Quick answer: For low-cost dental care in Chicago, start with a community health center that offers sliding-scale fees based on income, such as the Mile Square, Alivio, Howard Brown or AHS sites. If you can give up a few hours, the UIC College of Dentistry and the Malcolm X College hygiene clinic charge reduced fees. Most Chicago clinics in our directory accept Illinois Medicaid, and a few free clinics serve uninsured adults with low incomes.
How many low-cost dental clinics does Chicago have?
When I went through the Chicago listings in our directory, I counted 47 low-cost dental options, all in Cook County and all open to the public in some way. Most of them (33) are community health centers. The rest include 4 Cook County public health clinics, 3 hospital dental clinics, 3 school-based or mobile programs, 2 free or charitable clinics, a dental school and a dental hygiene school.
Cost is the big reason people search, so here's the split: 32 of the 47 use sliding-scale fees based on income, 5 charge reduced fees, 4 are free or free for eligible patients, and the rest ask you to call about fees. Thirty-three say they accept Medicaid. You can browse every one on our Chicago dental clinics page.
Where can I get low-cost dental care in Chicago?
I picked the clinics below to cover the North, West and South Sides and to show the different kinds of help available. Hours are often for the whole health center, so call to confirm dental hours before you go.
Community health centers (sliding-scale fees)
Mile Square Primary and Immediate Care Center (Auburn Gresham) Dental
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 839 W 79th St, Chicago, IL 60620
- Phone: (312) 996-2000
- Hours: Dental Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm; Sat 8:30am-noon
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Sees children and adults for exams, x-rays, cleanings, fillings, extractions, dentures and crowns. Saturday morning hours help if you work weekdays.
Mile Square 55th & Pulaski Health Collaborative (Gage Park) Dental
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 5525 S Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60629
- Phone: (312) 996-2000
- Hours: Dental Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Same services as the other Mile Square dental sites, for children and adults. Mile Square also has dental sites in Back of the Yards and South Shore.
Alivio Dental West Lawn
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 4255 West 63rd Street, Chicago, IL 60629
- Phone: (773) 254-1400
- Hours: Tue and Thu 8:30am-5pm
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Serves children 3-18 and adults with Medicaid or on the sliding fee scale, including emergencies. Staff speak English and Spanish.
AHS Family Health Center - Peterson
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 2501 W Peterson Ave, Chicago, IL 60659
- Phone: (800) 597-5077
- Hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 9am-5pm; Tue, Thu 9am-7pm; Sat 9am-1pm (clinic hours)
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Open to everyone, with fees discounted by income. Evening and Saturday clinic hours are listed; call to confirm when the dentist is in.
Dr. Harrison Mackler Dental Center (Howard Brown Health Halsted)
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 3501 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60657
- Phone: (773) 388-1600
- Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Listed as accepting new patients, with comprehensive dental care and a sliding scale for uninsured patients. Howard Brown also runs a dental site on West 63rd Street.
North Kostner Health Center
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 1520 N Kostner Ave, Chicago, IL 60651
- Phone: (312) 216-8020
- Hours: Mon, Wed-Fri 8am-5pm; Tue 8am-8pm; Sat 9am-1pm (health center hours)
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Offers dental exams, x-rays and cleanings for kids and adults. These are health center hours, so call to confirm dental hours.
Dental school and hygiene school clinics (reduced fees)
Teaching clinics are a good fit if your problem isn't an emergency and you can handle longer appointments.
UIC College of Dentistry Clinics
- Type: Dental School Clinic
- Address: 801 South Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60612
- Phone: (312) 996-7555
- Hours: Adult urgent care screening Mon-Fri 9-10am; comprehensive care screening Mon-Fri 10-11am
- Cost: Reduced fees
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Your first visit is a screening, an appointment is required, and there are no free services. Medicaid is accepted for student and resident care, and pediatric urgent care has its own line, 312-413-0972.
