Quick answer: For low cost dental care in Lansing, MI, start with Ingham Community Health Centers' Forest Community Health Center on South Cedar Street, which takes Medicaid, charges sliding-scale fees and offers walk-in and emergency care. Care Free Dental on South Pennsylvania Avenue serves uninsured Ingham County residents at reduced fees, and Lansing Community College runs a student hygiene clinic for cleanings. Michigan Medicaid, including the Healthy Michigan Plan, covers dental care for adults and children.
Lansing is a smaller market than Detroit or Grand Rapids, and our directory reflects that. When I went through our Lansing listings, I found five: two community health center programs, two nonprofit community clinics and one dental hygiene school clinic. All five are open to the public and four accept Medicaid. None of them publish hours, so you'll need to call before you go. The listings with a county are all in Ingham County, and there are three more options within about 20 miles in Mason, Charlotte and St. Johns.
Where can I get low-cost dental care in Lansing?
These are the Lansing listings, in the order I'd call them. You can also browse them on our Lansing city page.
Ingham Community Health Centers - Forest Community Health Center
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 2316 S. Cedar St., Lansing, MI 48910
- Phone: (517) 887-4302
- Hours: About 53 hours a week; call for dental hours
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Open to anyone. Takes Medicaid, Healthy Kids Dental and all insurance plans, with sliding-fee discounts for low-income, uninsured patients. Offers exams, cleanings, fillings and extractions, plus walk-in and emergency care.
Care Free Dental
- Type: Nonprofit Community Clinic
- Address: 5135 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Lansing, MI 48911
- Phone: (517) 272-5053
- Hours: Not listed, call ahead
- Cost: Reduced fees
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: For underserved and uninsured Ingham County residents. Takes Medicaid and the Ingham Health Plan, with reduced fees for low-income, uninsured patients. Discuss fees when you schedule. Services include exams, cleanings, fillings and extractions.
Lansing Community College - Dental Hygiene Clinic
- Type: Dental Hygiene School Clinic
- Address: 515 N. Washington Sq., Room 107, Lansing, MI 48933
- Phone: (517) 483-1458
- Hours: Not listed, call ahead
- Cost: Reduced fees
- Medicaid: Not accepted
- Good to know: A screening appointment is required, and there's one fee per preventive series. Student hygienists provide cleanings and sealants under supervision, so appointments take longer than at a private office. No private insurance or Medicaid is accepted.
Ingham Community Health Centers - Mobile Dental Center
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 2316 S Cedar St, Lansing, MI 48910
- Phone: (517) 887-4302
- Hours: About 40 hours a week; call for dental hours
- Cost: Free for eligible patients
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: A sealant program for students in grades K-12 (ages 5-18). There's no charge for low-income, uninsured students, and Medicaid and insurance are billed for others.
Volunteers of America Delta Dental Clinic
- Type: Nonprofit Community Clinic
- Address: 430 N. Larch St., Lansing, MI 48912
- Phone: (517) 574-7935
- Hours: Not listed, call ahead
- Cost: Contact the clinic about fees
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: For people experiencing homelessness and veterans, and it takes Medicaid. Our information for this clinic dates from 2020, so details may be out of date. Call to confirm before you go.
Are there low-cost dentists near Lansing?
Yes. Three more listings are within about 20 miles, and two of them belong to My Community Dental Centers, which takes Medicaid and offers sliding-fee discounts.
Care Free Medical and Dental - Mason
- Type: Free or Charitable Clinic
- Address: 790 E. Columbia St., Mason, MI 48854
- Phone: (517) 244-0120
- Hours: Not listed, call ahead
- Cost: Reduced fees
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: For people with no dental insurance and income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level; Medicaid is accepted. Services include exams, cleanings, extractions, basic fillings, simple root canals and emergency care. Our information dates from 2020, so details may be out of date.
My Community Dental Centers - Charlotte
- Type: Nonprofit Community Clinic
- Address: 623 Courthouse Dr., Charlotte, MI 48813
- Phone: (877) 313-6232
- Hours: Not listed, call ahead
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Open to anyone. Takes Medicaid, Healthy Kids Dental, MIChild and the Healthy Michigan Plan. Offers crowns, dentures and emergency care. The phone is a central line, so ask for the Charlotte office.
My Community Dental Centers - St. Johns
- Type: Nonprofit Community Clinic
- Address: 1307 East Townsend Rd., St. Johns, MI 48879
- Phone: (877) 313-6232
- Hours: Not listed, call ahead
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Serves low-income and uninsured patients and Medicaid adults and children, with reduced fees for the uninsured. Walk-in and emergency care, root canals and dentures are listed. Same central phone line as the Charlotte office.
You can see these on our Mason, Charlotte and St. Johns pages.
Which Lansing option fits my situation?
- You have a toothache today: Forest Community Health Center lists walk-in and emergency care. Call when they open.
- You're uninsured and live in Ingham County: Care Free Dental and Forest both offer discounts. Ask each one about fees when you schedule.
- You just need a cleaning: Lansing Community College's student clinic is built for preventive care, but plan for a longer visit and a screening first.
- You need dentures or a crown: The My Community Dental Centers offices in Charlotte and St. Johns list both.
- Your child needs sealants: Ask your child's school whether the Ingham mobile dental program visits.
- You're a veteran or experiencing homelessness: Call Volunteers of America first, and confirm the details since our information is older.
Does Michigan Medicaid cover dental care for adults?
Yes. Michigan Medicaid, including the Healthy Michigan Plan, covers dental care for adults. Covered services generally include exams, X-rays, cleanings, fillings, extractions, dentures, root canals, crowns and gum care, with limits on how often. Children under 21 with Medicaid get dental coverage through Healthy Kids Dental at no cost to the family.
Starting in January 2027, adults in a Medicaid health plan will receive dental benefits through the same contract that runs Healthy Kids Dental. If you're affected, you should get a notice in the mail; check that your dentist is in the network. For help with children's coverage, see Insure Kids Now.
How much will I pay?
In our five Lansing listings, two charge reduced fees, one charges sliding-scale fees based on income, one is free for eligible patients and one asks you to contact it about fees. None of the Lansing listings publish set prices in our data. That means the phone call matters: ask what you'll pay for an exam and X-rays, what proof of income they need, and whether they offer payment plans. If you're uninsured, ask whether you qualify for the lowest fee tier.
What should I bring to my first visit?
- A photo ID and your Medicaid, Healthy Michigan Plan, Ingham Health Plan or insurance card
- Proof of income (pay stubs, a benefits letter or a tax return) for discounts
- For Care Free Dental, ask whether you need proof that you live in Ingham County
- A list of your medications and any dental X-rays from a previous dentist
Quick FAQ
Is there walk-in dental care in Lansing? Forest Community Health Center lists walk-in and emergency care. Call ahead to check same-day availability.
Does Lansing Community College take Medicaid? No. The hygiene clinic doesn't accept Medicaid or private insurance; you pay one fee per preventive series.
Is there a free dental clinic near Lansing? Care Free Medical and Dental in Mason serves uninsured people at or below 200% of the poverty level at reduced fees, and the Ingham mobile program is free for low-income, uninsured students.
Elsewhere in Michigan, see my guides to Detroit and Grand Rapids. Our directory covers low-cost dental clinics across Michigan, from Lansing and Mason to Grand Rapids and Detroit.