We are committed to providing care focused on YOU, the patient.

Patient-centered care ensures that you are an active participant in your treatment decisions and that your values, finances, and expectations are respected at all times.


Thank you for choosing the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics as your dental home. The College of Dentistry is committed to providing person-centered comprehensive care, incorporating open communication between you and your provider team, empathy, and collaboration with dental specialists and other healthcare providers.

This ensures that you are an active participant in your dental treatment decisions and that your needs, values, finances, and expectations for treatment are respected and considered in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of your oral health treatment.

YOUR RIGHTS:

Regarding your dental care, you have the right to:

  1. Be treated respectfully and courteously by students, faculty and staff
  2. Be informed of the academic environment and restrictions
  3. Receive dental care in a safe and secure environment, free from abuse or harassment
  4. Receive dental care without discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression
  5. Receive dental treatment that meets the standard of care in the profession
  6. Expect that all people involved in your care will use proper infection controls
  7. Receive the information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure and/or treatment so you understand the purpose, probable results, alternatives, and risks involved
  8. Request complete and current information about your dental condition in words that you can understand
  9. Participate actively in decisions regarding your dental care or designate a representative when appropriate
  10. Receive reasonable continuity of care -- keeping in mind the following:
    • constraints of the academic schedule
    • care will follow a comprehensive and appropriately sequenced treatment plan
    • goals of treatment will vary according to individual needs.
  11. Receive an estimate of the cost of your dental treatment as well as continuing explanations of your bill, as requested
  12. Discontinue treatment at any time and be informed of the medical and dental consequences of your actions
  13. Receive emergency care in accordance with the conditions of your acceptance as a patient
  14. Expect that emergency treatment will be available during clinic hours. Call (319) 335-7499 between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm Monday to Friday to schedule an appointment. After-hours emergency care is available through the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Call (319) 356-1616 and ask for the general practice resident on call. (There will be charges for emergency room services, in addition to any charges for required dental treatment)
  15. Discuss questions or concerns with any member of your health care team including faculty, student, staff, or patient representative
  16. Participate in a formal grievance procedure
  17. Bring a service dog to your dental appointments. The service dog will remain with another person in the waiting room and NOT in an operatory area. (Under the American Disabilities Act, the service dog must have been trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability.) The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.
    Emotional support dogs or other animals do not qualify as service animals and may not enter the building.
  18. Have access to foreign language interpreting services when needed
  19. Request and expect that sign language interpreting will be available during the appointment, provided the college is given adequate notice.

Regarding your Protected Health Information (PHI), you the right to:

  1. Expect that all communications and records pertaining to your care will be treated confidentially by the dental care team.
  2. Request in writing to review your health information.
  3. Receive a description of how we (or our business associates) have disclosed patient health information for purposes other than treatment, payment, and healthcare operations for the last six years. (This notice took effect May 30, 2015 and will remain in place until it is replaced.)
  4. Request in writing to receive copies of your treatment record at no charge.
  5. Complete an “Authorization for Release of Protected Health Information (PHI) Consent Form”
  6. Request in writing that we place additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of your health information.
  7. Request in writing that we amend your health information.
  8. Review a copy of the College of Dentistry's “Notice of Privacy Practices” in our clinics or request a paper copy to take with you.
  9. Request in writing that we communicate with you about your health information by alternative means or locations.
  10. Receive protected health information by email, provided you have completed a “Consent to Communicate PHI By Email” form.

The University of Iowa College of Dentistry is committed to patient privacy in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other applicable state and federal laws. Your dental patient record is a confidential document and will not be shared with anyone outside the College of Dentistry without your permission, except as required by third party payers or by law. 

Protected Health Information Concern:

If you have a concern about your protected health information, please contact us via one of the following methods:
     Email: COD-Compliance@uiowa.edu
     Phone: 833-952-4224

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Regarding dental care, you have the responsibility to:

  1. Abide by collegiate rules and policies, as informed by collegiate personnel
  2. Be respectful of clinic personnel, other patients, and clinic property
  3. Follow clinic policy that patients under the age of 18 and or dependent adults must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
  4. Make arrangements for the care of your small children or dependent adults during your dental appointments
  5. Keep scheduled appointments and arrive on time or give 48-hour notice for a change in appointment. Failure to keep scheduled clinic appointments may result in a discontinued relationship between you and the college
  6. Provide accurate and complete information about your health, including medications and past or present medical problems
  7. Read and sign the “Patient Treatment Consent/Agreement Form”
  8. Provide current information regarding your health insurance
  9. Follow treatment recommendations given by your dental care provider after reasonable treatment options and fee estimates are presented
  10. Notify a provider if you do not understand information about your care or treatment.
  11. Inform your provider if you are not satisfied with any aspect of your care.
  12. Pay promptly all fees for treatment you have received
  13. Attend your appointments free from the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs
  14. Refrain from bringing firearms and/or weapons into the building
  15. Keep cell phones on silent or vibrate mode while in the building and refrain from using cell phones in the operatories and waiting rooms
  16. Refrain from taking videos or photographs without permission
  17. Refrain from bringing pets and emotional support animals into the building (refer to Patient Rights section)

Addressing Concerns & Providing Feedback:

  • It is the responsibility of all UI College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics faculty, students, and staff to listen to patient concerns, as well as those raised by family members or visitors.
  • To discuss a complaint, you may contact a student, staff, faculty member, or a patient representative. The issue will be thoroughly investigated, and the outcome will be communicated to you.
  • All complaints and concerns are treated confidentially without interfering with your care or services. Patients who express a concern or complaint will not have their future treatment compromised in any way.
  • Patients can provide feedback through our collegiate website and by email through our Patient Satisfaction Surveys.
    • Must have a “Consent to Communicate PHI By Email” on file prior to submission.
  • Survey cards are available in the clinic reception areas.

