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Community Health Center

Altura Centers for Health Main Clinic

1101 N Cherry St, Tulare, CA 93274-2231

559-685-4601 Directions Website

Altura Centers for Health Main Clinic is a community health center dental clinic in Tulare, CA, operated by Altura Centers for Health, which runs 3 clinics in California.

The health center is open about 62 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.

Clinic Details

Address1101 N Cherry St, Tulare, CA 93274
Phone559-685-4601
Operated byAltura Centers for Health
ProgramHealth Center Program (federally funded)
Site scheduleFull-Time
Operating calendarYear-Round

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.

Common Questions

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.

How long does the discount last?

A determination usually runs for a set period, often a year, and then has to be reapplied for with current income documents. If your circumstances change in between — a job lost, a household member moving out — ask for a reassessment rather than waiting.

Can I just walk in?

Rarely for dental, even where the medical side takes walk-ins. Dental chairs are booked by appointment because each one occupies a room and a clinician for a set time. Call first; a walk-in dental visit is usually reserved for emergencies.

Is there help if I do not speak English?

Health centers are required to provide language assistance and most have interpreting available, in person or by phone. Say which language you need when you book rather than on the day, so an interpreter can be arranged for the appointment.

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 do not have a phone for them to call back on?

Tell them at the point of booking and ask how they will contact you — some clinics will use an email address, a shelter or a relative’s number. Missing a call back about an appointment is a common way to lose a slot that was already booked.

Costs and Coverage

This clinic prices by household income and family size instead of charging everyone the same. Where the thresholds fall is decided by Altura Centers for Health, so what a friend paid elsewhere is not a guide. Have them assess you before treatment is agreed, not after the first appointment. 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. Adult dental benefits vary by state and California has set its own; children’s dental coverage is mandatory in every state regardless. The Medicaid dental page covers how to check yours.

Planning Your Visit

1101 N Cherry St, Tulare, CA 93274

The published number is 559-685-4601. This can be a general line rather than the dental desk. Naming both the clinic and the department saves being transferred twice.

Worth confirming before you travel: 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.

Other Clinics Operated by Altura Centers for Health

Altura Centers for Health operates 2 other clinics in 2 other communities in California. The wait differs between them, sometimes by weeks, so ask which site could see you first rather than assuming the nearest is quickest. Once your discount is assessed at one of its sites, the others normally honor it without a second application. 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

Distances are as the crow flies. Wait times are set clinic by clinic, so ask each one rather than assuming.

Confirmed Payment Options

Income-Based FeesMedicaid

Call Altura Centers for Health Main Clinic

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

559-685-4601

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