School Loses ADA Accreditation, Neglects to Tell Students
T.H. Pickens Technical College in Aurora, Colorado provides technical education for a variety of careers: cosmetology and carpentry, drafting and design, mechanics and machining.
There’s also a dental assistant program. According to the school’s website, “The Dental Assisting Program… includes a combination of theory classes, laboratory classes, skills practice and clinical externships. Upon successful completion, the student will be Dental Radiography Certified.”
But when a recent crop of Pickens students went to take an exam for national certification as dental assistants, they were in for a rude awakening. The students were not permitted to take the exam because the school is not ADA accredited.
The school lost its ADA accreditation in 2006, but apparently neglected to update its website or inform new students, about 50 of whom are affected. Students complained of the wasted time and money, but a school spokesperson emphasized that Colorado dental assistants do not need to be nationally certified.