Comprehensive Dental Services at Midwestern University Dental Clinics

Midwestern University is committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate dental care through its state-of-the-art dental clinics. These clinics not only serve the community by offering affordable services but also play a vital role in the education of future dentists. With a focus on patient-centered care and utilizing the latest technology, Midwestern University Dental Clinics strive to improve the oral health and overall well-being of their patients.

Community Outreach Programs

Midwestern University is actively involved in community outreach through initiatives like Community Dental Days. The College of Dental Medicine-Arizona (CDMA) at Midwestern University organizes this quarterly event to deliver comprehensive dental care to underserved populations in the Valley.

These events provide high-quality dental care to individuals who are rebuilding their lives following hardships, such as survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence, women reentering society after incarceration, individuals in recovery from substance use disorders, refugees, homeless mothers, and veterans. These individuals often face significant barriers to consistent dental care, which Midwestern University aims to address.

Community Dental Days is not a standalone outreach, but rather the beginning of an ongoing commitment to serve those in greatest need. Patients receive care during the event and are welcomed as ongoing patients of the Midwestern University Dental Institute to ensure access to continuous, follow-up care.

This initiative is born out of collaboration between Midwestern University and local nonprofit partners, including shelters, rehabilitation centers, veteran organizations, and refugee support services. CDMA mobilizes its students, faculty, and staff to meet the challenge of providing reliable, affordable care with both clinical skill and human compassion.

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Educational Opportunities for Students

Community Dental Days also serve as an invaluable learning opportunity for dental students. Prior to treating patients, students and faculty receive training in trauma-informed care, equipping them with the tools to approach treatment with empathy, cultural sensitivity, and respect for the diverse and complex experiences of the individuals they serve. This emphasis on emotional intelligence and patient-centered care ensures that future dentists graduate with not only technical expertise but also a deep commitment to service.

The events are hosted at the Midwestern University Dental Institute, which features 242 dental chairs, specialty suites, and advanced diagnostic technology.

Comprehensive Dental Services

The Dental Institute aims to provide excellent care while training future dentists at significantly reduced fees. Under the supervision and direction of licensed dental faculty, students provide comprehensive, compassionate care while building trusting relationships with their clients. A wide range of services are offered, ensuring that patients receive the care they need in a supportive and educational environment. The services offered include:

Preventive Dentistry
Dental Hygiene
Diagnostic procedures including digital radiography, and Cone Beam CT imaging
Dental restorations (e.g. fillings, CAD/CAM esthetic restorations)
Replacement of missing teeth (e.g. crowns, bridges, dentures, implants)
Orthodontics
Pediatric Dentistry
Oral surgery

The Dental Institute provides comprehensive oral health care, starting with a thorough examination. The Student Dentist and faculty member discuss the results of the exam and work with patients to develop a personalized treatment plan. As part of the treatment, a wide variety of services are available, including dental cleanings, tooth restorations, custom bridges, dental implants, removable appliances such as partial and full dentures, minor oral surgery procedures, and esthetic procedures such as veneers and tooth whitening.

Pediatric Dentistry

The pediatric treatment area is equipped with individual televisions and a separate waiting room for parents. Under the supervision and direction of licensed dental faculty, students provide comprehensive, compassionate care while building trusting relationships with their clients.

Specialty Services

Midwestern University Dental Clinics offer a range of specialty services to address complex dental needs. These services are provided by faculty and students specializing in various fields of dentistry, ensuring patients receive expert care.

Periodontics

Midwestern University faculty and students specializing in Periodontics help patients ensure long-term oral health through surgical procedures, including crown lengthening, pocket reduction surgery, tissue grafts, implants, and tooth removals. State-of-the-art technology is used to ensure every patient is comfortable and the surgery is successful.

Prosthodontics

Dentures are made over the course of multiple appointments. Midwestern University students, under the direction of faculty who specialize in Prosthodontics, form a special mold of the mouth. The mold is used to design the denture by hand, for it to be ready for fitting. Depending on the jaw and bone structure, some dentures require more attention.

Sports Medicine

Athletes of all ages and skill levels may benefit from sports medicine services at the Midwestern University Clinics. Athletes can increase their reaction time, learn how to prevent injuries, and enhance their mental focus.

Becoming a Patient

The first step in becoming a patient is to schedule a screening appointment. This appointment will be a brief examination by a faculty member to determine if your dental concerns are compatible with the educational needs of our students. Due to the nature of an academic dental clinic, not everyone is selected as a patient.

