Frequently Asked Questions

Request a screening appointment by filling out the Patient Contact Form available at the bottom of each service area. Visit the How to Become a Patient page for details. After we review your request, you may be asked to come for a screening appointment.

The screening appointment is a visual assessment of a person’s oral health needs. We do not select patients based on their income; selection is based strictly on needs and our ability to attend to those needs depending on the educational goals of the programs at UBC.

Assignment to a dental/dental hygiene student or graduate student to commence treatment could be immediate, or treatment may not begin for a while (up to several months). The waiting period depends on when you were screened, your oral health needs, and student availability. Screening appointments take place throughout each semester.

The clinic offers urgent care services to relieve the pain of non-registered patients. This clinic runs by appointment only.

The dental students perform a full range of general dentistry, including basic preventative, restorative work and oral surgery (extractions, including wisdom teeth).

Dental hygiene students provide dental hygiene procedures, including custom-fit sports guards (mouth guards).

The graduate programs include endodontics (root canal therapy), pediatric dentistry (children), periodontics (treatment of gum disease and gum surgery), prosthodontics (crown, bridge, partial and full dentures) and orthodontics (teeth straightening).

Yes, children requiring more advanced care are seen by the pediatric dentistry program and accepted as patients in the dental program. For more information regarding becoming a patient, contact your local health unit to see if they participate in this program.

Qualified licensed dental/dental hygiene practitioners and faculty members strictly supervise all work performed by students. However, appointment times are longer than one would normally find at a private dental office.

The fees are reduced by approximately 20 to 40% compared to those set out each year by the Association of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia.

Payment is required when treatment is complete, and we do not offer any payment plans. In the case of major dental treatment that involves fabrication at a dental laboratory (crown, bridges, etc.), half of the total fee is required before the item goes to the lab (plus a previous outstanding balance), and the other half is required upon placement of the procedure.

Dental insurance claims fall into two general categories. For more information, visit the Dental Insurance section on the How to Become a Patient page.