Accredited dental school
University of Washington School of Dentistry
1959 NE Pacific Sttreet, B-530, Box 357480, Seattle, WA 98195
University of Washington School of Dentistry is a dental school in Seattle, 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.
What This School Publishes for Patients
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.
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.
The school lists a patient line on 206-543-5800 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
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.
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?
- 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
What happens if I have to cancel?
Missed appointments are taken seriously here, because a cancelled slot costs a student a graded case as well as costing the clinic. Several schools charge a fee or remove repeat no-shows from their patient list. Ask what the policy is at the start rather than after the first clash.
Can I bring X-rays from my own dentist?
Often yes, if they are recent — within about a year is the usual limit — and complete. It can save you both a fee and a visit, so it is worth asking before you pay for new ones. Your previous dentist has to release them to you or to the school, which takes a few days.
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.
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.
What if the school cannot take me?
A common outcome and not the end of the search. Federally funded health centers in Seattle, WA 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.
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.
Accreditation
Status: Approval without Reporting Requirements, next reviewed in 2031. 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 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:
Other Low-Cost Options in Washington
- Community health center dental clinics in Washington — 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 Washington — the cheapest cleanings available anywhere, with the hard limit that a hygienist cannot treat decay.
- 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.
Other Dental Schools Nearby
- Pacific Northwest University of Health Science School of Dental Medicine — Yakima, WA
- A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health — Mesa, AZ
- Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine — Boston, MA
- California Northstate University College of Dental Medicine — Elk Grove, CA
- Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine — Cleveland, OH