Chicago Dental Society

Welcome to the Chicago Dental Society 

A tradition of working for the dental profession 

The Chicago Dental Society was organized in 1864 and incorporated in 1878. The objective of the Chicago Dental Society is to encourage the improvement of the health of the public, to promote the art and science of dentistry and to represent the interest of the members of the profession and the public which it serves. The Chicago Dental Society annually organizes and conducts the CDS Midwinter Meeting, one of the top dental meetings in North America, with attendance of more than 32,000 dental professionals from around the world. 
When joining the Chicago Dental Society, a dentist also becomes a member of the American Dental Association and the Illinois State Dental Society. However, instead of paying three separate dues invoices, members pay once annually to belong to all component (local), constituent (state) and national levels. 

Membership 

CDS members are dentists--either general practitioners or those in one of the eight specialty designations--who fall into one of three membership categories: 4,000 regular members who live in Cook, Lake or DuPage counties; 3,500 associate members who live outside Cook, DuPage or Lake Counties; 300 academic chapter members who study at the University of Illinois School of Dentistry or the Northwestern University Dental School. 
Member benefits 

Group major medical/disability/professional liability and business overhead insurance; peer review and mediation services; organized legislative activities; continuing education activities; scholarly journal and other publications; organized community relations activities; and patient referral service. 
Organization and structure 

Chicago Dental Society is governed by a Board of Directors, consisting of five officers and nine branch directors. The directors are elected by the individual branches and serve for a term of three years. 
There are five Society officers: president, president-elect, secretary, vice president and treasurer. Officers serve a 12-month term, starting in January and ending in December. 

The coalition 

Leadership is shared among three political parties: the Members Group, the Independent Organization and the Progressive Club. The parties form the Coalition. Leadership within the Society rotates among the three parties. 
Each year, one of the Society's political parties has the right to nominate one of their members for the office of treasurer. The nominee's name is then proposed to the remaining two parties for their acceptance or rejection. This system ensures that all three parties are represented within the Society's officer core. For example, if the president and vice president belong to the Members Group, the president-elect and the treasurer will be members of the Independent Organization, and the secretary a member of the Progressive Club. 

A Society member is not required to be a member of any political organization to hold branch office. Although an officer of the Society must be nominated by one of the three political parties, the person nominated may not necessarily be a member of that party. 

The coalition is a unique system provides an opportunity for more members to become actively involved in organized dentistry at the local level.