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Howard Speaks: Inside the American Dental Association—A Call for Transparency and Reform by Dr. Howard Farran, DDS, MBA

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Categories: Ethics, Jurisprudence and Malpractice; Practice Management, HR and Accounting; Public Health;
Howard Speaks: Inside the American Dental Association—A Call for Transparency and Reform 

by Dr. Howard Farran, DDS, MBA, publisher, Dentaltown magazine

Over the past five years, the American Dental Association has quietly transitioned from a financially stable nonprofit with deep reserves to an organization teetering on the edge of fiscal crisis. By early 2025, what had been whispered in private channels broke open into public view thanks to a powerful editorial posted on LinkedIn by Dr. Bob “Dee” Dokhanchi. What he exposed wasn’t mere mismanagement—it was a systemic breakdown of financial oversight, transparency, and accountability at the highest levels of organized dentistry.


The facts
Here’s what the facts show: between 2020 and 2025, the ADA’s reserves plunged from more than $144 million to less than $50 million, excluding one-time proceeds from selling its Chicago and Washington, D.C., headquarters. The ADA has since confirmed these numbers in its own communications, and that should concern every dues-paying member.

At the core of the collapse was a $50+ million technology gamble: the implementation of a Salesforce-based membership software (Fonteva) that failed spectacularly at launch. The fallout disrupted dues collection nationwide and contributed to a severe shortfall in revenue just as the association’s expenses were peaking. What was sold as a modernizing step forward quickly became a cautionary tale in project overreach and poor execution.

Simultaneously, ADA leadership pursued a series of high-cost strategic initiatives, including an ambitious merger with the Forsyth Institute and increased global engagement through international travel and conferences. While these initiatives were presented as “visionary,” they were funded with money drawn directly from the reserves—money that once represented a safety net for the entire profession.

Perhaps most galling to longtime members was the decision in 2021 to eliminate the traditional Life Member dues waiver. Dentists who had dedicated 30+ years to the profession suddenly found themselves paying full dues while watching that money spent on failed systems, executive retreats, and opaque business ventures.

The optics alone eroded trust: the lack of transparency in decision-making fueled deeper outrage.


The findings
When questioned, ADA leadership largely deflected. But Dr. Dokhanchi—armed with facts, insider input, and a clear moral compass—refused to back down. His editorials sparked an unprecedented wave of attention across the profession. They weren’t rumor-laden rants; they were substantiated, measured critiques. He named names. He cited policies. He demanded a forensic audit.

In response, ADA leadership finally acknowledged the gravity of the situation. Executive Director Dr. Ray Cohlmia abruptly resigned in February 2025. In May, ADA President Dr. Brett Kessler and President-Elect Dr. Richard Rosato issued a letter to members confirming a $29 million emergency budget cut and the formation of a long-term financial recovery plan. Still, many of those who oversaw the years of decline remain in leadership, including long-tenured senior executives and board members.

The key question now is whether the ADA has the institutional will to learn from its mistakes. A forensic audit has not yet been commissioned. No public personnel accountability beyond the executive director’s resignation has occurred. And the system of closed-door executive sessions that kept critical information from the House of Delegates remains in place.

Today, the ADA’s total reserves include a newly created “quasi-endowment” funded by the sale of its headquarters buildings. But those funds are not legally protected. Without structural reforms and aggressive oversight, there’s nothing stopping future leadership from dipping into that pot again.


The future
This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about governance. It’s about credibility. It’s about whether the ADA can regain the trust of its members—or if it will continue down a path of eroded influence, declining membership, and eventual irrelevance.

Dr. Dokhanchi deserves credit for his courage and clarity. He didn’t call for the destruction of the ADA—he called for its redemption. His message is clear: this is our organization. We pay for it. We elect our leaders. And if we want it to endure, we must demand transparency, accountability, and reform—not someday, but now.

If the House of Delegates fails to act decisively, if leadership continues to circle the wagons instead of opening the books, organized dentistry will suffer. But if this crisis becomes a catalyst—if the profession uses this moment to rebuild with integrity—then history will look back on 2025 not as the beginning of the end, but as the year the ADA finally remembered who it serves.
Join the conversation

To read the post by Dr. Bob “Dee” Dokhanchi and share your own thoughts, click here.


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