Continued competency in the specialties and academics.

The competency approach to education requires demonstration of a set of knowledge, skills, and values appropriate to the current practice situation. The Commission on Dental Accreditation requires that dental educational programs provide evidence that predoctoral programs, postgraduate dental education, dental hygiene, and specialty programs provide evidence that their programs make it possible for candidates to achieve competence, assess competence and provide remediation, and deny degrees or certificates to those who do not possess competence. All nine specialty programs recognized by the American Dental Association require additional periodic assessment for continued competence. These programs continue to experiment with cost-effective means for assessing competence at higher levels and on a continuing basis. Dental education programs also require demonstrations of on-going competence in the areas of teaching and scholarship, typically through formal peer-review processes.