If you are selected as a potential teaching case at the initial examination, you will be assigned a student doctor in the Dental Institute based on your dental needs and the student’s educational needs. Your initial appointment with your student doctor will consist of a review of your health history, a comprehensive examination, and x-rays to determine what treatment you require.

Your student doctor, under the guidance and supervision of an assigned faculty doctor, will complete your examination using comprehensive diagnostic techniques and specialty departmental consultations as needed. A no-cost screening is conducted to determine whether or not your needs meet the ability to provide treatment. If accepted as a teaching case, you may continue with the comprehensive exam and radiographs that same day(s) or schedule an appointment at a convenient time.

Throughout your exam, you are kept informed. After your initial appointment, you will schedule an appointment to determine your treatment needs. Alternate treatment plans may be presented. Each treatment plan will be explained to you so that you understand what you can expect, how much each plan will cost, and your risks of treatment and non-treatment.

Patients will not have the option to select only limited portions of the recommended treatment plan for dental care or to split services between the Dental Institute and a private dentist with the exception of emergency treatment. Care provided by a private dentist is limited to the relief of pain and suffering and the necessary steps to ensure that the situation will not recur.

Patient-Centered Approach

The Dental Institute follows a patient-centered care approach to dental education. Patients are an integral component of the dental team and are actively involved in planning their care. Patient-centered care includes educating patients so that they will have the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions. However, this does not imply that patients dictate the type of care to be provided. Children must be supervised by another adult in the waiting area at all times. If your children are left unattended, your appointment will be cancelled. Therefore, please make prior arrangements for appropriate childcare.

Important Policies and Procedures

Appointments

Appointments should be cancelled only when it is absolutely necessary. Your student doctor will give you the clinic phone number to call directly. The clinic requires 48 hours of notice for an appointment cancellation. If you cancel with less than 48 hours notice of your scheduled appointment, it would be considered a “no show” appointment.

Inquiries

If you have any questions about your treatment, fees, or rights, you should first contact your student doctor. You should attempt to resolve non-financial patient problems and/or complaints while you are at the Dental Institute with your student doctor and supervising faculty doctor. No patient will be denied treatment based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or public assistance status.

Patient Rights

The patient shall be treated in a courteous manner, with dignity and respect for the patient’s right to confidentiality. Patients scheduled during the posted operating times will be seen for services as quickly as possible, with assignment, initial treatment where indicated, and follow-up appointments scheduled as soon after the initial screening appointment as is practical. If, during the screening appointment, the supervising faculty dentist determines that the person seeking care will not be accepted as a patient, that person will be immediately informed of the decision.

The patient shall have access to emergency, incremental, and comprehensive care as appropriate for the patient’s presenting condition(s). The patient or parent/legal guardian shall receive an explanation of the results of the examination, alternative treatment options, sequence, costs of service, and the option to pursue care elsewhere if dissatisfied with the planned treatment. The patient or parent/legal guardian shall be advised of the risks of the treatment planned, including risks of individual procedures and the consequences of no treatment.

The patient shall receive continuity of care and completion of treatment. The patient shall receive care during posted clinic hours or shall receive emergency consultation by phone or, if deemed necessary, treatment at a designated location after regular clinic hours. Treatment shall be supervised by faculty and shall be consistent with the standards of care in the community. The patient shall be seen as soon as possible after the scheduled appointment time and have ongoing treatment rendered in a timely manner.

Every patient will receive a copy of the Patient Bill of Rights at the time of service. The patient shall have access to a patient advocate should there be any questions or concerns related to the patient’s treatment. Patients whose treatment is discontinued will be notified in writing. Alternate treatment options may be suggested.

Patient Records

At the time of admission as a patient, an individual patient record will be established. This record will contain diagnostic and therapeutic information related to the patient’s care and will be updated at every appointment according to the guidelines of the Midwestern University Clinic Patient Record Protocol. Upon completion of treatment, the Quality Assurance Committee conducts random examinations to determine the completeness, timeliness, and appropriateness of care, the patient’s level of satisfaction with care, and the completeness of the patient record.

Patient Dismissal

It is the policy of Midwestern University to maintain a positive, trusting, and cooperative relationship with clinic patients. In the event a clinic chooses to dismiss a patient of record from the teaching program and/or clinical care, this policy outlines the University’s patient dismissal procedure.

