Dental School vs. "Real" Dentist

[salliekate]

Has anyone gotten a check-up/fillings at a dental school?  We have a great dental school in town and they take patients, and I think they're cheaper than a "real" dentist.  I have horrible teeth and always need fillings and such, so I'm considering this.  But I don't want them to do a terrible job either.  Should I give it a shot?  Or should I go to someone already in practice?

[Deleted]

Our dental school is really cheap. Getting an appointment is kind of like a lottery though. They basically open up the phones at exactly 8 a.m. and take the first so many callers for next day appointments and then take so many people to be put on a wait list.

They did a good job but the care is very basic. It's not a substitute for regular dental care, more like an "oh shit I'm broke and need to get this done ASAP." DH said he would never go back because they extracted his tooth and gave him no shot or anything for pain. It's just very, very basic care. It may be different at other dental schools.

I like going to a regular dentist because he actually creates a record and helps maintain my teeth and foresee future issues. I don't think a dental school will do that.

[caramia17]

I am a professor at a dental school, so I have a bias.

Dental schools can offer great value for the services, but you pay with your time. I usually tell patients that it is 1/3 the cost, but 3x the time. For some people this may be worth it, for others not so much.

Many dental schools also have specialty clinics [general practice residency (GPR), advanced education in general dentistry (AEGD), or graduate prosthodontics] who have students who have completed dental school and are looking for further training. This is usually more expensive, but the experience and the time spent can make its better fit for some patients.

Good luck! PM me and tell me where you are if you want and I can make more specific recs.

[thedutchgirl]

I agree that cleanings can take more time, although for me it was a set appointment time, etc., so it wasn't a weird line or cattle call situation.

I also got my wisdom teeth out at the same dental school, and frankly, that was like going to any hospital to have work done. Twilight anesthesia, regular dentists studying for some additional training, etc. It was great, and I would recommend it to anyone.

[midwest07]

I have gone to a dental school my entire life, but the only time I actually saw a student was when I had braces. I would go in and the student would check things over and decide what to do and then the faculty orthodontist would come over and make sure it was done right. It may have been slightly less expensive than a regular orthodontist, but not much. I think my parents felt good about it because they felt the treatment recommendations were based on true need, not keeping braces on longer than necessary and leading to more charges. If I recall, my braces were on the least amount of time as all my friends and my teeth still look perfect!



So other than that, I actually go to the "faculty practice" part of the dental school. It's like a regular dentist, you make regular appointments, costs are similar, they take insurance, etc. It's really hard to get into and they pretty much only take new patients if you know the dentist. I think it's a way for the faculty to keep up their skills and make more $$ for the school and themselves, since many could probably make more in private practice. When I had to have my wisdom teeth out, my dentist there recommended an oral surgeon not associated with the school, just whoever he thought was best in town.



So I think it totally depends on the school and which part of the clinic you are going to.  When I tell people that's where I go, they do seem to look at me a little odd, like assuming I am paying $5 for a cavity or something.

[statlerwaldorf]

I had my braces at a dental school. They were very meticulous about everything and everything was checked over by a professor. It did take a lot more time than other dentists. I also felt the students were gentler.

[phunluvin82]

Jan 31, 2013 8:27:08 GMT -5 caramia17 said:

I am a professor at a dental school, so I have a bias.

Dental schools can offer great value for the services, but you pay with your time. I usually tell patients that it is 1/3 the cost, but 3x the time. For some people this may be worth it, for others not so much.

Many dental schools also have specialty clinics [general practice residency (GPR), advanced education in general dentistry (AEGD), or graduate prosthodontics] who have students who have completed dental school and are looking for further training. This is usually more expensive, but the experience and the time spent can make its better fit for some patients.

Good luck! PM me and tell me where you are if you want and I can make more specific recs.

My dad is a dentist, and this is basically exactly what he says about it as well. 

[Deleted]

Dude, I must have went to the shittiest dental school ever. LOL

[salliekate]

Man, y'all are awesome. Thanks for the feedback! caramia17, I'll definitely PM you.

Sorry you had such a bad experience papiercherri!

[kaylie]

I went to NYU dental was I was poor. The prices weren't great and it was a terrible experience. They're learning, so each appointment is at least three hours long. Everything hurt and the work was crappy. The three cavities I had filled there all had to be refilled within five years.

[FWP]

I do not have experience with dental schools.

However, I got some bad fillings at a dental practice last year. It ended up being a gigantic PITA to get them fixed, bot in terms of time and money. Plus, they may or may not have cracked my tooth. I will never again get anything more than cleaning or cosmetic procedures from a dentist I don't fully trust. I only get one set of adult teeth and I am not going to take any unnecessary risks with them. Not to say that you couldn't find a great dentist at a dental school, but I personally would not risk it.