Your time is valuable and so is that of the dental student assigned to your case. You can help your student dental care provider to keep your treatment moving more smoothly by being available and on time for each appointment.
Treatment Times
The clinics are open daily from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. We close on weekends, holidays, and student vacations. However, emergency care for registered patients may be available during these times.
Appointment Cancellations
Appointments should be canceled only if absolutely necessary. Late cancellations may unnecessarily delay your treatment.
Your dental student will provide you with a contact number so you can reach them. If you cannot reach your student, contact Patient Services at (706) 721-2371 (select option 2) and follow the prompts to leave a message for your student to call you.
Students are required to stop treatment if you miss appointments without 24 hours prior notice or without valid reasons.
Time Requirements for Patients of Student Care Providers
Your dental treatment at The Dental College of Georgia will take longer than it would at a private dental office. Student dentists must spend additional time learning to produce quality work using the latest dental procedures. In addition, because students are learning procedures and best practices, a staff doctor is required to evaluate each step of each procedure. This often means a lengthier treatment time commitment from our patients. In exchange for your time, you receive quality care at a lower cost.
You should plan to spend as much as three to three and a half hours for each appointment once treatment has begun. If it is difficult for you to come frequently and stay for the lengthy appointments often required, you should seek care elsewhere.
The teaching program requires students to be in classes, laboratories, seminars, and clinics. Because students have difficult schedules and limited time for patient care, it is difficult to coordinate appointments for two or more family members. We request that you make every effort to accommodate the student's clinic schedule.