Foundations For A Dentfree Future

Teaching is hard. It takes a lot of skill. Not everyone who tries can do it well. We need to admit that and act accordingly. We should reward and respect great teachers by paying them more, and we should stop rewarding seniority over effectiveness. Betsy DeVos:Current United States Secretary of Education

There are many so-called Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) certifications and they are worthless. Ian Cordle: PDR Industry Leader, Napa Valley, CA

Paintless Dent Repair (PDR), is still a very young industry and we are currently in a renaissance of sorts. The technology which allows us to make dings perfect has arrived, but the training is still very outdated and fragmented. Many individuals within the industry have started their own schools to teach Paintless Dent Removal and the PDR Process. However, many of them have made the fatal flaw that often befalls academics in any field.

  1. First, they assume that because they know something they can just give it to others, without doing the hard work of breaking down all of the components. That is, they may be good as a working tech, but that doesn't always translate into being a working teacher.
  2. Second, they are monetizing a product which they deem as being proprietary. As a result, there is virtually no cross-talk among peers. This means that as a whole the industry hasn't even come to a consensus on definitions of terms.
  3. Thirdly, they have created several certifications that aren't monitored by the state or the industry as a whole. The real question is, "What did someone need to achieve, in their paintless dent repair work, to earn that certification?" Unfortunately, the answer is simply a dollar sign.
  4. Fourth, these "schools" are not what you would expect of any other trade school. It mostly consists of a small workshop, similar to an augmented art class on pottery, etc. However, the class sizes are much smaller than that, with maybe one or two students every quarter.
  5. Fifth, the "teachers" are working technicians that teach these workshops as supplemental income. This means that their primary source of income is from other ventures within the auto body repair and hail damage repair industries.

In conclusion, anyone can say they are certified by another technician or so-called dent wizard school, but really are not "certified".

chool Dentless Certification Myriad of Disconnected Ideas current state PDR certification system

90% of all Paintless dent repairs (PDR) utilizes tools from behind a panel to massage the dent out. 10% of all PDR repairs include some form of glue pulling method.

Contrary to popular belief, trying to fix your dent with an at-home kit, dry ice, blow dryer, suction cup, or compressed air, is a myth. You are putting the value of your vehicle in danger.