Accreditation Standards

The Commission on Dental Accreditation develops and implements accreditation standards that promote and monitor the continuous quality and improvement of dental education programs. These accreditation standards are copyrighted, but they may be downloaded for educational use. Reproduction of Commission documents is permitted by permission only. Please review the Commission’s Policy on Reprints.

Continue reading to view current, revised and proposed accreditation standards relevant to dental education programs.

After CODA meetings, CODA will circulate proposed revisions to various standards to CODA’s communities of interest for comment. Find information on current proposed standards and CODA’s upcoming hearing on the Hearings on Standards/Comments Due page

 At the Summer 2025 meeting, CODA revised various Accreditation Standards.

CODA suspended indefinitely Predoctoral Dental Education Standard 1-4 and 4-4, and adopted an amendment of the intent statement and examples of evidence of Predoctoral Dental Education Standard 1-3 related to diversity of faculty, staff, and students. Note the amended Standards’ “must” statements remain in effect.

• Redlined Predoctoral Dental Education Standards (PDF)
• Predoctoral Accreditation Standards (PDF)

CODA adopted an amendment of the intent statements and examples of evidence of Dental Hygiene Standard 1-2 related to diversity of faculty, staff, and students. Note that these Standards’ “must” statements remain in effect. CODA also adopted a revision to Standard 3-6c, related to faculty credentials, of the Accreditation Standards for Dental Hygiene Education Programs, with immediate implementation.

• Redlined Dental Hygiene Standard (PDF)
• Dental Hygiene Standards (PDF)

CODA suspended indefinitely Dental Therapy Standard 1-4 and 4-2, and adopted an amendment of the intent statement and examples of evidence of Dental Therapy Standard 1-3 related to diversity of faculty, staff, and students. Note the amended Standards’ “must” statements remain in effect.

• Redlined Dental Therapy Education Standards (PDF)
• Dental Therapy Accreditation Standards (PDF)

CODA suspended indefinitely Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Residency) Standard 1-11 and adopted an amendment of the intent statement and examples of evidence of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Residency) Standard 2-1.7, related to diversity of faculty, staff, and students. Note that these Standards’ “must” statements remain in effect.

• Redlined Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Accreditation Standards (PDF)
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Accreditation Standards  (PDF)