Basic Clinical Education
The patient care experiences required for all students in order to attain clinical competence and complete the program. This education is provided in the program's clinical facilities (primary site on campus or off campus facilities) as defined in the Accreditation Standards and is supervised and evaluated by program faculty according to predetermined criteria.
Competence
The achievement of a predetermined level of special knowledge and skill derived from education, experience and task completion.
Competencies
Written statements describing the levels of knowledge, skills and values required of graduates.
Competent
The level of knowledge, skills, and values required by students/residents to perform independently an aspect of dental practice after completing the program.
Distance Education
Education that uses one or more technologies to deliver instruction to student who are separated from the instructor and to support regular and substantive interaction between the student and the instructor, either synchronously or asynchronously.
Documentation
Evidence of compliance with the standard. All evidence described is to be maintained by the program and is to be available for review by Commission representatives.
Enriching Clinical Experiences (Enrichment/Observational)
Clinical experiences that exceed the basic clinical education requirements of the program and that are provided to enhance the basic clinical education but are not used for achieving program or accreditation requirements. Enriching experiences may be provided on campus and/or in extramural clinical facilities and may be supervised by non-program personnel.
Evidence-Based Dentistry
Evidence-based dentistry is an approach to oral health care that requires the judicious integration of systematic assessments of clinically relevant scientific evidence, relating to the patient’s oral and medical condition and history, with the dentist’s clinical expertise and the patient’s treatment needs and preferences.
Examples of Evidence to Demonstrate Compliance
Desirable condition, practice or documentation indicating the freedom or liberty to follow a suggested alternative.
Graduate Program
A planned sequence of advanced courses leading to a masters or doctoral degree granted by a recognized and accredited educational institution.
Instruction
Describes any teaching, lesson, rule, or precept; details of procedure; directives.
Intent Statements
Intent statements are presented to provide clarification to the programs in the application of and in connection with compliance with the Accreditation Standards. The statements of intent set forth some of the reasons and purposes for the particular Standards. As such, these statements are not exclusive or exhaustive. Other purposes may apply.
Interdisciplinary
Including dentistry and other health care professions.
International Dental School
A dental school located outside the United States and Canada.
Manage
Coordinate the delivery of care using a patient-focused approach within the scope of their training. Patient-focused care should include concepts related to the patient’s social, cultural, behavioral, economic, medical and physical status.
May/Could
Indicates freedom or liberty to follow a suggested alternative.
Multidisciplinary
Including multiple disciplines within the profession of dentistry.
Must
Indicates an imperative or duty; an essential or indispensable item; mandatory; required.
Patients with Special Needs
Those patients whose medical, physical, psychological, or social situations make it necessary to modify normal dental routines in order to provide dental treatment for that individual. These individuals include, but are not limited to, people with developmental disabilities, complex medical problems, and significant physical limitations.
Post Graduate Program
A planned sequence of advanced courses that leads to a certificate of completion in an area of advanced dental education.
Practical Experience
Indicates instruction in which students receive supervised experience in performing techniques and procedure in the laboratory setting by fabricating prostheses for patients currently under treatment, or from actual casts or impressions, and occlusal records from previously fabricated prostheses. Performance of the procedures is evaluated by faculty or laboratory supervisors according to predetermined criteria that emphasize quality, productivity and the ability to complete a clinically acceptable appliance in a reasonable amount of time.
Predoctoral
Denotes training leading to the DDS or DMD degree.
Should
Indicates a method to achieve the standard; highly desirable, but not mandatory.
Sponsor
The institution which has the overall administrative control and responsibility for the conduct of the program.
Standard
Offers a rule or basis of comparison established in measuring or judging capacity, quantity, quality, content and value; criterion used as a model or pattern.
Accreditation Status Classifications
Approval without reporting requirements
An accreditation classification granted to an educational program indicating that the program achieves or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation.
Approval with reporting requirements
An accreditation classification granted to an educational program indicating that specific deficiencies or weaknesses exist in one or more areas of the program. Evidence of compliance with the cited standards must be demonstrated within 18 months if the program is between one and two years in length or two years if the program is at least two years in length. If the deficiencies are not corrected within the specified time period, accreditation will be withdrawn, unless the Commission extends the period for achieving compliance for good cause.
Circumstances under which an extension for good cause would be granted include, but are not limited to:
- sudden changes in institutional commitment;
- natural disaster which affects affiliated agreements between institutions; faculty support; or facilities;
- changes in institutional accreditation;
- interruption of an educational program due to unforeseen circumstances that take faculty, administrators or students away from the program.
Initial Accreditation
Initial Accreditation is the accreditation classification granted to any dental, advanced dental or allied dental education program which is not yet fully operational. This accreditation classification provides evidence to educational institutions, licensing bodies, government or other granting agencies that, at the time of initial evaluation(s), the developing education program has the potential for meeting the standards set forth in the requirements for an accredited educational program for the specific occupational area. The classification “initial accreditation” is granted based upon one or more site evaluation visit(s).
Levels of Knowledge
Familiarity
A simplified knowledge for the purposes of orientation and recognition of general principles.
In-depth
A thorough knowledge of concepts and theories for the purpose of critical analysis and the synthesis of more complete understanding (highest level of knowledge).
Understanding
Adequate knowledge with the ability to apply.
Levels of Skill
Clinical Competence
The achievement of a predetermined level of special skill derived from education and experience in the clinical setting.
Competent
The level of knowledge, skills and values required by a new graduate to begin practice.
Exposure
The level of skill attained by observation of or participation in a particular activity.
Laboratory/Preclinical
The achievement of a predetermined level of special skill derived from education and experience in the preclinical setting.
Competence
Derived from laboratory/preclinical instruction.
Types of Instruction
Clinical Instruction
Indicates instruction in which students receive supervised experience in performing functions in the clinical setting on patients. This clinical performance of functions is evaluated by faculty according to predetermined criteria.
Didactic Instruction
Refers to lectures, demonstrations or other instruction without active participation by students.
Laboratory/Preclinical
Indicates instruction in which students receive supervised experience performing functions using study models, manikins or other simulation methods; students' performance is evaluated by faculty according to predetermined criteria.
Instruction
Experience performing functions using study models, manikins or other simulation methods; students’ performance is evaluated by faculty according to predetermined criteria.
Review and Practice 2.3: Look at the set of accreditation standards that is most applicable to your area of expertise. Find and highlight examples where each of the above terms are used. Substitute terms and identify how the insertion of different terms would change the meaning of the standard. For example, a dental program must/should/could be established in an institution of higher education that is accredited by a recognized accrediting agency.
If the terms were changed, dental programs could be in any setting, not just accredited institutions.