Malcolm X College Dental Hygiene Clinic
- Type: Dental Hygiene School Clinic
- Address: 1900 West Jackson Blvd, 1st floor, Chicago, IL 60612
- Phone: (312) 850-7060
- Hours: Spring, summer and fall semesters; call for schedule
- Cost: Reduced fees
- Medicaid: Not stated
- Good to know: Students provide exams, x-rays, cleanings, sealants and fluoride for children and adults. The listed fee schedule shows an adult cleaning at $25 and an exam at $10, with a free screening.
Free clinic
CommunityHealth
- Type: Free or Charitable Clinic
- Address: 2611 W. Chicago, Chicago, IL 60622
- Phone: (773) 395-9900
- Hours: Mon & Wed 8:30am-7:30pm; Tue 8:30am-5:30pm; Thu 8:30am-2:30pm and 4-5:30pm; Fri 8:30am-2:30pm; Sat 8:30am-1pm
- Cost: Free for eligible patients
- Medicaid: Not stated
- Good to know: For uninsured patients at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, and dental care is only for CommunityHealth patients. By appointment only; Polish and Spanish are spoken.
What other low-cost options are there in Chicago?
A few more listings are worth knowing about:
- Cook County Health sites. Professional Building, Dr. Jorge Prieto Health Center and Belmont Cragin Health Center list exams, cleanings, fillings, extractions, crowns, bridges, dentures and some root canals. Call about fees.
- Children. The CPS School-Based Dental Program is free for Chicago Public Schools students with a signed consent form, and the Mobile Care Chicago Dental Van is free for eligible children at partner schools.
- Special needs. The Advocate Illinois Masonic special patient program serves adults and children with special needs at reduced fees.
- Health center patients only. Some sites, like LCHC at Homan Square, require you to have a primary care provider there first. Erie's dental sites focus on children, pregnant women and adults with diabetes.
Does Illinois Medicaid cover dental care for adults?
Yes. Illinois Medicaid covers dental care for adults, not just children. Adult benefits include exams, cleanings and x-rays on a set schedule, fillings, extractions and other treatment, with limits on how often some services are covered. Children with Medicaid or All Kids get fuller dental benefits, including checkups, cleanings, fluoride and sealants. Benefits and limits change, so ask your plan or the clinic what your coverage includes. If your kids aren't covered yet, Insure Kids Now explains how to apply.
How much will I pay at a Chicago dental clinic?
It depends on the type of clinic:
- Sliding-scale health centers set your fee from your household income and size. You'll usually be asked for proof of income to qualify.
- Dental and hygiene schools charge reduced fees. Malcolm X College lists a $25 adult cleaning and a $10 exam; UIC says student care is discounted compared with area dentists.
- Free clinics like CommunityHealth and The Ark charge nothing, but have income and patient rules.
I can't promise a price at any health center, so ask for an estimate before treatment starts.
What should I bring to my first visit?
- A photo ID
- Your Medicaid or insurance card, if you have one
- Proof of income (recent pay stubs, a benefits letter or a tax return) for sliding-scale fees
- Proof of address
- A list of your medicines and any recent dental x-rays
Are there low-cost dental clinics near Chicago?
Yes. In nearby Cook County suburbs, our directory lists two health centers in Berwyn, including Alivio Berwyn Medical Center, a children's clinic in Oak Park and the Loyola Oral Health Center in Maywood. Farther out, I've also written a guide to low-cost dental care in Rockford. To search beyond Illinois sources, the HRSA health center finder lists federally funded centers by address.
Quick FAQ
Can I get same-day dental care in Chicago? Some clinics list emergency care, including Alivio and the Erie sites, and UIC holds an adult urgent care screening each weekday morning. Call first.
Do I need insurance? No. Sliding-scale health centers serve uninsured patients, with fees based on income.
Is there free dental care in Chicago? A few clinics are free for eligible patients, mostly uninsured adults with low incomes or children in school programs.
Our directory covers low-cost dental clinics across Illinois, from Chicago and Berwyn to Rockford and Belvidere, so if you live elsewhere in the state, start there.