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Accredited dental school

VCU School of Dentistry

P.O. Box 980566, 520 North 12th Street, Richmond, VA 23298-0566

School website Health centers in Virginia

VCU School of Dentistry is an accredited dental school in Richmond, VA. 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.

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 $79 for the visit its pages describe. Treatment beyond that is charged separately, so ask for the total before work begins.

This school states that it does not operate a sliding fee scale or provide free care. Its prices are reduced against private practice, but they are not adjusted to your income, so if you cannot pay a fixed fee a community health center is the better route.

The school lists a patient line on (804) 828-0951 and clinic hours on its patient pages. Both change between academic terms, so check again shortly before you travel.

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.

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?
  • Where is the patient entrance, and what should you bring — identification, proof of income, previous X-rays?
  • Does the school run an emergency or walk-in session, and who is eligible for it?
  • Are X-rays from your own dentist accepted, and how recent do they have to be?

Common Questions

What should I bring to the first appointment?

Photo identification, your insurance or Medicaid card if you have one, a list of your current medications, and any recent X-rays or records from a previous dentist. Some schools also ask for proof of income. Allow far more time than the appointment length suggests.

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 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.

What if the school cannot take me?

A common outcome and not the end of the search. Federally funded health centers in Richmond, VA 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.

Can I get dentures made here?

Complete and partial dentures are among the treatments dental schools most often do, and the saving against private practice is usually largest on exactly this kind of work. The catch is laboratory costs, which are frequently billed on top of the discounted fee. Ask for the total, laboratory work included.

Can I pay in instalments?

Payment is often expected at each visit rather than at the end, which spreads the cost in practice even where there is no formal plan. Formal payment plans are less common at schools than at private practices. Third-party dental finance is sometimes accepted; ask before assuming it.

Accreditation

Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements, next reviewed in 2032. Accreditation covers the teaching — curriculum, facilities and faculty — not whether a public clinic is open, what it charges, or how long the wait is.

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