Patient Information

Emergencies may include, but are not limited to, conditions in which pain, swelling, or bleeding exists. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact your student doctor immediately. When possible, emergencies should be managed by your student doctor in consultation with attending doctors. To page your student doctor, call (215) 707-2938.

If you have a dental emergency and are unable to reach your student doctor or have not yet been assigned, you may report to the Emergency Services Clinic for treatment. The Emergency Services Clinic is located on the first floor of the dental school clinics and is open between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding weekends and school closings. Patients may register after 7:30 a.m. Fees for emergency screening and diagnosis service vary depending on the type and number of radiographs (x-rays) needed. Emergency treatment, generally rendered on the same day depending on the number of patients presenting, will require an additional fee. Payments are expected at the time of service.

In the event of emergencies or complications after 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, weekends or holidays, report to the Temple University Hospital Emergency Room, 3401 N. Broad Street, or call (215) 707-4545 and ask for the Oral Surgery resident on call. Hospital fees will be charged.

To become a comprehensive care patient in the Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry, call (215) 707-2900 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for an appointment (summer hours may vary slightly). Because of the volume of patients, these appointments fill up fast. A fee of $95 covers the clinical examination and initial x-rays. In some cases, additional x-rays may be needed which could cost up to $45, bringing the fee to $140. If you come to your appointment prepared to pay the higher fee, you may avoid the necessity of an additional visit just for those radiographs. Several appointments are required to complete the admissions process and to formulate a comprehensive treatment plan.

Children, age 4 through 16, are registered through the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic (first floor). Parents or legal guardian of pediatric patients requiring a screening should call the Pediatric Dental clinic at (215) 707-2863 to schedule an appointment. Pediatric emergency patients are registered through the Emergency clinic and sent to the Pediatric Dental clinic for treatment.

Minors, age 14 to 17, are treated in the adult clinics by appointment and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for all admissions and examination visits.

All minors (up to and through age 17) must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian during all visits to the School of Dentistry.

Depending upon your dental needs, patient assignments are made to available dental students as quickly as possible. Students are limited in the number of patients they may treat; therefore, it is not always possible to advise you how soon treatment may begin.

Should your medical condition require that you obtain a consult from your physician, it is your responsibility to take the consult form to your physician for completion and have it mailed or return it to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Medicine, and Surgery at the School of Dentistry. A delay in returning the medical consult will delay your dental treatment.

Questions regarding student assignment should be directed to the Patient Representative at (215) 707-2880.

After assignment, appointments are scheduled directly with your student doctor. Your cooperation and regular attendance are absolutely essential and required so that proper dental treatment can be provided. Patients who fail to keep or make regularly scheduled appointments may be discontinued from the program, and their treatment may be terminated.

You should plan to arrive 15 minutes early for your appointment; otherwise the reserved dental chair may be assigned to another student who is standing by with a patient. In the event an appointment must be canceled, please cancel in a timely fashion, so the time set aside for you can be used by another patient. Special efforts will be made to accommodate those patients whose physical limitations require short appointments.

Your student doctor can be paged during the hours of 8:30 am - 4:00 p.m. by calling (215) 707-4512. In addition, all student doctors have personal voice mail where your message will be recorded. Student voice mail can be accessed through (215) 204-9595. To leave a message, you must then dial your student's personal 7-digit extension.

Clinics are in operation Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. Summer hours may vary.

Most appointments with student doctors are at either 8:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. Your student doctor can provide information regarding school closures and holidays.

Note: during regular clinic hours only!

Admissions (screening appointments): 215-707-2900

Student Doctors (paging): (215) 707-4512

Student Doctors (to leave messages): 215-707-2938

Patient Representative: 215-707-2880

Business Office: 215-707-2912

Records Release: 215-707-2880

Pediatric Dentistry: 215-707-2863

Graduate Periodontology: 215-707-2926

As a teaching institution, our fees are reduced. Patients are expected to pay for services at the time they are rendered. Partial payment is required in advance for some procedures that generate high laboratory costs. Treatment plans and associated costs are subject to change.

All dental patients who have dental insurance or are receiving Medicaid must be prepared to present current and valid insurance cards and a picture ID at each dental visit. Those who cannot do so may be denied treatment unless proof of eligibility is provided. Student doctors, clinical faculty, and administrative personnel have the right to check insurance and Medicaid cards for validity. Supporting documentation of the patient's identity may be required.

Specific questions regarding private dental insurance benefits should be directed to the Business Office at (215) 707-2912. Medical insurance does not cover the cost of routine dental care.

Fees may be paid by CASH, VISA, MASTERCARD, MAC/DEBIT/ATM CARD, MONEY ORDER OR BANK CHECK. PERSONAL CHECKS ARE ACCEPTED WITH APPROPRIATE IDENTIFICATION.

