5 things to know about the Commission on Dental Accreditation

CODA functions independently, autonomously

Editor’s note: This is part of an ADA News series profiling each of the 12 recognized specialty sponsoring organizations and the commissions that work autonomously with operational support from the ADA. Here are five facts you may not know about the Commission on Dental Accreditation from its chair Frank Licari, D.D.S.

1. CODA is nationally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the sole agency to accredit dental and dental-related education programs conducted at the post-secondary level.

2. CODA functions independently and autonomously in developing and approving accreditation standards, making accreditation decisions about educational programs and developing policies and procedures for the accreditation process. 

3. CODA’s mission is to serve the public and dental professions by developing and implementing accreditation standards that promote and monitor the continuous quality and improvement of dental education programs. Its vision is to be a globally recognized leader for accrediting educational programs in the dental professions.

4. Through a peer review process, CODA evaluates the quality of over 1,400 programs in the U.S. including dental, advanced dental, allied dental programs and dental programs internationally. The process includes a comprehensive self-analysis, self-study and on-site review of the program’s resources, curriculum, policies, and operational standards. Upon completion of the process, CODA determines the accreditation decision. Accredited programs have a follow-up site review every seven years. Advanced dental education programs in oral and maxillofacial surgery have a follow-up every five years. There are over 800 volunteers who support the accreditation component of site visits. As of June, there were 346 accredited dental hygiene programs in the U.S.

5. The CODA Board of Commissioners includes 33 members, selected by 21 different organizations, including the general public and dental students.

For more information on CODA, visit ADA.org/coda.