The American Dental Association (ADA) Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE).  CODA has been recognized since 1952 and requires adherence to educational criteria and operational policies and procedures.  ADA­-CODA focuses on process fairness and consistency. Accreditation is a process involving self-review and peer assessment by which an agency uses experts in a particular field of interest or discipline to define standards of acceptable operation/performance of education programs and evaluates compliance with those standards for education programs.  The roles and responsibilities of CODA are to establish standards that define the quality of education, evaluate and monitor programs for compliance with standards and establish policies and procedures to guide the evaluation and decision process. The ADAA supports ADA-CODA accredited education to promote innovation in education, training, and supervision.  ADA-CODA also promotes a scope of practice that ensures the protection of the public. Through CODA, public perception of the profession increases as CODA establishes a high standard and level of respect for the dental assisting profession.

For more information about CODA and to find an accredited dental assisting program, please visit http://www.ada.org/en/coda.