlitz/Skamania
Olympic Peninsula Dental Society
Clallam, Jefferson counties
Spokane District Dental Society
Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Spokane, Adams, Whitman
www.spokanedentalsociety.orgYakima Valley Dental Society
Kittitas, Yakima, Klickitat counties
Licensing Board
Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC), under the Washington State Department of Health (DOH)
The board licenses and regulates dentists — distinct from the WSDA, which is a voluntary membership and advocacy body.
doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/professions-new-renew-or-update/dentistCE & License Renewal
- Hours: 63 hours
- Cycle: Triennial reporting period; verified on the dentist's annual license renewal date every third year (pre-2019 licensees' first 3-year period began Jan 1, 2019; later licensees' periods begin at licensure)
- Mandatory topics: Minimum 2 hours of commission-approved health equity training every 3 years (counts toward the 63 hours); DQAC may randomly audit up to 25% of licensed dentists each 3-year cycle
Always verify current requirements with the Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC), under the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) before renewal.
Dental Schools in Washington
Washington Dental Market Snapshot
- ~5,547 licensed dentists statewide (2023). WSDA membership of 4,000+ implies solid organized-dentistry penetration.
- Major metros: Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue (Puget Sound) dominates, followed by Spokane, Vancouver (Clark County / Portland metro), Olympia, and the Yakima/Tri-Cities areas in eastern Washington.
- Large and tech-driven Puget Sound population; significant Spanish-speaking communities in agricultural eastern/central Washington (Yakima Valley, Tri-Cities) and notable Asian-language populations (Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean) in the Seattle metro — multilingual front-desk handling is valuable.
AI Front Desk for Washington Practices
Washington's dental market spans the high-volume Puget Sound metro and a string of agricultural and rural communities east of the Cascades. An AI dental receptionist helps practices statewide answer every call, schedule and confirm appointments after hours, and serve Spanish- and Asian-language-speaking patients — letting busy Seattle-area groups and smaller eastern-Washington offices alike stay responsive without expanding front-desk staff, while remaining connected to the WSDA and PNDC ecosystem.
Washington Dental Association FAQ
How many CE hours do Washington dentists need to renew a license?
Washington dentists must complete 63 hours, triennial reporting period; verified on the dentist's annual license renewal date every third year (pre-2019 licensees' first 3-year period began jan 1, 2019; later licensees' periods begin at licensure). Mandatory topics include Minimum 2 hours of commission-approved health equity training every 3 years (counts toward the 63 hours); DQAC may randomly audit up to 25% of licensed dentists each 3-year cycle. Always confirm current rules with the Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC), under the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).
What is the difference between the WSDA and the Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC), under the Washington State Department of Health (DOH)?
The Washington State Dental Association is a voluntary membership and advocacy organization for dentists. The Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC), under the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) 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.wsda.org/ — WSDA founded 1887, 4,000+ members, "voice of dentistry," Seattle
- www.wsda.org/continuing-education/pacific-northwest-dental-conference — PNDC overview, largest regional meeting
- www.wsda.org/continuing-education/pacific-northwest-dental-conference/future-dates — PNDC 2026 dates (May 28–30, Seattle)
- pndc2026.eventscribe.net/ — PNDC 2026 dates (May 28–30, Seattle)
- www.beckersdental.com/benchmarking/42882-number-of-dentists-in-all-50-states-in-2023.html — ~5,547 licensed dentists in WA (2023, ADA data)
- www.wsda.org/about-us/local-dental-societies — full list of WSDA component societies
- doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/professions-new-renew-or-update/dentist/continuing-education — 63 hrs / 3 yrs, health equity, audits
- app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-817-440 — WAC 246-817-440 CE requirements
- www.wsda.org/about-us/leadership — Bracken Killpack Exec Director; Chris Dorow 2025 President
- www.linkedin.com/in/bracken-killpack-mba-cae-19832048/ — Bracken Killpack Exec Director
- coda.ada.org/find-a-program — CODA-accredited Washington dental schools (UW, PNWU)
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