{"id":21484,"date":"2025-05-01T15:42:20","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T19:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/?page_id=21484"},"modified":"2025-11-04T10:39:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T15:39:41","slug":"journal-feature-story-two","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/mda-journal\/current-journal-issue\/journal-feature-story-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Journal Feature Story Two"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1698696973333{margin-top: -40px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;background-color: #009ba7 !important;}&#8221; el_class=&#8221;white-text&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1>Journal Feature Story Two<\/h1>\n<p><nav  aria-label=\"breadcrumb\"><ol class=\"breadcrumb\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BreadcrumbList\"><li class=\"breadcrumb-item active\" aria-current=\"page\" itemprop=\"itemListElement\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ListItem\"><span itemprop=\"name\">Home<\/span><meta itemprop=\"position\" content=\"1\"><\/li><\/ol><\/nav>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>DEAN\u2019S REPORT: U-M SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY<\/h3>\n<h2>Celebrating a 150-year Tradition of Excellence \u2014 and Planning for the Future<\/h2>\n<p>By Jacques N\u00f6r, DDS, MS, PhD<br \/>\nDean<\/p>\n<p>This is a landmark year at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the school\u2019s founding in 1875.<\/p>\n<p>It is a thought-provoking exercise to consider our school\u2019s origins in that vastly different era a century and a half ago, and then fast-forward to our mission and methods today. Anniversaries like this are important because they prompt us to take time amid our busy annual schedules to pause and reflect about where we started, how far we\u2019ve come, and where we want to go moving forward.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1756318194364{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]It is especially fitting to focus on our school\u2019s history in this annual Dean\u2019s Report for the <em>Journal of the Michigan Dental Association<\/em> because the MDA led the movement to start a dental school at the University of Michigan.<\/p>\n<p>With a founding date in 1856, the MDA and its members are rightly proud of its distinction as the oldest professional association in Michigan and the oldest state dental association in continuous existence in the United States. Among the significant achievements of the MDA\u2019s founders and early members was their quest to transform dentistry into a profession with the highest standards. They realized that our state would benefit from a university-affiliated dental school that not only educated dentists to a professional level, but also advanced the profession through research and discovery.<\/p>\n<p>For at least a decade in the early years after the MDA was founded, its members lobbied the Michigan Legislature and the University of Michigan regents about starting a dental school. In 1865, a committee of the MDA, headed by Dr. Jonathan Taft, a nationally respected dentist from Ohio, petitioned the U-M Board of Regents to establish a \u201cdental chair\u201d that would be the first dental school in the nation to be part of a university. After the Regents took no action, the MDA renewed its call in 1866, 1873, and 1874. The 1873 petition used competitive pressure to note that Harvard University had organized a dental school within its medical department. Finally in 1875, the Michigan Legislature and university regents authorized the dental school.<\/p>\n<p>The regents approved a budget of $3,000 to establish its new College of Dental Surgery, as it was initially named. It was located in a renovated professor\u2019s house. Three faculty members welcomed 20 students, who needed only a high school diploma to enroll. The course of instruction for the U-M degree of dental surgery was just two semesters. At the end of the first year, in the spring of 1876, nine of the 20 students graduated.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;23567&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1756320116639{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1756318696050{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]The regents approved a budget of $3,000 to establish its new College of Dental Surgery, as it was initially named. It was located in a renovated professor\u2019s house. Three faculty members welcomed 20 students, who needed only a high school diploma to enroll. The course of instruction for the U-M degree of dental surgery was just two semesters. At the end of the first year, in the spring of 1876, nine of the 20 students graduated.<\/p>\n<p>After his work lobbying for the school, the 45-year-old Taft was an obvious choice for dean, and he accepted the position. Leading the fledgling dental school for the next 28 years, he was a dean who couldn\u2019t have been more qualified \u2014 he was one of the best-known dentists in the country at the time. An 1850 graduate of the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in Cincinnati, he joined its faculty in 1854 and became its dean in 1858. Taft was an early advocate of making dentistry a profession, and he advanced his views in the widely read <em>Dental Register of the West<\/em>, which he had edited since 1854 and eventually owned. In 1859, he published a treatise, \u201cOperative Dentistry,\u201d that was adopted as a textbook by many dental colleges at the time. That same year he was instrumental in the founding of the American Dental Association, and later served as its president, from 1868-69.