University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry

University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry is an accredited dental school in Detroit, MI. 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. Michigan has 2 accredited dental schools in total, listed on the Michigan page.

What This School Publishes for Patients

This school screens new patients before taking them on. Being screened is not the same as being accepted: the school is deciding whether your case suits its students and its teaching schedule.

On fees, the school publishes $30 for the first appointment. Treatment beyond that is charged separately, so ask for the total before work begins.

A pediatric clinic operates alongside the adult clinics. Minimum ages and waiting lists differ from the adult side, so ask about children separately.

The school lists a patient line on (313) 494-6700 and clinic hours on its patient pages. Both change between academic terms, so check again shortly before you travel.

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?
• What does the screening appointment cost, and how long is the wait for 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?
• Does the quoted fee include laboratory work for crowns or dentures, which is often billed on top?
• Is your insurance or Medicaid plan accepted, and is payment due at each visit?
• If the school cannot treat part of your case, where does it refer that work?
• Are evening or Saturday appointments available, or is it weekdays only?
• Does the school run an emergency or walk-in session, and who is eligible for it?

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.

Other Accredited Dental Schools in Michigan

There is one other accredited dental school in Michigan, which is worth knowing about if this one has a long wait or cannot take your case:

• University of Michigan School of Dentistry — Ann Arbor

Common Questions

Accreditation

Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements, next reviewed in 2029. That is a judgment on the education, not on the clinic: it says nothing about opening hours, prices or whether anyone is being taken on.

Other Low-Cost Options in Michigan

• Community health center dental clinics in Michigan — the income-based route. No screening visit to pass, and appointments are usually weeks rather than months away.
• Dental hygiene programs in Michigan — good for cleanings and gum treatment, easier to book than a dental school, and unable to help with anything a dentist has to do.
• Free and charitable dental care in Michigan — 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.