Penn offers discounted dental care to students without insurance

Penn will now offer dental care discounts to all students without dental insurance. 

Effective Sept. 1, uninsured students will receive a 30% discount for routine preventive and restorative services and a 20% subsidy for all specialty services, according to an email from Provost Wendell Pritchett to graduate students and faculty. Specialty services include oral surgery, endodontics, and prosthodontics. The dental services must be completed at one of the School of Dental Medicine's teaching clinics.

All undergraduate, graduate, or professional students with a valid University ID who pay out of pocket for dental costs will be eligible. At the Dental School's teaching clinics, predoctoral students provide restorative care, and postdoctoral students provide specialty work, according to the Dental School's website. 

Pritchett said the program is part of Penn's ongoing wellness initiatives. 

“As Penn alums ourselves, we understand all too well the challenges of balancing scholarly pursuits with personal well-being,” Pritchett wrote in the email. “We strongly value your academic, professional and career accomplishments, yet we also place a high priority on ensuring that all of our students lead full and fulfilling lives.”

Other aspects of the series of wellness programs listed in the email include need-based grants provided by the Provost’s Office to help Ph.D. candidates with insurance and family expenses. The University will also continue to reimburse full-time Ph.D. and Doctor of Education students 50% of their Penn Dental insurance costs. 

Pritchett recognized the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly as a partner in implementing these programs targeted to help graduate and professional students.

In January, the Dental School provided free emergency care to furloughed federal workers who had not received pay due to the government shutdown at the time.