Contact Information

For more information about our patient rights and responsibilities practices, or for additional copies of this notice, please contact us:

Clinic Administration
W440 Dental Science Building
University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics
Iowa City, IA 52242
Telephone: 319-335-7431

Emergency Treatment

During Clinic Hours:

The College of Dentistry offers emergency treatment for pain and swelling. If you are a patient in faculty practice, contact your clinic; patients in the student clinics should call 319-335-7499.

After Hours and on Weekends/Holidays:

Patients of the College of Dentistry may contact the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) at 319-356-1616 and ask for the general practice resident on call.

You may also choose to be evaluated in the Emergency Department at UIHC or a local emergency room. There will be charges for emergency room services, in addition to any charges for required dental treatment.

If this is a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Records Request:

Patients have a right to copies of their dental records at no charge. Contact Central Records at:
     Email: dent-crec@uiowa.edu
     Phone: 319-335-7429

Environment of Respect

The College of Dentistry is an academic institution committed to a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment for all patients, students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The college believes that mutual respect and trust are essential in a patient-provider relationship.

All patients, faculty, staff, students, and visitors have the right to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of race, color, national origin, sex or sexual orientation, beliefs, values, language, age, disability, or source of payment. Dental care will be provided in a safe and secure environment, free from threats, harassment, verbal or nonverbal intimidation, or assault. We expect everyone to respect the rights of others in the College of Dentistry. Please remember that firearms and/or weapons are not allowed on our campus. We are a smoke and drug free campus.

We ask that you keep cell phones on silent or vibrate mode while in the building and refrain from using cell phones in operatories and waiting rooms. Taking photos or videos is prohibited in all areas of our building.

Disruptive and/or discriminatory behavior may result in dismissal from the College.

Planning Your Treatment

You have the right to expect a comprehensive review of your oral health needs. You will be provided with information about your oral health, treatment options, predictions for success, and possible outcomes. It is our goal for you to be involved in your treatment and decision-making process. Please inform us if you do not understand your plan of care and what you are asked to do. You have a right to receive all the information you need to understand your treatment and estimated costs in terms and language you can understand and to give informed consent for any proposed procedure or treatment. The college will provide foreign language interpretation services for patients with limited English proficiency or American Sign Language interpretation as appropriate.

You have the option to discontinue or refuse treatment at any time to the extent permitted by law and be informed of the medical and dental consequences of your actions in terms that you can understand. It is your responsibility to inform your provider if you are not satisfied with any aspect of your care or treatment.

Partners in Care

Your dental providers rely on you to provide complete and accurate medical and dental histories for your safety. This includes all prescribed and over the counter medications. We ask that you keep us updated on all treatments, medical and dental, that you are receiving from outside providers. We will provide continuous care for you within the limitations of our academic schedule, keeping in mind your cooperation with attending appointments.

We ask that you follow the suggestions and advice that are recommended by your dental providers. If you refuse, this may prevent us from providing the safest and best care to you according to ethical and professional standards. Your right to make decisions about your oral health care does not mean that you can demand treatment or services that are medically inappropriate or unnecessary. It also means that you cannot refuse treatment necessary for diagnosis, which may prevent us from making appropriate treatment recommendations.

In providing care to minors (under the age of 18) and/or dependent adults, we require that they be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. This will allow for consent to be obtained and for the parent or legal guardian to be part of the treatment process. We ask that if you have young children or care for a dependent adult, please make arrangements for their care while you are at your dental appointment.

Service Animals

The College of Dentistry will make every effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities who require the use of a service animal in compliance with state and federal law. Please contact a Patient Representative for more information. Call 319-335-6579 or email: DentistryPatientRepresentatives@iowa.uiowa.edu.

Emotional support animals and pets are not allowed in the building.

Attendance

You are expected to be on-time and provide at least 48 hours’ notice if you are unable to keep your appointment(s). If you arrive more than 15 minutes late for a scheduled appointment the College may need to reschedule your appointment. Patients who have a pattern of tardiness, failed appointments, late cancels, or a combination of these, may be dismissed from the college.

Financial Obligations & Expectations

You will be provided with estimated fees for your selected treatment plan before beginning care. You have the right to explanations about items on your treatment plan or bill. Patients are required to pay promply for all services received and may be asked for down payments for extensive treatment plans. The College accepts cash, personal checks, money orders, all major credit cards, and Apple/Android Pay. Online bill pay is also available through our website and My Dental Portal.

We can help you only if you provide us with current information about your dental insurance and ability to pay your bill. If the patient has insurance, their fees are first submitted to the third-party payer, then the balance is billed to the guarantor if applicable. It is the patient’s responsibility to understand their insurance benefits.

Failure to pay for services may result in transfer of the bad debt to a collection agency. Patients with more than one active collection balance may be dismissed from the college for failure to meet their financial obligations.

Notice of Privacy Practice

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