Free dental care in Pennsylvania, from city dental schools to rural clinics
Pennsylvania's Medicaid program, called Medical Assistance here, covers dental care for enrolled children but only a short list of services for adults. That gap is a big part of why the state runs deep with volunteer dental clinics, sliding fee health centers, and dental schools that treat the public. Depending on where you go, an uninsured adult may be able to get cleanings, fillings, extractions, dentures, or even oral surgery at little or no cost. Also children can almost always be treated at no charge through Medical Assistance or CHIP.
This page lists verified dental care region by region, and every clinic sets its own rules on income and appointments, so call before you go. Where you look for care depends on where you live. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have dense clinic networks and dental schools of their own, and each city has its own page on this site. Across the counties in between, from the anthracite towns of the northeast to the old coal and mill communities of the southwest, a single health center or hospital dental office may be the only practice for miles that takes Medical Assistance or offers a sliding fee.
Philadelphia, Allegheny County, and Bucks County have their own pages
Philadelphia has its own directory on this site. Free and sliding fee dental care in the city, from health center networks to the dental school clinics, is covered in the NHPB guide to free medical and dental clinics in Philadelphia.
Pittsburgh and the rest of Allegheny County also have a dedicated page. Find charitable and sliding fee dental care in that region on the guide to free clinics in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.
Bucks County residents can use the guide to free clinics in Bucks County, which includes the volunteer dental care at the Ann Silverman Health Clinic in Doylestown. The rest of this page covers Pennsylvania outside those areas, plus the statewide programs that serve everyone.
Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and northeastern Pennsylvania
Volunteers in Medicine at 190 N Pennsylvania Ave in Wilkes-Barre is a free clinic with both a medical side and a dental side, serving income qualified Luzerne County residents who work but have no insurance. Dentists and hygienists provide cleanings and general dental care at no charge. New patients go through an application and phone screening first, so this is not a walk-in option. Call 570-970-2864 to start the process.
The Wilkes-Barre Free Clinic at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, at 35 S Franklin St in downtown Wilkes-Barre, runs a free dental clinic staffed by volunteer dentists, hygienists, and assistants. It serves uninsured and underinsured adults in Luzerne County who meet income guidelines. Services may include cleanings, fillings, extractions, and oral cancer screenings. Appointments are required and clinic days are limited, so call 570-793-4361 to ask about the schedule, and the church posts details at https://ststephenswb.org.
Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern Pennsylvania runs dental centers in Freeland, Nuremberg, and Monroe Township alongside its medical offices across Luzerne, Wyoming, and Sullivan counties. Dental care may include exams, cleanings, fillings, extractions, bridges, and dentures, with a sliding fee discount based on income, and Medical Assistance is accepted. The Freeland Health Center at 404 Ridge St can be reached at 570-704-4232. All dental locations and numbers are listed at https://www.rhcnepa.com.
Luzerne County Community College's Benco dental clinic in Nanticoke offers very low cost cleanings and preventive care performed by supervised dental hygiene students. Visits take longer than a private office and follow the school calendar, so appointments can book far ahead. Call 570-740-0446 for the clinic, and details are at https://www.luzerne.edu.
Scranton Primary Health Care Center at 959 Wyoming Ave in Scranton is a community health center with dental care alongside its medical services. Fees are charged on a sliding scale, so working uninsured residents can get reduced cost cleanings, exams, and treatment. Call 570-344-9684 for a dental appointment.
Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers runs the Together for Health Dental Center at 600 Maple Ave in Honesdale, serving Wayne County and nearby rural communities. Preventive and restorative dental care is offered for all ages, including exams, cleanings, fillings, and minor oral procedures, with a sliding fee program for patients who qualify. Call 570-251-6534 for appointments, and details are at https://wmchc.net.
Barnes-Kasson County Hospital at 2872 Turnpike St in Susquehanna operates a dental office as part of its rural health clinic, and it is one of the few dental providers in the area that serves Medicaid patients. Uninsured patients can ask about payment options when scheduling. Call the hospital at 570-853-3135 and ask for the dental office, and details are at https://www.barnes-kasson.org/.
Erie and northwestern Pennsylvania
St. Paul's Neighborhood Free Clinic at 1608 Walnut St in Erie provides free primary medical and dental care to qualified adult patients throughout Erie County. Volunteer dentists and hygienists treat people who earn too much for Medicaid but cannot afford insurance, and the clinic does not bill insurance, so there is never a co-pay. Call 814-454-8755 to ask about qualifying, and details are at https://www.stpaulsfreeclinic.org.
Community Health Net is Erie County's community health center network, with dental care that runs from cleanings and fillings to dentures and oral surgery. A sliding fee discount program based on income and family size helps patients without insurance, and Medical Assistance is accepted. The main health center is at 1202 State St in Erie, and the number is 814-455-7222. Locations are listed at https://community-healthnet.com.