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_cta h2=&#8221;More about the School of Dentistry\u2019s Anniversary&#8221; style=&#8221;outline&#8221; color=&#8221;blue&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1756320097719{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]There\u2019s much more to this story \u2026 take a look at the website links below to learn more about the U-M School of Dentistry\u2019s 150 years of service to the profession:<\/p>\n<p>Dental School\u2019s Sesquicentennial website<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/media.dent.umich.edu\/sites\/SoD150\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/media.dent.umich.edu\/sites\/SoD150\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Dental School\u2019s 150-year timeline of school history:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/myumi.ch\/W6PVn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/myumi.ch\/W6PVn<\/a>[\/vc_cta][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1761743112949{margin-bottom: 25px !important;}&#8221;]As dean in Ann Arbor for nearly three decades, Taft implemented and enforced his high standards for the new profession. That foundation of excellence built by Taft and the early faculty members he recruited from around the country set a standard that continued throughout the 20th century in the decades after Taft retired in 1903. The generations of leaders, faculty, and dentists who followed at the dental school were ingrained with the same mindset: How can we improve? How can we innovate? How can we be the leaders and best? How do we make sure we have the best faculty, the best students, the best facilities? That remains our driving force to this day, a century and a half later.<\/p>\n<p>From 1876 through this year, the school has graduated 12,062 DDS students. Since the start of the dental hygiene program in 1921, the school has granted 3,460 DH degrees and certificates. Graduate degrees (MS) in various specialties that were added over the years, along with PhDs in oral biology and more recently oral health sciences, boost the student total by a few thousand more. Each of those graduates has gone out into the world and improved the oral health and, thus, the overall health of thousands of people through their work as dentists, dental hygienists, researchers, professors, and leaders of many professional organizations.<\/p>\n<p>As we continue to advance into the digital age of dentistry with amazing high-tech tools next to our dental chairs and alongside our research benches, we rarely consider how far the profession has come in 150 years. Today\u2019s students and faculty have never experienced foot-powered drills, dangerous radiation levels from the early X-ray machines, and the many trial-and-error primitive materials for fillings, crowns, dentures, and other common dental procedures. I told our new entering DDS class this summer at their White Coat Ceremony (where MDA president Dr. Cheri Newman was the keynote speaker) that they have the benefit of CBCTs, CAD-CAM technology, and other evolving digital tools that will allow them to prepare and place a crown in a single appointment. That was literally quite unimaginable for dental students 150 years ago.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;23564&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<strong>First dental building \u2014<\/strong> This former professor\u2019s house was the first home of the dental school, from 1875-77.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;23570&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<strong>1896 lecture hall \u2014<\/strong> The Class of 1896 poses in a lecture amphitheater at the dental school.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;23565&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<strong>1940s clinic \u2014<\/strong> This photo, circa the late 1940s, shows the massive dental clinic where students treated patients from 1908 until this building was demolished in 1969 when the current building complex was completed.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;23566&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<strong>Dental hygiene 1950s \u2014<\/strong> Dental hygiene students, in their nurse-like uniforms, treat patients in this photo from the 1950s. The hygiene program was introduced in 1921, 46 years after the dental school was founded.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1756320161106{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]That leads to the question: How will dentistry and dental education change in the next 150 years? It\u2019s as difficult to predict that today as it was in 1875, but the historical legacy of our educational enterprise at the U-M dental school is that our faculty, students, and staff have led the way in advancing the profession of dentistry from the very start. When there were no textbooks at the dawn of dentistry, Michigan faculty and graduates wrote them. When better dental materials were needed, our faculty led the research to develop them (e.g. high copper amalgams). As specialties evolved, our faculty and students were on the cutting edge of clinical trials and research leading to new best practices. That leadership has continued in countless ways as the decades have passed and as dentistry has advanced, and we are committed to ensuring that the tradition carries forward in coming decades.