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Community Health Center

Family Oriented Primary Health Care Clinic - Downtown Health Center

251 N Bayou St, Mobile, AL 36603-1699

251-690-8158 Directions Website

Family Oriented Primary Health Care Clinic - Downtown Health Center is a community health center dental clinic in Mobile, AL, operated by Mobile County Board of Health, which runs 6 clinics in Alabama.

The health center is open about 49 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.

Clinic Details

Address251 N Bayou St, Mobile, AL 36603
Phone251-690-8158
Operated byMobile County Board of Health
ProgramHealth Center Program (federally funded)
Site scheduleFull-Time
Operating calendarYear-Round

Costs and Coverage

Fees follow an income-based scale, so the same treatment costs different patients different amounts. Mobile County Board of Health sets its own income bands, so a quote from another clinic tells you nothing about this one. Get the assessment done first; it changes what the whole plan costs, not just the first visit. Our guide to applying for the discount lists the documents to bring.

This clinic has a Medicaid billing registration on file, which is a good sign but not a guarantee for your particular plan. Alabama decides its own adult dental benefit, which ranges from comprehensive to emergency extractions only depending on the state and the year. Children are covered everywhere. The Medicaid dental page covers how to check yours.

Dental Services

Service and coverage information recorded for this clinic includes:

  • Medicaid

Treatments offered and insurance accepted change over time, and services not listed here may still be available. Contact the clinic to confirm what is currently offered.

Dental Providers at This Clinic

Alongside general dentistry, providers registered in dental public health practice at this address. That is not the same as the clinic taking new patients for those treatments, or the discount covering them, so name the treatment when you call.

Planning Your Visit

251 N Bayou St, Mobile, AL 36603

The published number is 251-690-8158. At larger organizations it may reach central scheduling rather than the dental department, so say which clinic you are calling about and that it is for dental care.

Before making the trip, check: the dental hours, and which days appointments run, whether new dental patients are being taken, and the current wait, what a first visit costs, before and after any discount, and what to bring for the sliding fee application.

Common Questions

What happens if I miss an appointment?

Missed dental appointments are taken seriously because the chair time cannot be reused, and repeated no-shows can affect whether you keep the slot. Call to cancel even at short notice; it costs you nothing and keeps you on the books.

Can I pay in installments?

Many health centers will arrange this, particularly for dentures or a course of treatment, but it is rarely advertised and you generally have to ask. Agree the amount and the schedule before treatment starts, and ask what happens if you miss one, because that varies more than the plans themselves do.

What if I need a specialist they do not have?

You would normally be referred out, and a referral from a health center does not carry the discount with it — the outside specialist charges their own fee. Ask what the referral would cost before starting anything that depends on it, because that is the point where an affordable plan often stops being affordable.

How do they work out what I pay?

From your household income and family size, checked against a scale the clinic sets itself. That is why a quote from another clinic tells you nothing about this one. Our guide to applying for the discount lists the documents to take.

I have private dental insurance. Is it worth using here?

Often yes, and the two combine: the clinic bills your plan and the discount applies to what is left. Ask whether they are in network for your plan, because out-of-network billing can leave you paying more than the discounted cash price.

Do they do root canals, or would I be referred out?

This is the question worth asking before anything else if you already know you need one. Health centers commonly do extractions in-house and refer root canals to a private endodontist at full price, which changes the arithmetic completely. Ask before you start treatment, not after.

Other Clinics Operated by Mobile County Board of Health

Mobile County Board of Health operates 5 other clinics in 4 other communities in Alabama. Where an organization runs several clinics, the waits rarely match. It is worth asking which one has capacity before settling on the closest. A sliding fee determination made at one of its clinics commonly carries across to the others, so income documents may not need providing twice. What is treated at one site is no guide to another, so confirm with the clinic you actually intend to visit.

Other Dental Clinics Nearby

Measured straight-line rather than by road. Availability varies enough between them that a second call is usually worth making.

Confirmed Payment Options

Income-Based FeesMedicaid

Call Family Oriented Primary Health Care Clinic - Downtown Health Center

Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.

251-690-8158

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Before you call

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