The Erie area also has a dental school clinic through LECOM, which is covered in the dental schools section further down this page.
Southwestern Pennsylvania outside Pittsburgh
Cornerstone Care operates the Community Dental and Behavioral Health Center of Waynesburg at 501 W High St, part of a nonprofit health center network serving Greene and Washington counties and nearby communities. Dental services may include cleanings, x-rays, fillings, extractions, crowns, and dentures, with a sliding fee scale for the uninsured. Call 724-852-1001 for dental appointments in Waynesburg, and other locations are listed at https://cornerstonecare.com.
Centerville Clinics is a nonprofit health center network across Fayette, Greene, and Washington counties, with dental offices that include the Joseph A. Yablonski Memorial Clinic at 1070 Old National Pike in Fredericktown and the Charleroi medical and dental office. Exams, x-rays, cleanings, fillings, extractions, and full or partial dentures are offered, with a sliding fee for patients who qualify by income. Call 724-632-6801 for dental scheduling, and locations are listed at https://www.centervilleclinics.com.
Community Health Clinic, Inc. at 943 4th Ave in New Kensington is a charitable clinic serving the Alle-Kiski Valley and Westmoreland County area. Both medical and dental care are offered to people without insurance, including cleanings, exams, and fillings. Call 724-335-3334 to ask about becoming a dental patient.
Community Action's medical and dental services center at 140 N Beeson Ave in Uniontown serves low income and uninsured Fayette County residents. Dental care is provided alongside other services from the community action agency, which can also help with applying for Medicaid and other benefits. Call 724-437-9772 to ask about dental appointment.
Indiana Dental Center, part of the Primary Health Network, is at 590 Indian Springs Rd in Indiana and serves patients who have no dental insurance or limited coverage, with a sliding fee discount for those who qualify. The network runs dental centers in other Pennsylvania towns as well, including the New Castle Dental Center at 2807 Wilmington Rd in Lawrence County, reached at 724-656-3486. Call 724-465-6100 for Indiana, and every location is listed at https://www.primary-health.net.
Harrisburg, York, Lancaster, and south central Pennsylvania
Hamilton Health Center at 110 S 17th St in Harrisburg provides dental and medical care for adults and children, including patients with disabilities, and no one is denied services based on ability to pay. Dental services may include preventive care, restorative work, extractions, crowns, and dentures, with a sliding fee schedule and benefit enrollment help on site. Call 717-232-9971 for the dental department, and details are at https://www.hamiltonhealthcenter.com.
Family First Health runs dental centers in York at the George Street Center, 116 S George St, and on Springwood Road at 2003 Springwood Rd. The health center network offers exams, cleanings, fillings, and emergency dental visits, with a low income assistance application for patients without insurance. Call 717-845-8617 for George Street or 717-851-2655 for Springwood Road, and details are at https://www.familyfirsthealth.org..
Water Street Health Services runs a free dental clinic on the Water Street Mission campus at 210 S Prince St in Lancaster. Uninsured and low income Lancaster County residents who meet income guidelines can get cleanings, fillings, extractions, and even dentures at no cost, and patients experiencing homelessness are a major focus. Registration with proof of income is required before the first appointment. Call 717-358-2017 to register, and details are at https://wsm.org.
Union Community Care is the community health center network for Lancaster County, with dental offices in Lancaster and at 435 S Kinzer Ave in New Holland. Routine cleanings, exams and x-rays, sealants and fillings, and simple extractions and root canals are offered, with a sliding fee discount and care for patients with or without insurance. Call 717-299-6371 to ask about dental appointments, and details are at https://unioncommunitycare.org.
Keystone Dental Care, part of the Keystone Health center network, serves the Chambersburg area from its main dental office at 767 5th Ave. General family dental care is offered with a sliding fee discount for income qualified patients, and Medical Assistance is accepted. Call 717-709-7940 to schedule.
Mission of Mercy operates a free clinic at 330 W Middle St in Gettysburg, in the Foursquare Church building, where volunteer dentists and doctors treat people without insurance. Dental help may include extractions, fillings, and x-rays, and the clinic tries not to turn anyone away. Clinic days are limited, so call 301-682-5683 to ask about dental days and how to become a patient.
Rural central Pennsylvania and the mountain counties
Hyndman Area Health Center serves Bedford County with medical and dental care from its Hyndman Family Health Center at 144 5th Ave in Hyndman. Dental services include preventive care, cleanings, fluoride, fillings, crowns, extractions, and dentures or partials, with a sliding fee discount on covered dental work. The center can be reached at 814-842-3206, and its Bedford office at 104 Railroad St may also take dental appointments, so ask when you call. Details are at https://hyndmanhealth.org.
