University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry

University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry is a dental school in San Francisco, CA with an accredited predoctoral program. Dental degrees are earned in part by treating patients under supervision, so many schools run clinics that anyone can apply to as a patient.

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.

What a Teaching Clinic Is Like

Care is normally split between a student clinic doing general dentistry at the lowest prices, graduate clinics where qualified dentists train in a specialty and charge more, and a faculty practice priced near private practice.

Two things surprise most first-time patients. Nearly every school screens you before agreeing to treat you, and being screened is not the same as being accepted. And appointments run long — often two to three hours — because an instructor checks the work as it goes, so a course of treatment can take months and follows the academic 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.

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 the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry — San Francisco, the same city
• California Northstate University College of Dental Medicine — Elk Grove
• Loma Linda University School of Dentistry — Loma Linda
• Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California — Los Angeles
• University of California at Los Angeles School of Dentistry — Los Angeles

The full California list has the rest.

Before You Call

Schools commonly keep the patient clinic on a different line, and occasionally at a different address, from the school office. Ask before you travel.

• 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?
• Does the school run an emergency or walk-in session, and who is eligible for it?
• Where is the patient entrance, and what should you bring — identification, proof of income, previous X-rays?
• If the school cannot treat part of your case, where does it refer that work?

Common Questions

Accreditation

Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements, next reviewed in 2027. For a patient it is reasonable assurance that the supervision behind the clinic is held to a national standard. It is not a statement that the clinic is open.

Other Low-Cost Options in California

• Community health center dental clinics in California — federally funded clinics that discount fees by household income and see patients insured or not. Usually the fastest route for routine care.
• Dental hygiene programs in California — preventive work only, and cheap. Useful if a cleaning is what you actually need; useless for a cavity.
• Free and charitable dental care in California — genuinely free where you qualify, but the criteria are narrow and waiting lists close without notice.
• How dental school clinics work — a general guide to screening, fees, and what to expect across the country.