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Accredited dental school

University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine

Medical Sciences Campus, Main Building-Office #A103B, 1st Floor, San Juan, PR 00936-5067

School website Health centers in Puerto Rico

University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine is a dental school in San Juan, PR 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. Puerto Rico has 3 accredited dental schools in total, listed on the Puerto Rico page.

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?
  • How far ahead are they booking, and is there a cancellation list worth joining?
  • Where is the patient entrance, and what should you bring — identification, proof of income, previous X-rays?
  • What is the policy if you have to cancel or cannot make an appointment?

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 Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has 3 accredited dental schools altogether. If this one is full or the wait is too long, the others are separate institutions with separate lists:

Common Questions

How long will a course of treatment take?

Longer than at a private practice, and the gap widens with the amount of work. Individual appointments often run two to three hours because each stage is reviewed, and clinics slow down or close between terms. Someone needing several crowns should expect months rather than weeks.

Do they treat patients with complex medical conditions?

It depends on the condition and the school. Some cases need clearance from your physician first, and a few are referred to a hospital dental service instead. Bring a current medication list and your physician’s details to screening; it is the most common reason a first appointment has to be repeated.

Will a student be doing the work?

In the student clinic, yes, supervised by a licensed faculty dentist who checks the treatment at each stage and signs it off. In graduate and specialty clinics the work is done by a qualified dentist training in that field. Ask which clinic you would be assigned to, because it changes both the price and the wait.

Is sedation available if I am anxious?

Availability varies and it is rarely included in the quoted fee. Some schools offer nitrous oxide in the student clinic and deeper sedation only in a graduate clinic or through the hospital. If anxiety is the reason you have avoided treatment, say so at screening rather than on the day.

Can children be seen?

It depends on whether the school runs a pediatric clinic, and this one has not published an answer we can confirm. Minimum ages vary widely and pediatric clinics keep their own waiting lists. Ask specifically rather than assuming a school treating adults also treats children.

Can I come just for a cleaning?

Sometimes, but not always at the dental school. Several schools route simple preventive work to the dental hygiene program instead, where it is cheaper and quicker to get an appointment. If a cleaning is all you need, ask about that route first.

Accreditation

Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements, next reviewed in 2027. 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.

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