The Chicago Dental Society was organized in 1864 and incorporated in 1878.

CDS represents the interests of dentists, promotes the science and art of dentistry and advocates for improving oral health for all.

We are part of a tripartite membership relationship with the Illinois State Dental Society and the American Dental Association. CDS tripartite members belong to all three organizations. CDS works locally while the ISDS addresses state issues. The ADA works for dentists on the national level.

Tripartite membership covers Cook, Lake and DuPage counties in Illinois and includes approximately 4,400 members.

CDS holds the Midwinter Meeting, its annual dental conference, every February in Chicago.

CDS is comprised of nine branches which are Englewood, Kenwood/Hyde Park, North Side, North Suburban, Northwest Side, Northwest Suburban, South Suburban, West Side and West Suburban.

CDS is governed by a board of directors that comprises five officers and nine branch directors. The CDS officers for 2021 are:

• Dr. Dean Nicholas, president
• Dr. Thomas Schneider Jr., president-elect
• Dr. Michael Durbin, secretary
• Dr. David Lewis Jr., vice president
• Dr. Denise Hale, treasurer

• The Midwinter Meeting is among the top three dental meetings in the U.S. and one of the top 20 conventions in Chicago.
• Each year, more than 600 exhibiting companies participate in the meeting, creating one of the largest exhibits of dental products and manufacturers in North America.
• The 2020 Midwinter Meeting was held Feb. 20 – 22 and drew nearly 29,000 attendees to the city of Chicago, including more than 6,000 dentists.
• The 2020 Midwinter Meeting Exhibit Hall featured 644 exhibiting companies and had a total square footage of 160,200 (includes booth space and exhibitor meeting rooms).

• 156th Midwinter Meeting: Feb. 25 – 27, 2021
• 157th Midwinter Meeting: Feb. 24 – 26, 2022
• 158th Midwinter Meeting: Feb. 23 – 25, 2023

*May be subject to change