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PREDOCTORAL STUDENTS PROGRAM

The primary goal of the School of Dentistry is to provide the best possible fee-for-service, problem oriented comprehensive care within a reasonable time to all accepted children and adults. Some limited care dentistry is also available. Potential patients are informed of the school's systems of patient care during the screening process.

Decisions whether or not to accept patients for comprehensive care in the School of Dentistry are the responsibility of the Patient Care Coordinator or designee and are made during the screening visit. Once accepted, patients are immediately assigned to student providers by the Patient Care Coordinator according to student provider levels of clinical competencies and needs. The number of comprehensive care patients accepted for treatment will never exceed the number that can readily be treated by student providers.

All patients accepted for comprehensive care will be advised of their total treatment needs by their assigned student providers during the oral diagnosis and treatment planning processes. Continuity and timeliness of patient care are insured and monitored.

PATIENT SELECTION

Patient selection is primarily determined by the clinical findings recorded during the screening visit and overall student provider levels of clinical competencies and treatment needs at the time. A patient's desire for comprehensive care, level of complexity of treatment needs, available time for treatment, and ability to pay are considered. Pediatric patients must exhibit behavior consistent with the competencies of student providers. The School of Dentistry does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, sex, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, or disability.

All adults and children five years and older seeking admission into the school's predoctoral student comprehensive dental care program must be scheduled for screening appointments. Appointments can be arranged for screening in the Admissions clinic with a patient representative in that area or by telephoning 984-6080. Family members or friends of student providers arranging screening appointments should indicate their student provider preference at the time appointments are arranged.

PATIENT ASSIGNMENTS

All patients are assigned to predoctoral student providers.

PAYMENT OF FEES

The School of Dentistry clinics operate with the general policy that dental care must be paid for at the time of treatment. Payments may be made in the form of cash, check, Master Card, Visa, and Discover credit cards.

PATIENT CONSENT

All School of Dentistry comprehensive care patients will be informed of each dental treatment procedure, its alternatives, its risks and benefits, and the risks and benefits of no treatment prior to treatment.

TREATMENT SUPERVISION

The Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners and the School of Dentistry require that all student provider patient care be delivered under the direct supervision of licensed faculty dentists.

PATIENT BILL OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

DENTAL EMERGENT CARE

All registered School of Dentistry patients have twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, year-round access to dental emergent care.

Copyright © 2003 The University of Mississippi Medical Center. All Rights Reserved.

This page last modified on October 26, 2007