Quick answer: Buffalo has 22 low-cost dental listings in our directory, all in Erie County and open to the public. Uninsured adults can walk in at Good Neighbors Dental Care, a free volunteer clinic, while Neighborhood Health Center, Jericho Road and Evergreen Health offer sliding-scale fees and accept Medicaid. The University at Buffalo dental school clinics in Squire Hall offer reduced fees for people who are accepted after screening.
When I went through the 22 Buffalo listings in our directory, here's what I found: 7 community health centers, 5 school-based or mobile programs, 3 dental school clinics, 3 hospital dental clinics, 3 low-cost community clinics and 1 free charitable clinic. Eight of them list Medicaid as accepted. Four more clinics are close by in Kenmore, Lackawanna, Williamsville and Blasdell.
If you have no insurance and need a tooth looked at soon, the free walk-in clinic and the sliding-scale health centers below are where I'd start.
Where can I get low-cost dental care in Buffalo?
I picked verified, open-to-the-public listings with hours, fee details or Medicaid information, spread across the city from Niagara Street to Broadway and Main Street. The hours are what each clinic published; call to confirm dental hours before you go.
Free dental care
Good Neighbors Dental Care
- Type: Free or Charitable Clinic
- Address: 175 Jefferson Ave, Buffalo, NY 14210
- Phone: (716) 855-0654
- Hours: Walk-in, first come first served; no appointments
- Cost: Free
- Medicaid: Not stated
- Good to know: A volunteer-run free clinic for uninsured or underinsured adults 18 and older who have no other access to dental care. Offers X-rays, cleanings, fillings and extractions. Call before you go to check the walk-in times.
Community health centers (sliding-scale fees)
Neighborhood Health Center - Mattina
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 300 Niagara St, Buffalo, NY 14201
- Phone: (716) 875-2904
- Hours: Mon closed, Tue 8am-6pm, Wed 8am-4pm, Thu 8am-6pm, Fri 8am-4pm
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Sees children from age 1 and adults, and accepts all insurance including Medicaid and Medicare. Services include fillings, crowns, root canals, dentures and minor oral surgery.
Neighborhood Health Center - Northwest
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 155 Lawn Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14207
- Phone: (716) 875-2904
- Hours: Mon 10am-6pm, Tue-Thu 8am-4pm, Fri closed
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Same services and sliding fee as the Mattina location, with a later Monday finish.
Neighborhood Health Center Riverway (Dental)
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 1569 Niagara Street, Buffalo, NY 14213
- Phone: (716) 427-7000
- Hours: Mon 8am-8pm, Tue-Wed 8am-4:30pm, Thu closed, Fri 8am-4:30pm
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Open to everyone on a sliding fee scale. Monday hours run until 8pm, which helps if you work days.
Jericho Road Broadway Health Center (Dental)
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 1021 Broadway, Floor 3, Buffalo, NY 14212
- Phone: (716) 348-3018
- Hours: Mon 8am-4:30pm, Tue-Wed 8am-5:30pm, Thu 8am-7pm, Fri 9am-3:30pm
- Cost: Contact the clinic about fees
- Medicaid: Not stated
- Good to know: This is the dental office inside Jericho Road's Broadway building. The main Jericho Road Community Health Center listing at the same address shows sliding-scale fees and Medicaid accepted, so ask about both when you call.
Evergreen Health - Elmwood Ave.
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 206 South Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, NY 14201
- Phone: (716) 847-0212
- Hours: About 47 hours a week; call for dental hours
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Open to everyone, with fees discounted on a sliding scale based on income.
Hospital dental clinic
ECMC Dental Center
- Type: Hospital Dental Clinic
- Address: 462 Grider Street, Suite 150, Buffalo, NY 14215
- Phone: (716) 898-3189
- Hours: Not listed, call ahead
- Cost: Reduced fees
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Also accepts GHI Preferred and Univera Healthplex. Offers a wide range of care, from fillings and root canals to dentures, wisdom teeth and implants. Call to confirm fees and financial assistance.
Is there a dental school in Buffalo?
Yes. The University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine runs teaching clinics in Squire Hall on UB's South Campus, where supervised students and residents treat patients at reduced fees.
University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine Clinics
- Type: Dental School Clinic
- Address: Squire Hall, UB South Campus, Main Street, Buffalo, NY
- Phone: (716) 829-2821
- Hours: Not listed, call ahead
- Cost: Reduced fees
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: You'll need to apply and go through a screening, and not everyone is accepted. Fees are well below private-practice prices for those who are.
The directory also lists UB First Care Dental Clinic at the Erie County Health Mall on Broadway; call to ask about fees.
What about dental care for kids at school?
Five Buffalo listings are school-based or mobile programs, run by groups including UB's dental school, Kaleida Health and the Community Health Center of Buffalo. They generally serve students at the schools they cover, so ask your child's school whether a dental program visits.
Does New York Medicaid cover adult dental care?
Yes. New York's Medicaid program covers dental care for adults and children. Since early 2024, the state has allowed broader coverage of root canals, crowns, replacement dentures and, when medically necessary, implants. Bigger treatments often need prior approval, and the details depend on your plan.
Kids who don't qualify for Medicaid may be able to get Child Health Plus, New York's low-cost coverage for children under 19, which includes dental care. You can check options at Insure Kids Now.
When you call a clinic, name your Medicaid plan and ask whether they take it for dental.
How much will I pay for dental care in Buffalo?
Across the 22 Buffalo listings:
- Contact the clinic about fees: 11 listings, mostly hospital, mobile and school-based programs
- Sliding-scale fees based on income: 6 listings, the community health centers
- Reduced fees: 4 listings, the dental school and hospital clinics
- Free: 1 listing, Good Neighbors Dental Care
Ask what an exam and X-rays will cost before you book, and get a written estimate before larger work.
What should I bring to my first visit?
- A photo ID
- Proof of income (pay stubs, a benefits letter or a tax return) for the sliding fee
- Proof of address
- Your Medicaid, Medicare, Child Health Plus or insurance card
- A list of the medicines you take
Low-cost dental care near Buffalo
- Williamsville: the Erie Community College Dental Hygiene Clinic on the North Campus offers free cleanings, X-rays, fluoride and sealants by hygiene students.
- Lackawanna: Baker Victory Dental Center accepts Medicaid and most major insurance, and welcomes patients with special needs.
- Blasdell: another Neighborhood Health Center location with sliding-scale fees.
- Kenmore: Kenmore Mercy Hospital lists outpatient dental care; call to confirm fees.
You can also search federally funded centers with the health center finder, or browse every listing on the Buffalo city page.
Frequently asked questions
Is there free dental care in Buffalo? Yes. Good Neighbors Dental Care is a free walk-in clinic for uninsured or underinsured adults, and the Erie Community College hygiene clinic in Williamsville offers free cleanings.
Can I get dental care in the evening? Neighborhood Health Center Riverway lists Monday hours until 8pm, and Jericho Road's Broadway dental office lists Thursday hours until 7pm.
Do Buffalo clinics take Medicare? The Neighborhood Health Center locations say they accept all insurance, including Medicare.
More low-cost dental care in New York
Heading east? See my guides to low-cost dental care in Rochester and low-cost dental care in New York City. Our directory covers low-cost dental clinics across New York, from Buffalo and Rochester to the Bronx and Brooklyn.