Quick answer: For low cost dental care in Tyler, TX, start with Family Circle of Care, a community health center with sliding-scale fees that accepts Medicaid, or Bethesda Health Clinic, a nonprofit that serves uninsured low-income adults. Children can go to Bethesda Pediatrics, which takes Medicaid and CHIP. Tyler Junior College also runs a reduced-fee student dental clinic.
Tyler has 5 listings in our directory, all in Smith County and all open to the public: 2 community health centers, 2 nonprofit clinics and 1 dental hygiene school clinic. Four use sliding-scale fees based on income, and 3 say they accept Medicaid. That's a short list for a city that serves as a hub for much of East Texas, and when I looked at the rest of the region, our listings thin out quickly outside the larger towns. So below I cover every usable Tyler listing, then the nearest East Texas cities where we list low-cost dental care.
Where can I get low-cost dental care in Tyler?
Here are all five Tyler listings. Call ahead before your first visit; some hours are for the whole clinic rather than dental.
Family Circle of Care Dental Clinic
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 110 E 9th St, Tyler, TX 75701
- Phone: (903) 991-4991
- Hours: Mon-Thu 7am-5:30pm
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Sees children from 6 months and adults, including pregnant women. The listing notes sliding-fee visits of $15-$30 for patients under 200% of the federal poverty level.
Family Circle of Care Chapel Hill Clinic
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 13172 State Hwy 64 E, Suite 8, Tyler, TX 75707
- Phone: (903) 535-9041
- Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm (clinic hours)
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: East of town on Highway 64. Dental here is listed as likely, so call to confirm dental services before you go.
Bethesda Health Clinic - Tyler (Dental)
- Type: Nonprofit Community Clinic
- Address: 409 W. Ferguson St., Tyler, TX 75702
- Phone: (903) 596-8353
- Hours: Mon-Thu 8am-5pm, Fri 8am-1pm
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Not stated
- Good to know: For uninsured low-income adults 18 and older; an application is required and your fee tier depends on household income. The first dental appointment is $70, with a $50 deposit to schedule. Focus is on pain relief: cleanings, fillings and extractions. Implants, complete dentures, orthodontics and sedation are not provided.
Bethesda Pediatrics (Dental)
- Type: Nonprofit Community Clinic
- Address: 1350 E Richards St, Tyler, TX 75702
- Phone: (903) 593-7607
- Hours: Dental: Mon-Thu 8am-5pm; closed Fridays and 12-12:30pm for lunch
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: For children of underserved East Texas families, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. Accepts Medicaid, CHIP and most private insurance; uninsured patients pay a minimal fee at the visit.
Tyler Junior College Dental Clinic
- Type: Dental Hygiene School Clinic
- Address: 1200 E. 5th Street, Robert M. Rogers Nursing and Health Sciences Building, Tyler, TX 75701
- Phone: (903) 510-2342
- Hours: Not listed, call ahead
- Cost: Reduced fees
- Medicaid: Not stated
- Good to know: Care is provided by students under faculty supervision, which usually means longer appointments. Call to ask about openings, services and fees.
Where else can I go in East Texas?
If Tyler's clinics are full, or you live closer to another town, these are the nearest listings in our directory. All are community health centers with sliding-scale fees that accept Medicaid.
Crossroads Family Care - Family Dental Care
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 1115 Hwy 259 South, Henderson, TX 75654
- Phone: (903) 392-8251
- Hours: Mon-Thu 8am-5pm, Fri 8am-2pm (lunch 1-2pm)
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: In Rusk County, southeast of Tyler. Grant programs and a sliding fee schedule are available for uninsured patients.
Longview Care Clinic (Dental)
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 409 N 6th St, Longview, TX 75601
- Phone: (903) 234-8808
- Hours: Mon, Wed, Thu 8am-5pm; Tue 8am-6pm; Fri 8am-3pm
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Sees all ages, with services from cleanings and fillings to crowns, bridges and root canals.
Wellness Pointe Family Dentistry - Longview Main (Building 2)
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 1107 E Marshall Ave, Longview, TX 75601
- Phone: (903) 758-2610
- Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-12pm and 1pm-5pm
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Family dentistry with a sliding fee discount. Wellness Pointe also offers dental one day a week in Gilmer.
ETCHS Westside Community Clinic (Dental)
- Type: Community Health Center
- Address: 1210 Douglass Rd, Nacogdoches, TX 75964
- Phone: (936) 560-1122
- Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30am-5pm
- Cost: Sliding-scale fees based on income
- Medicaid: Accepted
- Good to know: Preventive and emergency dental care, including exams, cleanings, sealants, fillings and extractions.
Farther south, the same organization has a dental clinic in Lufkin. To the west, the Dallas listings include a dental school and several sliding-scale clinics, and Greenville has a community health center with dental. Up in Texarkana, our listing for a sliding-scale health center is marked likely, so call to confirm dental services there.
Does Texas Medicaid cover dental care?
For children, yes. Kids and young adults on Texas Medicaid (through age 20) have dental benefits, with checkups starting at 6 months old. Children in families that earn too much for Medicaid may qualify for CHIP, which also covers dental care up to a yearly limit. You can check options at Insure Kids Now.
For adults 21 and older, Texas Medicaid generally does not cover routine dental care like cleanings and fillings; coverage is mostly limited to emergencies. Some Medicaid health plans, such as STAR+PLUS plans, add limited dental extras, so call the number on your card and ask.
How much will I pay?
Four of Tyler's five listings use sliding-scale fees based on income, and Tyler Junior College charges reduced fees. Two listings publish figures: Bethesda's $70 first adult visit and Family Circle of Care's $15-$30 sliding-fee visits. Ask any clinic for the self-pay fee before treatment starts.
What should I bring to my first visit?
- Photo ID
- Proof of income, such as pay stubs or a benefits letter (Bethesda needs this for its application)
- Proof of address
- Your Medicaid, CHIP or insurance card if you have one
- A list of medications
Quick FAQ
Is there free dental care in Tyler? None of the Tyler listings is fully free, but the sliding scales at Family Circle of Care and Bethesda are built for low-income patients.
Where can my child get dental care in Tyler? Bethesda Pediatrics and Family Circle of Care both see children and accept Medicaid.
What if I can't get an appointment in Tyler? Longview and Henderson are the nearest cities with listings in our directory. You can also search any address with the health center finder.
More Texas guides
See my guides for Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. Our directory covers low-cost dental clinics across Texas, from Texarkana to El Paso, and every Tyler listing is on one page.