The ADA's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) was established in 1975 and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Its mission is to use its accreditation process to maintain quality standards in dental education. After a sponsoring institution applies for accreditation, it completes a self-analysis report describing its dental program's policies, operation, curriculum and resources. Then CODA members visit the site and interview instructors, staff, administrators and students. The site visit participants share their report with the institution and the rest of the CODA committee. Meeting only in January and July, the committee then votes on whether the dental school meets the minimum qualifications for accreditation. Accreditation standards comprise a number of subcategories under institutional effectiveness, educational program, faculty and staff, educational support services and patient care services.
The Dental Admission Test (DAT) measures scientific comprehension, perceptual ability and general academic ability. DAT scores are required for admission to all ADA-accredited dental schools. A $320 fee (in 2011) includes the test, a score report forwarded to the test-taker's selected dental programs and an unofficial report at the time of testing and another for the student's pre-dental adviser if requested.
Tests are taken at a prometric test site and are comprised of four subtests. The DAT is completely multiple choice and scored by the number of correct answers without guessing penalties. Using the standard scoring method, the test-taker can receive a score from 1 to 30. A score of 17 suggests average performance. Although a DAT score is a factor in admission to dental school, the weight of the score varies with each school's program.
CODA requires doctor of dental surgery curriculum to integrate biomedical, behavioral and clinical studies firmly. Typically, first- and second-year coursework consists of rigorous study in an array of topics. The third- and fourth-year curriculum includes an advanced continuation of early principles in addition to ethical studies, endodontics, community service and practical application.
Slight variations in ADA-approved doctor of dental surgery coursework exist among institutions. Using the ADA-approved University of Louisville School of Dentistry's 2011 curriculum as an example, first-year dental students may have courses with the following titles: Survey of Gross and Neuroanatomy, Histology, Physiology, Dental Anatomy and Occlusion, Correlated Sciences, Oral Radiology, Head and Neck Anatomy, Biochemistry, Preclinical Operative Dentistry, Introduction to Clinical Dentistry, Growth, Development and Aging, Periodontics, Preventive Dentistry and Cariology.
The University of Louisville requires the following second-year courses for dental students: Microbiology, Physical Diagnosis, Preclinical Occlusion, Introduction to Cast Restorations, General Pathology, Pain and Anxiety Control, Oral Radiology II, Pharmacology and Dental Therapeutics, Oral Diagnosis/Oral Medicine, Introduction to Clinical Dentistry II, Preclinical Treatment Planning, Preclinical Fixed Pros, Removable Partial Dentures I and II, Principles of Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics IV, Periodontal Modular Learning, Clinical Oral Radiology and Principles of Oral Surgery.