<\/p>\n<p>In a year when we celebrate our past, we also remain focused on advancing the present and preparing for the future. Helping us lead into that future will be the new class of DDS students who arrived this summer:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Admitted from 1,908 applicants, the 109 new DDS students are mostly from Michigan, with 62 in-state students who earned their undergraduate degrees from 11 Michigan universities and colleges: Aquinas College, Calvin University, Grand Valley State University, Hope College, Kalamazoo College, Michigan State University, Oakland University, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor and Dearborn campuses), Wayne State University, and Western Michigan University.<\/li>\n<li>The other 47 students graduated from major universities and small colleges across the country, including in California, Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Florida, among others.<\/li>\n<li>Following a national trend in the ratio of men and women applying to dental schools, our DDS Class of 2029 has the highest number of women of any class in school history, with 71 women and 38 men. Both the actual number and the percentage of women \u2014 65% \u2014 are our highest ever.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Our faculty continue to excel in education, patient care, research and leadership. A few examples:[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;23568&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1756320171487{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]<strong>Today\u2019s look \u2014<\/strong> The glass fa\u00e7ade of the recent addition to the School of Dentistry and the adjacent courtyard brought a new look to the School of Dentistry when a major Blue Renew renovation was completed in 2022. It was the first comprehensive renovation and addition for the school since the early 1970s.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1756320189331{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dr. Livia Tenuta, an associate professor in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics, is one of three principal investigators who received a five-year, $5.2 million federal grant to research how to enhance the efficacy of fluoride in preventing childhood caries. The grant is funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research to study how certain microbes in the mouth resist fluoride and thus reduce its effectiveness in preventing caries. Tenuta is one of several faculty members who have been quoted in national publications this year emphasizing the importance and efficacy of fluoride during a resurgence of criticism nationally about water fluoridation. Also, earlier this year Tenuta was named editor-in-chief of the international journal Caries Research.<\/li>\n<li>Dr. Todd Ester, clinical associate professor and associate dean for well-being and people, is president of the American Dental Education Association this year.<\/li>\n<li>Dr. Hsiao Sung, a clinical assistant professor, and Dr. Amy Chin, a staff dentist, both in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery\/Hospital Dentistry, are leading a team of faculty and students from dentistry and public health in a statewide project to improve the oral health and well-being of older adults who have ill-fitting dentures. The team received a Healthy Aging Grant of $500,000 from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund for the \u201cSenior Implant-Overdenture Restorative Program.\u201d In partnership with My Community Dental Clinics and the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan, senior citizens in the study will receive two implants in the lower jaw to secure lower dentures in place, making them fit better. The study will collect data about how the implant overdentures improve the patients\u2019 ability to chew more kinds of food, thus improving their nutrition and other aspects of their well-being. Dental school faculty will provide continuing education about the implant overdenture procedure to dentists at the MCDC clinics around the state.<\/li>\n<li>Dr. Brent Ward, the Chalmers J. Lyons Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Professor of Dentistry, led the U-M portion of a national study that supports changes in how dentists and oral surgeons treat post-surgical pain. The randomized clinical trial, led by the dental school at Rutgers University, followed about 1,800 patients (286 at U-M) who had surgeries to remove impacted third molars. The study sought to determine if a combination of acetaminophen and ibuprofen could control pain as well as the combination of the opioid hydrocodone and acetaminophen. The study found that patients who took the non-opioid combination experienced less pain, better sleep, and higher satisfaction compared to those who received the opioid pain prescription. The importance of the study centers on the addictive dangers of opioids, particularly among young adults, who frequently have wisdom teeth removed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;23569&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1756320021391{margin-bottom: 25px !important;}&#8221;]<strong>U-M 150th celebration group \u2014<\/strong> Several hundred faculty, students, and staff fill the atrium at the School of Dentistry in May 2025 for a reception celebrating the 150th anniversary of the school\u2019s founding. (All photos courtesy University of Michigan School of Dentistry.)[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1756320201212{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]Those few highlights demonstrate the wide-ranging expertise, research, and leadership that plays out across our school on a daily basis by our talented faculty, students, and staff. Our 150th anniversary comes at a pivotal moment in dentistry and dental education. Access to dental care in the state of Michigan, and particularly in the Upper Peninsula, remains a critical need. Financial barriers continue to burden the next generation of dental providers, and our simulation and research facilities must continue to evolve to enable state-of-the-art learning and discovery.