Los Angeles Dental School Clinic Costs for Patients (2026)

UCLA School of Dentistry: Patient Clinic Prices and the 3-Tier Model

UCLA School of Dentistry (10833 Le Conte Ave, Westwood, Los Angeles) is the flagship public dental school in Southern California and one of the few schools in the region to publish partial patient pricing. UCLA's own providers-and-cost-of-care page explicitly describes a three-tier care model — an unusual level of transparency for a major urban school.

UCLA Patient Clinic Fees vs LA Private Practice

The table below is sourced from UCLA's published patient-care page and community cost reports (accessed June 2026). Figures represent the predoctoral student clinic (Tier 1) unless noted.

Disclaimer: Fees are sourced from publicly available data and community reports and may not reflect current rates. Call dentistry.ucla.edu to confirm before scheduling.

UCLA's Three Tiers Explained for Patients

UCLA's provider page is explicit about its care tiers — quoted here with our editorial notes:

Tier 1 — Predoctoral General Dentistry Clinic: Third- and fourth-year dental students perform care under direct faculty supervision. Fees are the lowest tier at UCLA. This is where the prices in the table above apply. Appointments run 2-3 hours for procedures that take 45-60 minutes in private practice. Best for patients with time flexibility and straightforward restorative needs.

Tier 2 — Graduate and Resident Specialty Clinics: UCLA describes resident fees as "higher than the general clinic but still lower than private-sector rates." Resident clinics cover endodontics (root canals), periodontics, orthodontics, prosthodontics and oral surgery. Appointments are faster than Tier 1 and residents can handle more complex cases. If the student clinic refers you up, you stay within the UCLA system at a cost still below private specialists.

Tier 3 — Faculty Practice: UCLA describes this as "near-private-sector cost." The price advantage is modest (roughly 10-20% below comparable private practice), but scheduling is more predictable and the speed is close to private-practice pace. Best for patients who need efficiency over maximum savings.

How to Become a Patient at UCLA Dental

1. Contact the clinic via dentistry.ucla.edu or by phone. UCLA's predoctoral clinic operates on a request-and-screening basis.
2. Screening exam — comprehensive exam and X-rays performed or supervised by faculty, at a reduced fee. This determines whether your needs fit the student curriculum for the current semester.
3. Treatment plan — faculty develop a treatment plan from the screening findings.
4. Student matching — you are assigned to a 3rd or 4th-year student whose learning objectives align with your needed procedures. Orthodontic and implant cases require specialty clinic assignment.
5. Treatment begins — typically 2-4 weeks after matching at UCLA given its large patient pool.

Medi-Cal: UCLA's predoctoral clinic has historically accepted Medi-Cal for eligible patients. California's expanded Medi-Cal adult dental benefits (since 2023) cover a broad range of procedures including crowns, extractions, root canals and dentures. Confirm acceptance by phone, as capacity and contract status change each fiscal year.

USC Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry (University Park, Downtown Area)

USC's dental school at 925 W 34th St is the other major dental school within the Los Angeles city limits, located near USC's main campus south of downtown. USC Ostrow operates at a Mid-High price tier relative to other LA-area schools — the predoctoral clinic fees are higher than UCLA's student tier but still typically 30-50% below comparable LA private-practice rates.

Key USC patient facts:

• USC does not publish a public patient price list; call or visit dentistry.usc.edu for fees and screening availability.
• USC Ostrow has a large and well-equipped clinic and typically has strong capacity for new patients.
• Resident specialty clinics at USC cover the same range as UCLA (endodontics, oral surgery, orthodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics).
• Medi-Cal acceptance: confirm by phone — USC has historically accepted Medi-Cal in some clinic tiers.
• Location is accessible by Metro (Expo Line, Jefferson/USC station).

Loma Linda University School of Dentistry (Inland Empire)

Loma Linda University's dental school is at 11092 Anderson St, Loma Linda — approximately 60 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, near San Bernardino. It operates at a Mid price tier and is the best option for patients in the Inland Empire (San Bernardino and Riverside counties) who want dental school savings without the drive to Westwood or University Park.

Loma Linda has a faith-based, patient-centered culture and a large predoctoral clinic. Contact dental.llu.edu for screening appointments and fee information. Medi-Cal acceptance: confirm by phone.

Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine (Pomona)

Western U's dental school in Pomona (309 E Second St) is about 30 miles east of downtown LA and well-positioned for patients in the San Gabriel Valley and eastern LA County. It operates at a Mid price tier. Western U is a newer program (opened 2011) with a modern facility. Contact westernu.edu/dental for patient-care information and current fees.

LA-Area Dental Schools Side-by-Side

Insurance and Medi-Cal at LA Dental School Clinics

California's Medi-Cal program offers some of the broadest adult dental benefits in the United States following the 2023 expansion, which added major services including crowns, complete and partial dentures, implants (for qualifying patients), and root canals to the covered benefit set.

• Medi-Cal: UCLA and Loma Linda have historically accepted Medi-Cal; USC and Western U — confirm by phone.
• PPO dental insurance: All four schools accept major PPO plans in most clinic tiers.
• Cash/self-pay: Accepted everywhere; some schools offer additional sliding-scale discounts for income-qualified patients.
• Denti-Cal (Medi-Cal dental): The specific Medi-Cal dental program; check your coverage at the Medicaid dental coverage by state page.

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