Community Health Center
Upper Cardozo Health Center
3020 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009-6837 0.5 miles away
Community Health Center
Cardozo Student Health Center
1200 Clifton St NW, Washington, DC 20009-7099
Cardozo Student Health Center is a community health center dental clinic in Washington, DC, operated by Unity Health Care, which runs 14 clinics in District of Columbia.
The health center is open about 25.5 hours a week, so dental capacity is limited and the wait can be long.
Access to This Clinic
This clinic is located inside a school. School-based health center sites typically serve enrolled students, and in some cases their families or the surrounding community. Access is determined jointly by the school and the health center. Contact the clinic before visiting to confirm whether patients who are not students can be seen.
Clinic Details
| Address | 1200 Clifton St NW, Washington, DC 20009 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 202-469-4699 |
| Operated by | Unity Health Care |
| Program | Health Center Program (federally funded) |
| Setting | School |
| Site schedule | Full-Time |
| Operating calendar | Year-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
Do I need to be a US citizen?
No. The Health Center Program does not set citizenship or immigration status as a condition of being seen, and clinics in it are not required to ask. What they do need is something to work out your fee, which is income and household size rather than status. If this is the thing keeping you from calling, ask what they require before you decide not to go.
Can I get an itemized receipt?
Yes, and ask for one. You need it to claim from an HSA or FSA, to apply to a charitable program, and to get a second opinion on the same plan of work. A receipt that says only a total is not much use for any of those.
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 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.
Can I be seen without insurance?
Yes. Being uninsured is the ordinary case at a clinic like this, not an exception, and it is much of the reason the sliding scale exists. Bring income documentation if you have it and ask what they accept if you do not.
Will I see a dentist or a hygienist?
Depends on what you booked. A cleaning is normally a hygienist; an examination, filling or extraction is a dentist. Some clinics run hygiene appointments on different days from dentist appointments, which is worth knowing before you take time off.
Costs and Coverage
This clinic prices by household income and family size instead of charging everyone the same. The bands are set by Unity Health Care rather than nationally, which is why prices differ between two clinics on the same scale. 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 District of Columbia 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
1200 Clifton St NW, Washington, DC 20009
The published number is 202-469-4699. 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 Unity Health Care
Unity Health Care operates 13 other clinics elsewhere in District of Columbia. 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
Straight-line distances. The nearest clinic is not reliably the one that can see you soonest, so try a couple.
- Upper Cardozo Health Center — Washington, less than a mile away
- Mary's Center - Adams Morgan DC — Washington, less than a mile away
- Community of Hope Marie Reed Center — Washington, less than a mile away
- Whitman - Walker Health — Washington, less than a mile away
Confirmed Payment Options
Income-Based FeesMedicaid
Call Cardozo Student Health Center
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Nearby Affordable Dental Clinics
Community Health Center
Mary's Center - Adams Morgan DC
2333 Ontario Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009-2627 0.6 miles away
Community Health Center
Community of Hope Marie Reed Center
2155 Champlain St NW, Washington, DC 20009-2795 0.7 miles away
Community Health Center
Whitman - Walker Health
1525 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005-3943 0.8 miles away
Before you call
