Community Health Center
Wilmington Community Clinic
1009 N Avalon Blvd, Wilmington, CA 90744-4505 0.5 miles away
Community Health Center
Tzu Chi Health Center, Wilmington
1355 Broad Ave, Wilmington, CA 90744-2648
Tzu Chi Health Center, Wilmington is a community health center dental clinic in Wilmington, CA, operated by Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, which runs 3 clinics in California.
The health center is open about 32 hours a week, so dental capacity is limited and the wait can be long.
Clinic Details
| Address | 1355 Broad Ave, Wilmington, CA 90744 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 626-281-3383 |
| Operated by | Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation |
| Program | Health Center Program look-alike |
A look-alike meets every requirement of the federal Health Center Program — including the income-based sliding fee discount and seeing patients regardless of ability to pay — but does not receive the federal grant that funds the others. For you as a patient the discount works the same way; what differs is the funding behind it.
Dental Services
What is treated here is not published in a form we can confirm. Examinations, cleanings, fillings and extractions are standard at this kind of clinic. Root canals and dentures are the ones to ask about, since a referral to a private specialist changes the cost completely.
Common Questions
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.
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.
Do they see children?
Health centers are generally set up for families and children’s dental coverage is a required Medicaid benefit in every state, so this is usually yes. Minimum ages and whether children are seen on the same days as adults do vary, so ask when booking.
Would a dental school be cheaper?
For a large amount of work, often yes — but a school screens you first, may turn your case down, and takes months rather than weeks. A health center discounts by your income and can usually see you sooner. Our guide to dental school clinics compares the two.
Is anything done for anxiety?
Ask, because the answer changes what the visit costs. Talking it through, longer appointments and numbing gel before the injection are usually free; sedation is a billed extra and does not always fall inside the discount. Our guide to dental anxiety and what it costs covers what to ask for.
Is this the only option in Wilmington?
No — Wilmington has other clinics of this kind, and they are listed on the page for the city. Waiting lists are held separately at each one, so the shortest wait is not reliably at the nearest address.
Costs and Coverage
This clinic prices by household income and family size instead of charging everyone the same. The scale belongs to Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, not to a national schedule, so the only reliable figure is the one they give you. 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.
No Medicaid registration has been recorded for this clinic, which is not the same as Medicaid being refused. 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
1355 Broad Ave, Wilmington, CA 90744
The published number is 626-281-3383. 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, whether your insurance or Medicaid dental plan is accepted, by plan name, and what to bring for the sliding fee application.
Other Clinics Operated by Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation
Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation 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
These are straight-line distances. Two clinics a mile apart can have very different waits, so it is worth calling both.
- Wilmington Community Clinic — Wilmington, less than a mile away
- Wilmington Family Health Center — Wilmington, less than a mile away
- Pacific Avenue Health Center — San Pedro, about 3.8 miles away
- Center for Family Health & Education, Inc dba Priority Care Medical Group - Long Beach 2 — Long Beach, about 4.2 miles away
Confirmed Payment Options
Income-Based Fees
Call Tzu Chi Health Center, Wilmington
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Nearby Affordable Dental Clinics
Community Health Center
Wilmington Family Health Center
200 E Anaheim St, Wilmington, CA 90744-4516 0.7 miles away
Community Health Center
Pacific Avenue Health Center
425 S Pacific Ave, San Pedro, CA 90731-2625 3.8 miles away
Community Health Center
Center for Family Health & Education, Inc dba Priority Care Medical Group - Long Beach 2
306 E Pacific Coast Hwy FL 2, Long Beach, CA 90806-6259 4.2 miles away
Before you call
