Dues Structure

2024 Income Tax Deduction

A portion of the dues you pay to the Chicago Dental Society may be tax-deductible. Below is the amount of your CDS dues that may be tax-deductible for your 2023 tax return. If you are a tripartite member, be sure to check with the ADA and state dental society to find out how much of the dues paid to those organizations may be tax-deductible. 

CDS Member Dues Types

The Chicago Dental Society has a number of dues types for it's membership which include Active, Life, Retired, Retired/Life, Half-year and Quarter-year, Postgraduate or Resident, Reduced Dues for new dentists, Associate, Associate First Year, Associate International, Academic Chapter, Dental Students, PreDental students, types of waivers and Subscribers.  Dues category types are based on a variety of criteria including licensure, year of graduation, practice location and continuous years of membership.

The Chicago Dental Society publication (CDS Review) is included in the membership dues. The CDS Review is available in a paper or digital version. Individual publication costs are listed on the invoices. The Subscriber cost of the CDS Review is $25; student dues are not applied towards the CDS Review.

All current members of the Chicago Dental Society are eligible to receive free admittance to the Midwinter Meeting.  For an In-Person meeting, the ADA member registration fee is $195 while the non-ADA member registration fee is $850.

The 2024 Midwinter Meeting is an in-person event.  The ADA member registration fee will be $155 in November, $165 in December, $175 in January and $195 in February.  If you are an ADA member outside the Chicago Dental Society boundaries of Lake, Cook and DuPage counties in Illinois, consider joining CDS for $125 and getting into the Midwinter Meeting with no registration fee.

The Illinois State Dental Society collects tripartite dues for CDS members in Lake, Cook and DuPage counties.

Recently, the American Dental Association, Illinois State Dental Society and Chicago Dental Society offer an automatic online pay-as-you-go option for your tripartite dues. Dentists can sign up for this option at ISDS.

Active Dues

Members who pay full dues are those who have been in practice for three or more years. In 2024, full dues totals $1,116: $570 to the American Dental Association; $396 to the Illinois State Dental; and $150 to CDS.

Life Dues

Life members who actively practice dentistry pay a reduced rate for the national (ADA) and local (CDS) levels and the full active rate for the state (ISDS) level. To become a life member you must have been a member of the American Dental Association for 30 consecutive years or 40 non-consecutive years. In 2024, life member dues totals $1,116: $570 to the American Dental Association; $396 to the Illinois State Dental Society; and $150 to CDS.

Retired

Retired members must be completely retired from the practice of dentistry. They must also be an active member prior to retiring to become eligible for retired dues. Dues are approximately one-quarter of the full dues amount. In 2024, retired dues totals $235: $150 to the ADA, $50 to the ISDS and $35 to the CDS.

Retired / Life Dues

Retired/life members do not pay dues. To become a retired/life member you must have been a member for 30 consecutive years or 40 non-consecutive years and have completely retired from practice.

Half-year and Quarter-year Dues

Half-year memberships are available July through December providing the dentist was not a member of the Society in the previous year. In 2024, half-year membership dues totals $558: $285 to the American Dental Association, $198 to the Illinois State Dental Society; and $75 to CDS.  Quarter-year memberships are available October through December providing the dentist was not a member of the Society in the previous year.  Quarter-year membership is activated at no fee.

Postgraduate / Resident Membership Dues

Annually, the CDS, ISDS and ADA postgraduate and Resident dues are $0 per year. Please complete a post doctoral or residency application online to activate your membership with all three levels of organized dentistry.

Reduced Dues for Recent Graduates

Recent graduates are entitled to two years of reduced dues-the first two calendar years out of dental school for ADA, ISDS, and CDS at zero and 50% of the full active dues rates.  You must maintain membership each year to remain eligible for the reduced rates.

In 2023, reduced rates are as follows:

• First Year Out (2023 graduates) = $0 (ADA, ISDS and CDS waive dues the first calendar year out of dental school).
• Second Year Out = $558: $285 to ADA, $198 to ISDS and $75 to CDS.

Associate, Associate First Year (U.S. only) & Associate International Member Dues
(US dentists practicing outside Lake, Cook and DuPage counties in Illinois and surrounding 49 states; International practice outside the United States)

Individuals who do not live in the tri-county area covered by CDS may join providing they are members of the American Dental Association. International dentists do not need to be members of the ADA.  Associate (U.S. only) First Year Out dues are $0, Associate (U.S. & International) member dues are $125, which includes free entrance to the Midwinter Meeting and a subscription to the CDS Review.

Academic Chapter (U.S.) Dues

U.S. dental students do not pay dues.  All U.S. dental students in an accredited dental school are encouraged to become involved in organized dentistry during their undergraduate years. Illinois dental students, which includes students from the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry, Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine and Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine automatically receive an application from CDS for complimentary membership in the Academic Chapter of the Chicago Dental Society. All other U.S. dental students outside of Illinois may apply online for complimentary membership in the Academic Chapter. Benefits include the CDS Publication in its digital version and free entrance into the CDS Midwinter Meeting.

Pre-dental Student Dues

Pre-dental Students do not pay dues.  Pre-dental Students must be enrolled in an accredited university or college PreDental Study Program.  Pre-dental students receive the CDS Publication in its digital version and free entrance into the CDS Midwinter Meeting.

Current members who are injured or ill and who are unable to practice dentistry are eligible for a dues waiver in the amounts of 100 percent and 50 percent, based on the degree of disability. To be eligible to apply for a dues waiver, the dentist must be a current member of the tripartite organization (the American Dental Association, the Illinois State Dental Society and CDS). Medical or financial supporting documentation will be required to process waiver requests. All waiver information remains strictly confidential.

Subscribers

Subscribers are not limited to the dental profession.  Current members receive the CDS publication as part of the membership in CDS. The basic annual subscriber fee is $25.