Welcome to the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto. As a full-service facility, our students, under the supervision of licensed and highly skilled dental professionals, provide patients with a full range of treatments such as extractions, fillings, dentures, braces, bridges, crowns, root canals, dental implants and more, as well as specialized care for children in our Paediatric Clinic and immediate care through our Emergency Clinic.
Generally our clinics are in operation Monday to Friday, from 8:30am to 5:00pm, with a few exceptions, such as public holidays, student examination periods, study days, Faculty Development days, and weather related closures. If in doubt, you can check to see if the clinics are open by calling your student provider, the patient reception, the clinic, or the University weather reporting system.
The patient reception entrance is located at 101 Elm Street, two blocks North of Dundas Street, just East of University Avenue. The nearest subway stop, located at the intersection of University Avenue and Dundas Street, is St. Patrick Station on the number 1 Yonge-University-Spadina Line.
So, how do you or your child become a patient at the Faculty of Dentistry? First you need to book a screening appointment with our Oral Diagnosis clinic by calling patient reception or registering online. Keep in mind that due to the high volume of people seeking treatment at the Faculty clinics, you may be placed on a waiting list. Also, the patient reception phone line can be quite busy, peaking between the hours of 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. and again between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Please be patient with our staff as you wait for your call to be answered. If you only require a tooth extraction and do not intend to receive any further dental care from us, you may phone the Oral Surgery Department directly.
When you arrive for your initial screening appointment, you will be asked to provide photo identification, payment of the initial fee for radiographs, and to complete the required consent forms in order to register yourself or your child as a patient. If you do not speak English fluently, please bring a family member or a friend, who can act as an interpreter for you, as the Faculty does not provide translation services. If the patient or patient’s legal guardian does not fully understand the forms, or the treatment being described, dental work cannot be performed. Following this, a patient chart number will be assigned to you and you will be sent to the Radiology Clinic where dental x-rays will be taken for your dental records. After this you will be directed to the Oral Diagnosis Clinic where you will make an appointment for your second visit where is will be determined if you are ab appropriate candidate for treatment in our clinics.
Once admitted to the clinics, your treatment needs will be thoroughly evaluated and you will be assigned to an appropriate student care provider. Depending on the required treatment, the wait time for this next appointment may range anywhere from a few weeks to several months.
A single appointment will generally last two and a half hours or longer depending on the type of treatment. Ask at the time of your booking to see how much time you should make available for your appointment. Keep in mind that child care services are not provided by the faculty, and children cannot be left unattended in the reception areas.
When you meet with your student care provider, he or she will consult with you about your treatment options and the associated costs. As an educational institution, we are generally able to provide treatment at a discounted rate, below that of what you would find in a private dental practice.
Due to high demand in our clinics, it is extremely important that you notify the clinic a minimum of 24 hours prior to your appointment if you are unable to attend. Missed appointments will be noted in your patient chart, and after a second missed appointment you may be charged a “missed appointment” fee. If a third appointment is missed, you may be dismissed from the Faculty clinics. These policies are necessary to ensure that our students are able to complete their core clinical experiences during the limited clinic time available to them.
Treatment times may vary depending on the type of treatment you require. For example, treatment in our Orthodontic Clinic may take two years, if you require braces, while other conditions may be treated in a single appointment. There are other factors that may also affect the overall length of your treatment. As an educational facility as well as a dental clinic, students have other commitments such as exams and classes to attend. Therefore, there are times of the year where there will be limited clinic hours available, or when the clinic will be closed altogether. During the months of July and August there is extremely limited clinic time available. Also, during the winter holidays, the clinics are closed completely.
Finally, it’s important to be prepared for your dental visits. Always be on time, make sure your teeth are clean and ensure that you maintain excellent oral hygiene between your visits.
All of us here at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, truly appreciate the participation of our patients in the dental education program. You are essential to our students’ education and extremely valuable to the future of the dental profession. If you have any more questions, please visit our website for more information.