<\/p>\n<p>As we consider the best path forward for our dental school, it is important to continue to foster the strong collaboration we have with our alumni, Michigan dentists, and the MDA. I\u2019m confident that our shared legacy of excellence in patient care, education, scientific research and innovation will continue to thrive as we start the next chapter of our history in Year 151 and beyond.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner disable_element=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_column_inner][vc_cta h2=&#8221;MDA Endorses Eagle Associates for OSHA, HIPAA, OIG Compliance&#8221; style=&#8221;outline&#8221; color=&#8221;turquoise&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;]<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdaprograms.com\/mda-services-programs\/regulatory-compliance\/hipaa-osha-and-oig-compliance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eagle Associates<\/a> is endorsed to assist MDA members in developing comprehensive training, policies and procedures to comply with workplace health and safety regulations (OSHA), and rules that govern patients\u2019 access to health care records and health care privacy protection requirements (HIPAA). Additionally, Eagle Associates can assist dentists who accept Medicare, Medicaid or Healthy Kids Dental payments comply with the Office of the Inspector General\u2019s fraud, waste and abuse documentation.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more, call Eagle Associates at 800-777-2337 and mention your MDA membership for access to special MDA-member pricing.[\/vc_cta][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>MDA Insurance and MDA Services: Your One-Stop Partners in Practice Success!<\/h2>\n<p>For Michigan dentists, running a successful practice means more than just clinical excellence. It requires strategic support in risk management, employee benefits, financial efficiencies, regulatory compliance, and overall practice profitability. And since 1986, MDA Insurance and MDA Services have delivered precisely that support to MDA members.<\/p>\n<p>Founded nearly four decades ago, MDA Insurance and MDA Services were created with a singular mission: to deliver tangible, money saving value to MDA members and generate non dues revenue to support the association.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1761741253480{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]MDA Insurance is a specialized insurance agency tailored specifically to you and your team. It provides a wide array of plans \u2014 from professional liability to health, life, and disability, and personal lines like auto and home. MDA Services, on the other hand, offers vetted programs and services, all endorsed by the MDA itself and designed to save you money and time searching for quality, trusted vendors. Your MDA membership unlocks access to these specialized insurance and services programs, as well as exclusive savings from each MDA-endorsed vendor, plus group savings and enhancements to insurance products. These savings help you offset dues and reduce practice overhead \u2014 making membership financially advantageous. In addition to the benefits these programs give you, they also benefit the association as a whole. When MDA members utilize endorsed vendors via MDA Services, the association receives royalties that fund broader initiatives benefiting the field of dentistry \u2014 such as continuing education, advocacy, and professional development efforts.<\/p>\n<h4>What MDA insurance offers<\/h4>\n<p>Think of MDA Insurance as your dentist-run insurance agency, with a staff dedicated to one goal: serving you. Here\u2019s what MDA Insurance offers:<\/p>\n<p>MDA Health Plan. The MDA Health Plan is a self-insured group health plan administered by Priority Health. Exclusively available to dental practices \u2014 members, families, and staff \u2014 it includes a wide selection of plan designs, including HSA qualified, PPO, Family Focus, and Living Fit models with fertility, gym, and hearing benefits built in. Multiple plans (up to three) can be offered to staff, and new groups can join at any time.<\/p>\n<p>The MDA Health Plan\u2019s combination of defined benefits \u2014 such as vision care via VSP, fertility benefits, wellness perks, and flexible plan designs \u2014 are rare in small group coverage, especially when tied into top-rated networks via Priority Health.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;24515&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1761682168474{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1761682890256{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]Life and disability plans. MDA Insurance offers both group and individual life and disability insurance, including business overhead coverage, long-term care, and disability for students and staff. These insurance plans help safeguard both your personal and professional future.<\/p>\n<p>Medicare help. MDA Insurance\u2019s Medicare Advisory Service is a free one-on-one resource for members, their spouses, or employees who are researching, aging into, or are eligible for Medicare. At this time of transition, most people desperately need someone to help them sift through and understand the differences, complexities, and restrictions surrounding Medicare and their health coverage options. MDA Insurance can help analyze specific situations to help decide when and how to transition into Medicare parts A and\/or B, and objectively present a variety of options to maximize coverage and minimize your out-of-pocket costs.