Aug 21, 2025
My View: Empathy: The human skill that sets us apart
Empathy is not weakness. It’s not a luxury. And it’s not purely instinctive. It’s a skill.
Aug 21, 2025
Empathy is not weakness. It’s not a luxury. And it’s not purely instinctive. It’s a skill.
Aug 21, 2025
Brett Culp — an acclaimed filmmaker, social entrepreneur and keynote speaker — will deliver the SmileCon Opening Session keynote address.
Aug 18, 2025
The ADA News is delving into many questions explored in Fluoridation Facts through conversations with experts.
Aug 13, 2025
Researchers at ADA Forsyth are investigating how wearing clear aligners changes the bacterial environment in the mouth.
Aug 11, 2025
Dental communicators will converge in San Diego for the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists Annual Conference.
Aug 8, 2025
The ADA is seeking volunteers for its workforce ambassador program to help address workforce shortages.
Aug 7, 2025
A dentist will pay more than $500,000 to the state of Oklahoma after he allegedly submitted false claims to the state’s Medicaid program.
Aug 7, 2025
The ADA is carrying out more than $20 million in expense reductions, as indicated by the 2025 budget.
Aug 4, 2025
Dentists can use parent-obtained smartphone photos to accurately assess visible caries in children, according to a study published in JADA.
Aug 1, 2025
ADA News is providing a roundup of happenings in government you may have missed this week.
Aug 1, 2025
ADA News is providing a roundup of happenings in government you may have missed this week.
Jul 31, 2025
The fourth episode of Ambush Science looks at a major update to the Human Oral Microbiome Database.
Jul 31, 2025
The ADA expressed support for a bill that seeks to strengthen the scientific basis behind federal water fluoridation regulations.
Jul 30, 2025
The ADA is outlining the budget reconciliation bill’s impacts on dentists through tax policy, student loans and state Medicaid provisions.
Jul 28, 2025
Five new documents are available for review and comment from the ADA Standards Program by Aug. 31.
Jul 25, 2025
The ADA is making it easier than ever to access and adopt its informatics standards.
Jul 25, 2025
Five new documents are available for review and comment from the ADA Standards Program by Aug. 31.
Jul 25, 2025
ADA News is providing a roundup of happenings in government you may have missed this week.
Jul 25, 2025
SmileCon 2025 will equip dentists and their teams with skills and strategies to thrive in an evolving industry.
Jul 25, 2025
The ADA filed an amicus brief in support of the EPA’s appeal of a court order directing it to further regulate community water fluoridation.
Dr. Ken Rawson, ISDS President
CODA sets the student-to-faculty ratios for all dental schools, dental hygiene programs, and accredited dental assisting programs, so it essentially controls how many graduates enter the workforce each year. These ratios have not changed or been explored in quite some time. We request to determine if they can be increased, potentially infusing more dental hygienists and assistants into the workforce.
Starting a brand-new program from scratch is a huge lift and takes significant time and money, so it would take years to have an impact. Increasing the student-to-faculty ratios for hygiene and assisting programs would be an immediate solution.
The multi-state coalition requested that CODA take the following actions:
a. Should there be variation in the faculty-to-student ratios in the Accreditation
Standards based upon the complexity of procedures in which students are
being trained?
b. Should there be variation in the faculty-to-student ratios in the Accreditation
Standards based on technology used for training students?
c. At what ratio is ensuring appropriate technical instruction and evaluation
compromised?
d. Are there any factors within the control of educational programs that warrant
variance in the faculty-to-student ratios?
After receiving the state’s requests, CODA’s full Board of Commissioners discussed and considered the concerns and recommendations brought forward. They agreed to form an ad hoc committee and request that each state provide data on the intersection between the workforce shortages and their Accreditation Standards. ISDS will be providing updates as things progress.
Click here to view letters from the coalition to CODA.