Welcome to Colorado ASDA!

Here, in the Colorado Chapter of the American Student Dental Association (ASDA), we protect and advance the rights, interests, and welfare of dental students at this school, within this state, and nationally. We are the largest student-run organization in the nation, with over 23,000 student members from the 69 participating dental schools, and over 2,000 pre-dental members. At Colorado, our students experience the benefits of being ASDA members automatically thanks to our wonderful sponsors, including: The Colorado Dental Association (CDA), Metropolitan Denver Dental Society (MDDS), and the Trust. 

Colorado ASDA holds to three pillars— wellness, unity, and excellence. With those in mind, we organize and host events and programming for the benefit of our student body, advocate and lobby together with national and state legislators over issues and policies concerning our futures, and hold each other to a standard of excellence that is routinely recognized at a national ASDA level. Some of our most notable contributions to a student’s experience here on campus are the ASDash 5K to Beat Decay, Drill Drill Revolution (pitting professors against each other in a student-judged, simulated dental competition), high school and undergraduate pre dental events to expose young students to the realm of dentistry and oral medicine, “lunch and learns” from advocacy representatives, vendor fairs where students can meet vendors and employers, and wellness yoga sessions. Colorado ASDA is also an outstanding chapter in community service, having won a national award for our community service furcation in 2022. We seek to expand on the wellbeing of our neighbors while still emphasizing the wellness of our classmates and student body. 

My hope is that all of you will benefit from what ASDA brings to this school, campus, and community. My dream is that you would each seek to be involved however best suits you as you begin your dental school journey. Dental school is stressful, but it does not have to be miserable. Organizations like ASDA give room for fun, growth, and contribution to something outside ourselves. Whichever furcation you are interested in— pre-dental, academia, community service, professional leadership and development, health and wellness, events, or networking at national conferences, our chapter can integrate you into the world of organized dentistry so you can build a brighter future for yourself and dentists around the country.

Thank you for your interest in Colorado ASDA! Let’s work together to represent our fellow dental students, advocate for our profession, and do our best to enjoy our time preparing for a lifetime of dentistry.

Zach Zylstra ‘25