Students who seek dental services no longer have to go off campus.
A new dental office opened early this month on the first floor of the Student Wellness Center. The office will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students can schedule appointments online or by phone.
“Many students on campus do not have much access to dental care,” said John Vaughn, director of student health. “I think [a dental office on campus] will provide useful service to our student body.”
The Duke Student Medical Insurance Plan does not cover dental services, Vaughn said. Previously, students who sought dental care would receive services at discounted rates at local dentists' offices through a dental savings program.
“We didn’t have dental facilities on campus before,” Vaughn said. “Students [who needed dental care] would come to us and we would provide them with a list of dentists in the community that they could go to.”
The new dental office operates under Campus Smiles, a program sponsored by the private dentistry company Dent-Well, Vaughn said. Under the dental savings program, students without private dental insurance will be eligible for a basic dental care package at the dental office, which costs $129 per semester.
“Dentistry is a very expensive and particular expertise in healthcare,” said Dent-Well President Charles Lusk. “Therefore, it usually does not make much sense for a university to try to [provide this service] on its own but [instead] to partner with outside experts.”
The program aims to provide affordable dental services for university students and employees, Lusk said. Compared to private dental clinics, Dent-Well can purchase material and equipment at lower prices because it operates at a larger scale and aims for long-term profits.
Vaughn said he hopes providing dental care at a lower price will benefit international students on campus. Unlike domestic students, they usually cannot access dental services here through their family insurance plans.
Lusk said the program will be attractive to students because it provides high quality services by expert dentists, at the lowest possible price.
The office will provide comprehensive dental care services such as X-ray examination, dental cleanings and extraction, Lusk noted.
“Dental care is just like education,” Lusk said. “You don’t just want the cheapest, but [also] the best.”
Having a dental office on campus will benefit students who have dental emergencies as well, Lusk mentioned. Although scheduling in advance is recommended, dentists on call will accommodate walk-ins and emergencies.
Sophomore Mikaela Li said she believes having a dental office on campus may be convenient for students who seek relevant services. However, she does not think students will make use of this resource unless they run into an emergency.
“Most American students have their own dentists,” Li said. “International students like me often find dental services [in the United States] too expensive, even with the discount.”
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