<\/p>\n<p>Auto, home, and umbrella insurance. Your membership unlocks discounted rates for auto and homeowners\u2019 insurance through established Michigan carriers. Plans extend from standard personal policies to RVs, antique cars, boaters\u2019 insurance, snowmobiles, and umbrella liability policies (from $1 million to $5 million).[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1761741223393{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]Professional liability insurance. The Dentists Choice professional liability program is offered exclusively through MDA Insurance. The program features occurrence or claims made policies, HIPAA defense, licensure protection, staff liability, and risk management training (with a 10% premium discount and CE credits). All carriers partnered with MDA Insurance are A-rated.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, MDA Insurance offers workers\u2019 compensation coverage, data breach and cyber liability coverage, and practice property and building insurance, all designed to protect your practice from unexpected losses or claims.<\/p>\n<p>For the full listing of what MDA Insurance and MDA Services offers, see the chart above.<\/p>\n<h4>What members are saying<\/h4>\n<p>Here\u2019s what some of our members have to say about their experiences with MDA Insurance:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 \u201cI use MDA Insurance for car insurance, home insurance, umbrella insurance, we have a malpractice policy, and all of those are administered through MDA Insurance. It\u2019s super, super nice to have a point person who is extremely responsive, knows what I and other dentists go through, and that I know is really looking out for me. Not only for the best insurance policies that exist out there, but also just in general with the things that I go through as a dentist and a young professional in day-to-day life.\u201d<br \/>\n<em>\u2014 Dr. Riley Schaff, Ann Arbor<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u2022 \u201cThree years ago, my wife was air-lifted off a trail. When I got that phone call, I didn\u2019t have time to check in with MDA Insurance. But one thing I never had to question was that the next day, if something were to come up, it would be taken care of. Along the way when we made the phone call to MDA Insurance the team said., \u201cDon\u2019t worry, we have your back.\u201d And that\u2019s the way it\u2019s been. It really puts your mind at ease when you don\u2019t have to worry.\u201d<br \/>\n<em>\u2014Dr. Todd Christy, Berrien Springs<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_cta h2=&#8221;Why Are MDA Insurance and MDA Services So Important to You?&#8221; txt_align=&#8221;center&#8221; style=&#8221;outline&#8221; color=&#8221;turquoise&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">MDA Insurance and MDA Services are not just add-ons \u2014 they\u2019re an embedded part of what drives membership value in the Michigan Dental Association. From comprehensive insurance packages to practice optimization tools, from compliance and technology to staffing and financial benefits, this dual entity supports virtually every aspect of practice and personal livelihood for dentists in Michigan.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Dental professionals often see dues as a fixed cost. But the MDA flips that narrative: Membership actively returns value through cost savings, risk mitigation, and operational support. Using the MDA-endorsed suite can easily offset dues \u2014 and in many cases, deliver a net positive benefit.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">By offering exclusive, member-only pricing and longstanding, dentist-led programs, MDA Insurance elevates the reliability and relevance of coverage. By negotiating vetted third-party services through MDA Services, the association helps practices grow more efficient, profitable, and competitive.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">For any MDA member \u2014 whether a student dentist just starting out, a solo practitioner managing staff, or a longtime practice owner planning the next phase \u2014 their membership value is multiplied in impact by engaging with MDA Insurance and MDA Services. In today\u2019s complex regulatory, financial, and health care environment, having a trusted, streamlined partner that truly understands dentistry is not optional \u2014 it\u2019s essential.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">For more information about MDA Insurance and Services, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdaprograms.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mdaprograms.com<\/a>, or call 800-860-2272.<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_cta][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1761742377110{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h4>What MDA Services offers<\/h4>\n<p>MDA Services orchestrates a broad suite of endorsed vendors and programs aimed at operational efficiency, compliance, personnel, and profitability \u2014 all negotiated for MDA members.<br \/>\nThese include financial solutions such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>CPA, investment advising services, and pre-tax benefit solutions.<\/li>\n<li>Equipment and practice loans and student loan refinancing.<\/li>\n<li>Credit card processing, patient financing, and debt collection.<\/li>\n<li>Insurance fee negotiation, participation optimization, and credentialing.<\/li>\n<li>Embezzlement protection and investigation services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Staffing solutions from MDA Services include dental virtual assistants and temporary in-house staffing.