Continuing Dental Education: Dean's Message

This year our continuing dental education theme is "Where Champions Excel." Just as the University of Florida Gators have demonstrated the superior qualities of heart, mind, and soul that lead to excellence by claiming two National Championships this past year, the University of Florida College of Dentistry has set its sights on laying title to being the national champion of continuing dental education.

Pursuing and maintaining the highest standards of CDE excellence requires a commitment to three key credentialing processes: Accreditation of the sponsoring college by the ADA’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), recognition by the American Dental Association Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP), and membership in the Association of Continuing Dental Educators (ACDE).

Accredited dental schools are evaluated by CODA on 7-year cycles. The process includes a self-study component, a successful site visit by a team of CODA examiners, and final review of the formal site visit report by the commission and its review committees. The college is engaged in self-study in preparation for our site visit on February 12-14, 2008, and we welcome any questions you may have regarding the process.

Continuing dental education at UF has been awarded ADA CERP recognition through Dec. 2008. The ADA CERP was established in 1993, in recognition of the need to offer its members and the dental community a way to select continuing education with confidence, to assist regulatory agencies and other organizations responsible for approving credit, and to promote the continuous improvement of CDE. Through an application and review process, the ADA CERP evaluates and recognizes institutions and organizations that provide continuing education.

Finally, UF is a member of ACDE. ACDE’s goal is to bring together those persons representing continuing dental education programs associated with accredited schools of dentistry in Canada and the United States, including Puerto Rico, and other persons representing continuing dental education programs associated with other educational and governmental organizations. The association exists to encourage and advance professional interest in continuing dental education, and to promote high standards in continuing dental education courses offered by schools of dentistry, and thus foster the improvement of the dental health of the public.

Going the extra mile to proudly maintain the highest standards and credentials is just one outward manifestation of our commitment to providing you with the highest quality continuing dental education available.

Regards,

Teresa A. Dolan, D.D.S., M.P.H.
Professor and Dean