Glendale Area Medical Association at 850 Main St in Coalport runs a dental center for families in the mountain communities of Clearfield and Cambria counties. Low income families, children, and students can receive cleanings, fluoride, and other care at reduced cost. Call 814-672-5141 for the dental office.
Laurel Health Centers, the community health network for the northern tier, runs Laurel Dental offices in Blossburg, Lawrenceville, Troy, Towanda, and Laporte, reaching patients across Tioga, Bradford, and Sullivan counties. Dental exams, cleanings, and treatment are offered on a sliding fee scale to income eligible patients, and no one is turned away for inability to pay. Call 570-638-3468 for the Blossburg office at 116 Seymour St, and every dental location is listed at https://www.laurelhc.org.
Pennsylvania's dental schools treat the public
No resource in the state goes further for major dental work than the schools that train dentists here, and patients often travel to them from every county. Supervised student dentists provide care at fees well below private practice, though visits run longer and treatment can take multiple appointments. The schools accept Medical Assistance and offer payment help for those who qualify.
Temple University's Kornberg School of Dentistry at 3223 N Broad St in Philadelphia sees new patients in its general dentistry clinics, with specialty clinics for root canals, gum disease, oral surgery, and dentures. Income adjusted sliding fee plans are available, and the school is a major provider for Medical Assistance patients. Call 215-707-2900, and details are at https://dentistry.temple.edu/patient-care/dental-appointments.
Penn Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 240 S 40th St in Philadelphia, also treats the public through its student and faculty clinics at reduced rates. Call 215-898-8965, and details are at https://penndentalmedicine.org/patient-information/.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine at 3501 Terrace St in Pittsburgh serves patients from across western Pennsylvania through its student clinics. Call 412-648-8616, and details are at https://www.dental.pitt.edu/patient-care.
The LECOM dental clinic at 2000 W Grandview Blvd in Erie gives the northwest corner of the state its own school-based option, with dental care from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine's training program. Call 814-868-1001, and details are at https://lecom.edu/dental/dentaloffices/erie/.
Dental hygiene school clinics for very low cost cleanings
Community colleges and career schools with dental hygiene programs may run their own patient clinics, where supervised students provide cleanings, x-rays, sealants, and preventive care at a fraction of private fees. Harrisburg Area Community College operates a dental treatment facility on its Harrisburg campus, reached at 717-780-2441 with details at https://www.hacc.edu. Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport runs a dental hygiene clinic, reached at 570-327-4500 with details at https://www.pct.edu/academics/nhs/dental-hygiene/clinic.
Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood offers a dental hygiene clinic at 724-925-4283, with details at https://westmoreland.edu. In the Lehigh Valley, Northampton Community College's program in Bethlehem can be reached at 610-861-5365, with details at https://www.northampton.edu. These clinics handle cleanings and prevention only, follow the school calendar, and often book far ahead, so call before counting on one.
Medical Assistance, CHIP, and what Pennsylvania covers
Medical Assistance covers medically necessary dental care for enrolled children, from cleanings and x-rays through fillings, crowns, and other treatment. Adults on Medical Assistance generally get exams, cleanings, basic fillings, and extractions, while root canals, crowns, dentures, and other major work usually require an approved exception based on serious medical need. The rules for adult coverage can change, so confirm what your plan covers before scheduling major treatment. The state explains dental benefits at https://www.pa.gov/services/dhs/medicaid-dental-services and this site has a guide to dentures and dental coverage through Medicaid.
To find a dentist who takes Medical Assistance, use the state's provider search at https://www.enrollnow.net/en or call the Medical Assistance helpline at 1-800-537-8862, and members in a managed care plan can also call the number on their card. Children in working families that earn too much for Medical Assistance can get dental coverage through CHIP, with details at https://www.chipcoverspakids.com or by calling 1-800-986-KIDS. If you are an uninsured adult, check whether you qualify for coverage on the guide to free health insurance and medical care in Pennsylvania.
Donated dental care for seniors and people with disabilities
Volunteer dentists across Pennsylvania donate comprehensive treatment through the Donated Dental Services program, run by Dental Lifeline Network. It serves people who cannot afford care and who have a permanent disability, are age 65 or older, or are medically fragile, and accepted patients are treated in the volunteer dentist's own office at no charge. This is not an emergency program, waiting lists can be long, and applications are only open in certain counties at any given time. Check the current county list and apply at https://dentallifeline.org/pennsylvania/ or call 844-489-9446.
If nothing on this page is close to you
The Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers runs a statewide finder for safety net clinics at https://my.pachc.org/Find-a-Health-Center which the state's health department points people to for sliding fee dental care. The federal health center locator at https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/ can also be filtered for dental services and will show every federally supported clinic in your area, which helps in counties this page does not name. The Free Clinic Association of Pennsylvania lists charitable clinics across the state at https://freeclinicspa.org.
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