Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California

Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California is an accredited dental school in Los Angeles, CA. Dentists are trained by treating patients, which is why a dental school is often the cheapest place in a city to have a large amount of work done.

Fees at a teaching clinic are set by the school and are usually well below private practice rates, though the care is reduced-cost rather than free. In exchange, appointments are longer and treatment can take more visits than it would elsewhere. California has 7 accredited dental schools in total, listed on the California page.

Common Questions

What a Teaching Clinic Is Like

Dental schools usually run several clinics rather than one. Students handle routine general dentistry at the lowest fees; residents training in a specialty handle root canals, gum treatment, dentures, and oral surgery for more; faculty practices charge close to private rates.

The trade is time for money. Screening comes first and does not guarantee acceptance; appointments are two to three hours because each stage is checked; and treatment spanning several months has to work around the school calendar.

Our guide to dental schools and teaching clinics covers the screening process, how the discount works on laboratory costs, and what to ask before the first appointment in more detail.

Before You Call

The patient clinic is often a separate operation from the school itself, with its own number and sometimes its own building. Worth a call before you set out.

• Is the clinic open to the public right now, and taking new patients?
• Is a screening appointment required first, what does it cost, and how soon can you get one?
• Which clinic would handle the treatment you need — the student clinic, a specialty clinic, or the faculty practice — and does it have its own waiting list?
• What are the fees for that treatment, and do they include laboratory work for crowns or dentures?
• Is your insurance or Medicaid plan accepted, and is payment due at each visit?
• Which number reaches the patient clinic rather than the main switchboard?
• Are X-rays from your own dentist accepted, and how recent do they have to be?
• What is the policy if you have to cancel or cannot make an appointment?
• Where is the patient entrance, and what should you bring — identification, proof of income, previous X-rays?

Accreditation

Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements, next reviewed in 2030. It reviews the program every few years against a national standard for teaching. Patient access, fees and waiting times are outside what it looks at.

Other Accredited Dental Schools in California

California has 7 accredited dental schools altogether. If this one is full or the wait is too long, the others are separate institutions with separate lists:

• University of California at Los Angeles School of Dentistry — Los Angeles, the same city
• California Northstate University College of Dental Medicine — Elk Grove
• Loma Linda University School of Dentistry — Loma Linda
• Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine — Pomona
• University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry — San Francisco

The full California list has the rest.

Other Low-Cost Options in California

• Community health center dental clinics in California — priced against your household income rather than by using students, which makes them the better option if your income is low and your need is routine.
• Dental hygiene programs in California — teaching clinics for cleanings, X-rays, sealants and gum treatment at low cost. They do not do fillings or extractions.
• Free and charitable dental care in California — volunteer and donated-care programs, normally with eligibility rules and limited capacity.
• How dental school clinics work — a general guide to screening, fees, and what to expect across the country.