Community Health Center
United Health Centers Fresno Ashlan
2848 W Ashlan Ave, Fresno, CA 93705-1757 1.3 miles away
Community Health Center
United Health Centers Fresno Shields
3652 W Shields Ave, Fresno, CA 93722
United Health Centers Fresno Shields is a community health center dental clinic in Fresno, CA, operated by United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley, which runs 22 clinics in California.
The health center is open about 47.5 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.
Clinic Details
| Address | 3652 W Shields Ave, Fresno, CA 93722 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 559-646-6618 x0010 |
| Operated by | United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley |
| Program | Health Center Program (federally funded) |
Planning Your Visit
3652 W Shields Ave, Fresno, CA 93722
The published number is 559-646-6618 x0010. It may be a shared scheduling line. Say which site you mean and that you want dental rather than medical, or you can be booked into the wrong queue.
Things to settle on the phone first: 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, whether your insurance or Medicaid dental plan is accepted, by plan name, and what to bring for the sliding fee application.
Dental Services
This clinic has not published a list of the treatments it provides. Expect the routine treatments to be available. The question worth asking is about the expensive ones: root canals, dentures and oral surgery are handled in house at some health centers and referred out at others.
Costs and Coverage
Charges are set against household income and household size rather than a fixed fee schedule. The bands are set by United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley rather than nationally, which is why prices differ between two clinics on the same scale. Ask them to run your household through it before you commit to a treatment plan. Our guide to applying for the discount lists the documents to bring.
No Medicaid registration has been recorded for this clinic, which is not the same as Medicaid being refused. What California Medicaid covers for adults is a state decision and has been cut and restored in several states; for children the benefit is required nationally. The Medicaid dental page covers how to check yours.
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.
Common Questions
How soon could I be seen?
Dental waits at health centers are frequently longer than medical waits, and can run weeks for a routine appointment. Ask for the next available and also whether they hold same-day slots for pain, which is a different queue.
What if this clinic cannot take me?
Other clinics run by the same organization and the nearest alternatives are listed further down this page, each with its own waiting list. Dental school and dental hygiene teaching clinics are a separate route worth trying in the same area.
How do I get my records if I move away?
Ask for a copy of your chart and your X-rays, which you are entitled to. Recent images are worth having: a new dentist can often use them instead of taking their own, which saves a charge at the first visit somewhere else.
Does Medicare cover this?
Original Medicare does not cover routine dental care, which surprises most people who reach retirement expecting otherwise. Some Medicare Advantage plans include a limited dental benefit. The sliding scale here does not depend on Medicare, so ask about it separately.
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.
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.
Other Clinics Operated by United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley
United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley operates 21 other clinics in 13 other communities in California. Asking the scheduling line which site can see you soonest is usually faster than calling each in turn; the shortest wait is not always the closest clinic. 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
Straight-line distances. The nearest clinic is not reliably the one that can see you soonest, so try a couple.
- United Health Centers Fresno Ashlan — Fresno, about 1.3 miles away
- Central Fresno Community Health Center — Fresno, about 1.4 miles away
- Family HealthCare Network - Fresno Clinton — Fresno, about 1.8 miles away
- Blackstone Community Health Center — Fresno, about 3.9 miles away
Confirmed Payment Options
Income-Based Fees
Call United Health Centers Fresno Shields
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Nearby Affordable Dental Clinics
Community Health Center
Central Fresno Community Health Center
4711 W Ashlan Ave, Fresno, CA 93722-4307 1.4 miles away
Community Health Center
Family HealthCare Network - Fresno Clinton
1344 W Clinton Ave, Fresno, CA 93705-3805 1.8 miles away
Community Health Center
Blackstone Community Health Center
1685 E Home Ave, Fresno, CA 93728-2027 3.9 miles away
Before you call
