Dental assistant school accreditation is a process by which dental assistant schools demonstrate their credibility and quality of education. It’s important to find an accredited dental assistant school, because accreditation proves that a school meets the rigorous educational standards of one of the national accrediting agencies.
These accreditation agencies regulate dental assistant schools to ensure they provide top notch training and produce students ready to join the work force. If a school isn’t accredited, it may mean that its quality of education is unsatisfactory. It may also mean the school has failed students in other ways. Accreditation also serves as a measuring stick for schools that makes it easier for students to transfer credits from one school to another, receive financial aid from the government and other institutions, and inspire confidence in prospective employers.
Dental Assistant School Accreditation Agencies
- Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB): DANB is the top certification and credentialing agency for dental assistant professionals. It creates rigorous standards for testing and certification to ensure that the public receives the highest quality dental care from the most qualified professional dental assistants.
- Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA): CODA is the American Dental Association’s accrediting body, which develops and enforces accreditation standards for dental assistant and dentist programs. These standards ensure all dental education programs, and thus all dental professionals, meet the highest education standards and able to give the best possible care to their patients.
- American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA): The ADAA is the #1 national career organization for dental assistants. Their goal is to advance the careers of dental assistants and to promote the dental assisting profession in matters of education, legislation, credentialing and professional activities which enhance the delivery of quality dental health care to the public.
- Attending an accredited dental assisting school is necessary for certification, and can also help job seekers gain a higher salary. For more information, see our overview of dental assistant training, as well as some of the dental assistant courses you will take.