Patients 65 years of age and older are afforded a senior citizen's discount.

Parking is at a premium in the immediate vicinity of the dental school. Some metered parking may be available on Broad Street, depending on time of arrival. The hospital parking lot is also available for a fee.

Directions to Temple University Hospital

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Public transportation is available and conveniently located to the dental clinics.

Patient Rights

• You have the right to considerate, respectful, and timely care without discrimination.
• You have the right to privacy concerning your dental treatment. Discussions concerning your care will remain confidential between you, your dental student, attending specialty residents (if any) and the supervising faculty. No information will be disclosed regarding your treatment without your prior written authorization unless required by law.
• You have the right to current and complete information concerning the diagnosis and treatment of your dental condition, including its prognosis, in terms you can understand.
• You have the right to know the detailed treatment plan, alternatives, risks and benefits concerning your dental condition, along with the estimated cost of such treatment, sufficient to give us your signed informed consent before any treatment is started.
• You have the right to refuse treatment suggested for you and the right to know the risks of refusal.
• You have the right to expect that your care meets the Standards of Care of the dental profession.
• You have the right to prompt treatment and continuing care after you have reached a maintenance level including follow-up care.
• You have the right to request a transfer to another student if you are dissatisfied with your student doctor. However, requests to be transferred to another student on the basis of race, gender, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnic or national origin are generally not honored. Requests for transfer must be made through the Patient Representative in the Office of Clinical Affairs.
• You have the right to continuity and completion of your dental treatment. At the completion of active care, there will be a post treatment review to assess your case. Your record will be placed on maintenance status in the Preventive Dentistry System of the School of Dentistry. At periodic maintenance visits (usually every three to six months), you will be given a thorough examination of your mouth and your teeth will be cleaned. Care will be provided by a duty student. A patient who develops new treatment needs will be reassigned to a student doctor.
• You have the right to emergency care as needed.
• You have the right to access your dental records upon request and to have the information explained or interpreted.
• You have the right to request and examine any financial statement regarding your treatment.
• You have the right to be treated in a safe and clean environment. This includes the expectation of compliance with infection control standards and a smoke-free environment.
• You have the right to access a Patient Representative.

Patient Responsibilities

• You have the responsibility to provide, to the best of your knowledge, complete and accurate information regarding your present health, past illnesses and hospitalizations, medications, dental concerns, and any other matters pertaining to your health.
• You have the responsibility to report any changes in your health since your last appointment with your student dentist.
• You have the responsibility to inform your student dentist if you do not fully understand your dental condition, the proposed treatment to be rendered, the risks and benefits associated with the proposed treatment and alternatives to your proposed treatment, and associated fees.
• You have the responsibility to follow the recommended instructions, including preventive home care techniques and follow-up treatment, given to you by your student dentist or supervising faculty member.
• You have the responsibility to be prompt for your scheduled appointments and to be available for treatment at least once every two weeks until your treatment is complete. If you are unable to make a scheduled appointment please contact your student via their voice messaging system or a number they have provided.
• You have the responsibility to discharge your financial obligations to the School of Dentistry. This includes disclosing information for changes in insurance carrier or discontinuation of insurance.
• Although it is your right to refuse proposed treatment, you bear the responsibility for any damage to your teeth or untoward reactions that may result from the refusal of treatment.
• You are responsible for asking questions when you do not understand information or instructions given to you.

Questions or concerns regarding treatment or student assignment should be referred to the Patient Representative at (215) 707-2880.

Should you desire to discontinue or terminate treatment at The Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry, we will be happy to mail copies of your dental records to your new dentist upon receipt of your written authorization. There is a fee for the duplication service.

Call the Patient Representative at (215) 707-2880 for further information.

As all patients are not necessarily appropriate for an educational institution, The Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry reserves the right to discontinue or terminate treatment for any patient at the dental clinics in the following circumstances:

• Inaccurate or incomplete information regarding past and present medical history, hospitalizations, medications, dental treatment and any other matters pertaining to dental and general health.
• Refusal to follow prescribed comprehensive, emergency or incremental treatment.
• Inconsiderate, lewd, and/or disrespectful behavior toward other patients and dental school personnel including faculty, students or staff.
• Cancellation of, absenteeism from, lateness of 10 or more minutes which causes loss of the operatory, or failure to give 24-hour notice for three or more scheduled appointments.
• Inability to be available for the full 3-hour sessions.

Should a patient be inactivated due to the cancellation of or absenteeism from three or more scheduled appointments or due to failure to give 24-hour notice for missed appointments, that patient will be given one opportunity to request reassignment. The patient will be permitted only one failed appointment following reactivation. In the event the patient is inactivated a second time, for the same reason, readmission to the The Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry clinics will occur only in the instance of extenuating circumstances following review by the Director of Clinics.