The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) employs a collaborative peer review accreditation process to evaluate the quality of over 1,400 dental and dental-related education programs nationwide, including dental, advanced dental and allied dental programs.
The accreditation process begins when a sponsoring institution submits an application to CODA. The institution then completes a comprehensive self-analysis and self-study report detailing its resources, curriculum, policies and operational standards.
The next step is an on-site review conducted by CODA team members selected for their expertise in the program area. They conduct interviews with administrators, instructors, staff and students to verify information in the self-study and ensure that the program meets minimum accreditation standards.
CODA team members then write a detailed site visit report based on their findings and share it with both the sponsoring institution and CODA officials. CODA meets twice a year (usually in January/February and July/August) to review site visit reports and other program reports, and make accreditation decisions.
All accredited programs receive a follow-up site review every seven years, except for advanced dental education programs in oral and maxillofacial surgery, which are reviewed every five years.