Single Clinic Dismissal

A clinic may decide, independently of another clinic, to dismiss a patient. That patient may be dismissed from the teaching program or from the clinic for any of the following reasons:

Need for care or expectations exceed the scope of a teaching program.
After three no-show appointments during the preceding twelve calendar months, a patient may be dismissed from the teaching program or clinic.

For example, a patient who fulfills criterion 4 may be dismissed from the Dental Institute, but might not be dismissed by the Eye Institute. Final decision for a patient dismissal is made by the Clinical Dean/Medical Director or their designee in each clinic. Patients in the midst of a multi-step procedure may complete their treatment at the discretion of the Clinical Dean/Medical Director and be stable prior to dismissal. A dismissed patient will be allowed emergency care for 30 days from the date of dismissal and will be given a referral to another provider.

All Clinics Dismissal

A patient who exhibits drug seeking behavior, sexual or other forms of prohibited harassment, and/or use of abusive or derogatory language will be dismissed from all clinics. In the instance where the dismissed patient has animal(s) being seen at the Companion Animal Clinic or Large Animal Clinic, the animal(s) will be dismissed from the clinic(s). In the instance that the dismissed patient has a minor child and/or spouse being seen at a clinic, that minor child and/or spouse will be dismissed from the clinic. A patient may be dismissed for failure to meet all financial obligations.

Appeal of Dismissal

Patients may appeal their dismissal to the appropriate Clinical Director, the Dean of the College, or their designee for discussion and resolution. The Dean of the College will notify the Chief Academic Officer immediately of patients’ appeal referrals.

Access to Dental Records

Dental records are the property of the Dental Institute. As the patient, you have a right to view them and have reasonable access. Copies of your records and x-rays will be provided to you or forwarded to another practitioner upon your signed written request.

Financial Information

There is an initial fee to evaluate you as a potential teaching case at your screening appointment. This initial fee includes an examination and x-rays. Multi-step appointment services (e.g., crowns, bridges, complete and partial dentures, implant procedures, or root canal procedures) require payment of 50% of the fee at the time of the start of treatment. The remaining balance for that treatment is due at the beginning of the appointment when the restoration is completed or the appliance is delivered.

Payment for office services, co-pays, and deductibles are due at the time of service. If you are unable to pay for services at your appointment, your appointment will be rescheduled. For your convenience, cash, personal checks with valid identification, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa are accepted. There is an additional charge for returned checks. Patients will not receive treatment until all fees and outstanding charges are paid in full or payment arrangements have been made.

Fees are expected and due at time of service. However, multi-step appointment services require payment of 50% of the fee at the time of the start of treatment. The remaining balance for that treatment is due at the beginning of the appointment when the restoration is completed or the appliance is delivered.

As a valued participant in the educational experience of our students, it is important to note that it is University policy that they cannot accept gifts or gratuities from patients.

Dental Insurance

If you have dental insurance, please bring your insurance information with you to your first appointment. This should include a valid insurance card, an address for submitting claims, and the name, date of birth, and identification number of the subscriber. The Midwestern University Dental Institute currently accepts a limited number of dental insurance plans. However, as a courtesy, a copy of the dental claim form will be provided for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement once services are paid in full. It is the patients’ responsibility to review their insurance policies regarding any limitations, exclusions, alternative benefits, deductibles, co-payments, annual maximums, and pre-authorizations prior to treatment.

Referrals and Prior Authorizations

Patients are responsible for verifying with your insurance carrier whether you need a referral or prior authorization. If your insurance requires a referral or prior authorization, you must first obtain the referral or prior authorization and bring it to your appointment.

Fee Estimates

Patients will be advised of their recommended treatment and its estimated cost, as well as any alternative treatment options. The accepted treatment plan will be signed by the patient and attending faculty member. This treatment plan will be entered into dental patient management system, which will allow the clinic administration to track the progress of your care.

Fee estimates are based on the current fees at the time the treatment plan is signed. However, the fee charged at the time any service or procedure is started will be the fee that is currently in effect. At each visit, you will be advised of the costs of each succeeding procedure so that you are prepared for the subsequent charges.

Urgent Care

During business hours the Dental Institute will also see patients with urgent oral health care needs. People experiencing discomfort, irritation or unpleasant conditions that may include, but are not necessarily limited to: swelling, mild fever, broken dental restorations or appliances should contact the Dental Institute to make an appointment for urgent care. In case of emergencies after normal hours of operation, involving severe pain and/or swelling.

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