Dental Quality Alliance (DQA)™

Committed to improving patient care and safety through the collaborative development of oral healthcare measures.

Text above the logo for the Dental Quality Alliance reads, "Advancing performance measurements as a means to improve oral health, patient care, and safety though a consensus building process."

Announcements

NEW Practice-and Clinician-Level Quality Measure Development

The DQA has published the final report and measure specifications for a new measure in the Practice- and Clinician-Level Claims-Based Starter Set.

Report 8: Sealant Receipt on Permanent 2nd Molars

Measure Specifications

NEW Program/Plan Level Measure Development

The DQA developed a new measure aimed at supporting quality improvement in established patients, “Comprehensive or Periodic Oral Evaluation Following Problem-Focused Episodic Care Visit.” The purpose of this measure is to support program and plan level efforts to establish children who may be identified as “episodic users” into more routine care. The measure focuses specifically on dental visits that include either a comprehensive oral evaluation or periodic oral evaluation.

Measure Specifications

DQA Meeting Dates

Upcoming DQA Meeting Dates:

  • May 29, 2026
  • October 30, 2026

Featured

State Oral Healthcare Quality Dashboard

Explore the DQA’s State Oral Healthcare Quality Dashboard. Now includes 2022 calendar year data across DQA measures for children, pregnancy, and adults.

Dental Quality Alliance Dashboard
DQA Measures
Dental Quality Measures and Measure Development Resources
Topic page
Topic page
Educational Resources
Quality Measurement Webinars and other DQA Educational Tools
Guide
Guide
Improvement Initiatives
Oral Healthcare Quality Reports and Quality Improvement Resources
List
List

What is the DQA?

The Dental Quality Alliance (DQA) was established by the American Dental Association to develop performance measures for oral health care. The DQA is an organization of major stakeholders in oral health care delivery that use a collaborative approach to develop oral health care measures. The mission of the DQA is to advance performance measurement as a means to improve oral health, patient care, and safety through a consensus-building process. 

Objectives

  1. To identify and develop evidence-based oral health care performance measures and measurement resources.
  2. To advance the effectiveness and scientific basis of clinical performance measurement and improvement.
  3. To foster and support professional accountability, transparency, and value in oral health care through the development, implementation and evaluation of performance measurement.
Contact DQA

Current Member Organizations, Committees and Workgroups

Organizational Members (Voting)
  • Academy of General Dentistry
  • American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology
  • American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology
  • American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
  • American Academy of Periodontology
  • American Association of Endodontists
  • American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
  • American Association of Orthodontists
  • American Association of Public Health Dentistry
  • American Board of Pediatric Dentistry
  • American College of Prosthodontists
  • American Dental Association
  • American Dental Education Association
  • American Dental Hygienists' Association
  • America's Health Insurance Plans
  • CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
  • Delta Dental Plans Association
  • eClinicalWorks
  • Managed Care of North America Dental
  • National Association of Dental Plans
  • National Network for Oral Health Access
  • The Joint Commission

and

  • Public Member
Associate Organizational Members (Non-Voting)
  • American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research
  • D4C Dental Brands
  • DentaQuest LLC
  • Haleon
  • Links2Success LLC

Technical Advisors/Liaisons
  • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  • Defense Health Agency
  • The Food and Drug Administration
  • Health Resources and Services Administration
  • Indian Health Service
  • Medicaid-Medicare-CHIP Services Dental Association
  • Veterans Health Administration
Officers
  • Chair: Julie Reynolds, American Association of Public Health Dentistry
  • Chair-elect: Irene Hilton, American Dental Association
Executive Committee Members
  • American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, (Representative: Paul Casamassimo)
  • American Dental Education Association, (Representative: Ronald Hunt)
  • Academy of General Dentistry, (Representative: Ralph Cooley)
  • American Dental Association, (Representative: Craig Amundson)
  • American Dental Association, (Representative: James Crall)
  • American Dental Association, (Representative: Irene Hilton) 
  • American Dental Association (Representative Michael Saba)
  • American Dental Association, (Representative: Robert Margolin)
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, (Representative: Michelle Schreiber)
  • National Association of Dental Plans, (Representative: Mark Jurkovich)
  • National Network for Oral Health Access (Representative: An Nguyen)
Education Committee

This Committee is charged with creating programs to enhance stakeholder’s knowledge regarding performance measures, performance measurement and DQA activities.

Committee Members 

  • Chair: Marie Schweinebraten, Periodontist, Georgia Reconstructive Dentistry
  • Lisa Shilman, Chief Dental Officer of Clinical Quality at D4C Dental Brands
  • Josephine Wolfe, Manager, Education, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
  • Ralph Cooley, Assistant Dean, Admissions & Student Services; Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Houston School of Dentistry 
  • Jesley Ruff, Board of Directors, Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality
  • Linda Vidone, Periodontist; Vice President, Clinical Management, Delta Dental of Massachusetts; CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
Executive Committee Liaison (American Dental Education Association): Ronald Hunt, Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Midwestern University 
Measure Development and Maintenance Committee

This Committee is charged with identifying and developing evidence-based oral health care performance measures and measurement resources while continually advancing the effectiveness and scientific basis of clinical performance measurement and improvement.

 Committee Members

  • Chair: Craig Amundson, General Dentist, HealthPartners 
  • Tim Wright, Distinguished Professor, The University of North Carolina School of Dentistry
  • DeDe Davis, Vice President, Dental Management and Quality Improvement, MCNA Dental
  • Chris Farrell, Oral Health Program Director, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
  • An Nyugen, Chief Dental Officer, Clinica Family Health
  • Chris Okunseri, Director, Predoctoral Program, Dental Public Health, Marquette University
  • Matthew Horan, Dental Director, Office of Oral Health, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
  • Scott Tomar, Professor and Associate Dean for Prevention and Public Health Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry
  • Robert Margolin, Executive Committee Liaison (ADA)