Virginia Dental Association

The Virginia Dental Association (VDA) is a non-profit 501(c)(6) professional membership organization representing dentistry in the Commonwealth of Virginia, affiliated with the American Dental Association (ADA). VDA follows the "tripartite" structure common to ADA affiliates: members belong simultaneously to the national association (ADA), the state association (VDA), and a local component dental society. VDA reports nearly 4,000 members.

VDA's stated vision is to shape the future of dentistry in the Commonwealth while serving as the preeminent voice of dentistry in Virginia, advocating for members' success and patients' well-being.

2026 General Assembly results

• HB 1036 / SB 282 (signed into law) — Authorizes the Board of Dentistry to license internationally trained dentists as dental hygienists, expanding the pool of eligible applicants for dental hygiene licensure.
• HB 970 / SB 178 (signed into law) — Allows trained, certified dental assistants with sufficient clinical experience to perform supragingival scaling and coronal polishing under indirect supervision.
• Funding pursued for a new VCU School of Dentistry and additional state funding for dental hygiene workforce and career/technical education programs, subject to final budget negotiations.

Member resources include the Dental Insurance Grievance (DIG) Tracker for submitting insurance grievances, the annual Virginia Dental Showcase continuing education conference, The Fulcrum Podcast, and a member-only Virginia Dental Journal. VDA also introduced an Affiliate Membership option in 2026 to expand its membership options, and offers free patient mediation services — available regardless of whether the dentist is a VDA member — through its Peer Review program.

More information is available at vadental.org, or by phone at 804-288-5750.