Along with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) also has submitted its comments to the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) regarding the proposed accreditation standards for dental therapy education programs.
The ADHA noted in its comments that "CODA's mission is to serve the oral healthcare needs of the public through the development and administration of standards that foster continuous quality improvement of dental and dental related educational programs."
"The ADHA is focused on improving the public's access to quality oral healthcare, which is an essential part of overall health," stated ADHA President Kelli Swanson Jaecks, RDH, in a press release. "The comments we provided to CODA highlight the focus and commitment our organization has on improving access to care through the process of an accredited education program for dental therapists."
The FTC has commented to CODA before on the need to revise the standards that were first proposed in 2013, and ADHA has applauded the FTC for its efforts to help ensure better access to care and allow dental therapists to operate to the full scope of their practice.
CODA is scheduled to meet on February 6, 2015, in Chicago, where it is expected the commission will have further deliberations on the proposed standards for dental therapy education programs.
