Accredited dental school
Texas A&M University College of Dentistry
3302 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, TX 75246
Based in Dallas, TX, Texas A&M University College of Dentistry 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. Texas has 4 accredited dental schools in total, listed on the Texas page.
What This School Publishes for Patients
This school screens new patients before taking them on. It publishes a screening charge of $120, payable at that first visit. Being screened is not the same as being accepted: the school is deciding whether your case suits its students and its teaching schedule.
Some insurance is accepted here. Plans and public programs change from year to year, so confirm yours by name rather than asking whether insurance is taken in general.
At the time this was read, the school said it was accepting new patients. That changes with the academic year, so it is worth confirming on the phone.
The school lists a patient line on (214) 828-8981. That changes between academic terms, so check again shortly before you travel.
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.
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.
- 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?
- Are evening or Saturday appointments available, or is it weekdays only?
- How far ahead are they booking, and is there a cancellation list worth joining?
- Are X-rays from your own dentist accepted, and how recent do they have to be?
Common Questions
Do I have to come during working hours?
Mostly yes. Teaching clinics run on the academic timetable, which means weekday daytime sessions and long appointments. A few schools hold evening or Saturday sessions. If you cannot take weekday time off repeatedly, this route is harder than it looks on paper.
Is the fee quoted above all I would pay?
No. The published figure covers the visit it names. Treatment is charged on top of it, and laboratory work for crowns and dentures is frequently billed separately again. Ask for a written treatment plan with the total before any work starts.
Can I be turned down after the screening visit?
Yes, and it is common enough to plan for. Screening decides whether your case matches what students need to learn and what the schedule can absorb. Cases that are urgent, unusually complex, or need a specialty the school does not run are referred elsewhere. The screening fee is not usually refunded if you are not accepted.
Do they do implants?
Many schools do, usually through a graduate clinic, and usually at a price well below private practice but still well above a denture. Implant components are billed separately from the surgical fee at most schools. Expect a longer assessment before anyone agrees to treat.
How is this different from a dental hygiene clinic?
A hygiene clinic is staffed by hygiene students and does preventive work only — cleanings, X-rays, sealants, gum treatment. It cannot fill a cavity or pull a tooth. For preventive care it is cheaper and easier to book; for anything else you need the dental school or a dentist.
What if the school cannot take me?
A common outcome and not the end of the search. Federally funded health centers in Dallas, TX charge on a sliding scale by household income and can usually see you sooner. Dental hygiene programs handle cleanings and preventive work cheaply. Both are linked further down this page.
Accreditation
Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements, next reviewed in 2026. Accreditation covers the teaching — curriculum, facilities and faculty — not whether a public clinic is open, what it charges, or how long the wait is.
Other Accredited Dental Schools in Texas
Texas has 4 accredited dental schools altogether. If this one is full or the wait is too long, the others are separate institutions with separate lists:
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso — El Paso
- The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston — Houston
- The University of Texas at San Antonio School of Dentistry — San Antonio
Other Low-Cost Options in Texas
- Community health center dental clinics in Texas — fees scale to what you earn, and being uninsured is the ordinary case rather than an obstacle. Generally quicker to get into than a school.
- Dental hygiene programs in Texas — the cheapest cleanings available anywhere, with the hard limit that a hygienist cannot treat decay.
- Free and charitable dental care in Texas — the only route that costs nothing, and the hardest to get onto. Worth checking the current application status before applying.
- Texas state oral health program — the health department office that funds sealant programs and safety-net dental services in the state, and a useful place to ask about county-level help.
- How dental school clinics work — a general guide to screening, fees, and what to expect across the country.
Other Dental Schools Nearby
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso — El Paso, TX
- The University of Texas at San Antonio School of Dentistry — San Antonio, TX
- The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston — Houston, TX
- A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health — Mesa, AZ
- Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine — Boston, MA