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1761742393821{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]MDA Services can help you with regulatory compliance, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dental gas services.<\/li>\n<li>HIPAA, OSHA, and OIG compliance.<\/li>\n<li>Interpretation and translation services.<\/li>\n<li>ePrescribing and HIPAA-compliant email.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Tech hardware, IT, and software solutions include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Computers and hardware.<\/li>\n<li>Technology implementation and managed IT services.<\/li>\n<li>Website design and digital marketing.<\/li>\n<li>Cloud backup and Practice Management Software.<\/li>\n<li>Software for dental billing and claims, insurance verification, medical coding, and practice analytics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Other MDA Services include real estate assistance, including purchasing, selling, leasing, start-ups, new construction, lease renewals, and expansions. MDA Services also offers discounts on dental and office supplies and metal refining, travel discounts, and even serenity imagery on TV for dental offices.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a long list of benefits for you as an MDA member![\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_cta h2=&#8221;Why I Choose to Use MDA-Endorsed Vendors&#8221; txt_align=&#8221;center&#8221; style=&#8221;outline&#8221; color=&#8221;turquoise&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em>By Margaret Gingrich, DDS<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Former MDA president<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Why do I choose to use the endorsed vendors at the MDA? First of all, I don\u2019t have time to sit there and vet every program that I use in my office. The MDA does that for me. I know that there is a group of dentists checking out any of the services that I use, and I know that if I don\u2019t like the services of an endorsed vendor, I have a place to go back to and say, \u2018Hey, I need help with this company,\u2019 but I\u2019ve never really had too much of an issue.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">MDA Services programs have helped me save money, helped me with exceptional service, and I just love using MDA Services for that reason. I know that it has paid my dues by far, way over, and that\u2019s worth it. And it\u2019s also reduced dues for most of our members in our state who are paying in. It helps us keep our dues reduced.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_cta][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1761742554936{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h4>Best value for you<\/h4>\n<p>All told, the programs offered by MDA Insurance and MDA Services really do add tremendous value to your membership, and in this economy, that\u2019s critically important. Of course, depending on your practice situation you may not need to take advantage of every MDA-endorsed program, but odds are that you\u2019ll find many of them well worthwhile.<\/p>\n<p>So, take a look at what\u2019s offered. Get more information as needed by visiting mdaprograms.com or by calling MDA Insurance and MDA Services staff. The big takeaway: These programs were created to help you, the MDA member. Taken together, this is a value you can\u2019t get anywhere else, so be sure to take advantage of these excellent, exclusive MDA member benefits.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;24520&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; onclick=&#8221;custom_link&#8221; img_link_target=&#8221;_blank&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1761742732129{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221; title=&#8221;\u2014 advertisement \u2014&#8221; link=&#8221;https:\/\/www.grcc.edu\/schools-departments\/dental-programs\/dental-assisting&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;25px&#8221;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;24136&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; onclick=&#8221;custom_link&#8221; img_link_target=&#8221;_blank&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1761741795938{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221; title=&#8221;\u2014 advertisement \u2014&#8221; link=&#8221;https:\/\/www.humana.com\/memberfinder&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row full_width=&#8221;stretch_row&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1698696973333{margin-top: -40px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;background-color: #009ba7 !important;}&#8221; el_class=&#8221;white-text&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;] Journal Feature Story Two [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;] DEAN\u2019S REPORT: U-M SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY Celebrating a 150-year Tradition of Excellence \u2014 and Planning for the Future By Jacques N\u00f6r, DDS, MS, PhD Dean This is a landmark year at the University of Michigan [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":21409,"menu_order":13,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-template-full-width.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","protect_children":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-21484","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2025-11-17 13:51:57","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21484"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24630,"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21484\/revisions\/24630"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.michigandental.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}