American Dental Association
The world's largest and oldest national dental association, representing over 159,000 dental professionals in the United States.
American Dental Association – AboutThe American Dental Association (ADA) is a professional dental association founded in 1859 in Niagara Falls, New York, and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. With over 159,000–161,000 members, it is recognized as the world's largest and oldest national dental association. Its mission is to advance the oral health of patients and support the dental profession through advocacy, education, research, and standard-setting.
The ADA carries significant institutional authority in U.S. dentistry. Its Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), established in 1975, is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the sole agency to accredit dental and dental-related education programs. The ADA Seal of Acceptance, in use since 1931, is a widely recognized consumer-facing endorsement of safety and effectiveness for dental products.
The organization supports research through the ADA Foundation's Paffenbarger Research Center, located at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where scientists conduct studies in clinical research, dental chemistry, polymer chemistry, and cariology. The ADA also publishes the Journal of the American Dental Association and lobbies on behalf of the dental profession at the federal level.
As the central governing and standard-setting body for U.S. dentistry, the ADA is a highly relevant entity for innovations in oral health, dental materials, clinical practice, professional education, and consumer dental products.