Patient Information

Thank you for your interest in the University of Washington Graduate Orthodontics program. The Department has a long history of excellence in teaching, research, and patient care.

The Department of Orthodontics accepts 5 graduate students each year for its 2 1/2 year program of advanced training. These students are doctors who have already completed dental school, then chosen to specialize in orthodontics. They are enrolled in an intensive program of classroom, laboratory and research work and clinical training that leads to a Certificate in Orthodontics and a Master's Degree.

The Graduate Orthodontics Clinic offers orthodontic treatment at reduced fees to patients who provide good teaching experience for the students. The Department's faculty members, with assitance from the graduate students, select patients for the teaching program through screening exams and interviews of interested prospective patients.

If you come in for a screening exam and your examiner finds that you would be a good patient for the teaching program, you will be given an estimate of when your treatment will begin based on when it appears a student will next need a new case like yours. If this is acceptable to you, you can secure your place on the program's waiting list by contracting for the service and making a deposit.

Patients who are not good cases for the teaching program will still receive a brief explanation of their orthodontic problems, as well as options for seeking care in the pre-doctoral dental clinic (limited to very simple orthodontic problems), the orthodontic faculty practice, or at an outside private practice.

To Qualify for Screening You Must:

• be at least 8 years old;
• have good oral hygiene habits;
• routinely receive professional dental care;
• not have had previous orthodontic treatment;
• be able to accept that appointment times are limited and that they can take longer than in a private practice;
• Live in the greater Seattle area

If you are interested in this program and would like to be screened in our graduate orthodontic clinic, please call 206-685-4591 to make an appointment.

Financial Terms

If you receive orthodontic treatment at the University of Washington, you enter into a contract that commits the Department to providing the proposed treatment and commits you to paying the total fee within the period of a payment plan.

Payment Plan

You can pay your orthodontic fee as detailed in the treatment contract. For comprehensive orthodontic treatment, there is a deposit of $550.00. The balance is due when the patient is assigned to an orthodontist. Dental School policy is to conduct a credit check. The cost of the credit check will be $10. Based on the results of this check, we will inform you within one month of the deposit if you qualify for the payment plan outlined above. No finance charge is included in the monthly payment plan.

Insurance

You are responsible for the full cost of treatment and for compliance with the payment schedule, regardless of any insurance that may apply. If you have dental insurance, you are responsible for determining your level of coverage and for collecting your benefits. Many policies do not cover orthodontic care and few provide generous assistance. Clinic staff will provide any records you need to file for insurance benefits, but you will be responsible for filing the claims.

Security Deposit

Your down payment secures our contract, guaranteeing the proposed treatment at the agreed-to fee regardless of when treatment begins. If you are to be treated in the teaching program, you may be on a waiting list for 3-6 months, but the contract remains in effect.