Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine

Based in Pomona, CA, Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine is an accredited dental school. Schools like this one train dentists, and much of that training happens by treating members of the public in supervised clinics on campus.

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

Which clinic you are placed in decides what you pay. Student clinics take general work at the lowest fee, specialty clinics handle root canals and dentures for more, and the faculty practice is close to ordinary private pricing.

Expect a screening visit first, which decides whether your case suits the students and the teaching schedule rather than simply booking you in. Expect appointments of two to three hours as well, since the work is reviewed at each stage, and expect the clinic to slow down or close between terms.

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:

• 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
• University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry — San Francisco

The full California list has the rest.

Before You Call

Patient clinics usually run separately from the school office, on their own line and sometimes at their own address. A few minutes on the phone saves a wasted journey.

• 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?
• What is the policy if you have to cancel or cannot make an appointment?
• Are X-rays from your own dentist accepted, and how recent do they have to be?
• 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 2028. 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 — the only route that costs nothing, and the hardest to get onto. Worth checking the current application status before applying.
• How dental school clinics work — a general guide to screening, fees, and what to expect across the country.