Pacific Northwest University of Health Science School of Dental Medicine

Pacific Northwest University of Health Science School of Dental Medicine is a dental school in Yakima, WA 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. Washington has 2 accredited dental schools in total, listed on the Washington 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?
• 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

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 Washington

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

• University of Washington School of Dentistry — Seattle

Common Questions

Accreditation

Status: Initial Accreditation, 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.

Other Low-Cost Options in Washington

• Community health center dental clinics in Washington — the income-based route. No screening visit to pass, and appointments are usually weeks rather than months away.
• Dental hygiene programs in Washington — 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 Washington — genuinely free where you qualify, but the criteria are narrow and waiting lists close without notice.
• Washington 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.