This page lists 25 reviewed dental clinics in Washington, DC. They are run by 6 separate health center organizations, including Unity Health Care, Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care, Bread for the City and Community of Hope. That matters when you are calling around: each keeps its own books, its own waiting list and its own sliding fee schedule, so being turned away by one says nothing about the next.

The 25 clinics sit across 10 different Washington ZIP codes. That spread means the closest one to you is not necessarily the first on this list. Search by ZIP code, and factor in the journey rather than the mileage.

3 of the 25 Washington locations have no website, so calling is the only way to find out what they offer. The other 22 carry links on the listing, though an organization-wide website often will not say which of its sites runs a dental clinic.

Who runs the dental clinics in Washington

Each of these is a separate organization with its own sliding fee schedule, its own waiting list and its own insurance contracts. Call them as separate options, not as one.

Unity Health Care — 14 sites in Washington
Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care — 4 sites in Washington
Bread for the City — 2 sites in Washington
Community of Hope — 2 sites in Washington
Whitman-Walker Clinic — 2 sites in Washington
Elaine Ellis Center of Health — 1 site in Washington

ZIP codes covered: 20001, 20003, 20005, 20009, 20011, 20018, 20019, 20020, 20024, 20032. If none of these is near you, the nearby cities listed below are the next place to look.

Before you travel across Washington, settle the things these listings cannot: what to ask on the phone, how the sliding fee discount is applied for, and which door to use when it is urgent and money is short. If you think what you have might be an emergency, go to an emergency room rather than onto a dental waiting list; the price of that visit is not the thing to weigh in that moment.

Local care options

Other Routes Near Washington

Two routes are not listed here at all: dental school teaching clinics or free and charitable clinics, both of which are usually organized locally. Your county health department knows them, and so does the front desk at any clinic listed above.

Worth reading first

Bright and clean modern dental clinic room with advanced dental equipment.

How sliding-scale dental clinics workWho qualifies, and what the discount does and does not cover.

Close-up image of dental tools and model teeth for professional dentistry setup.

Finding dental care without insuranceThe three cheaper routes compared.

Two dental students in scrubs practice on a dummy in a classroom setting.

Dental school clinics: what treatment costsCheaper for large amounts of work, slower for everything.

How sliding-scale dental clinics workWho qualifies, and what the discount does and does not cover.

Before you call

Frequently Asked Questions

With several clinics here, which should I call first?

Not automatically the nearest. Waits differ by weeks between sites, and dental hours are often shorter than the health center hours on the door. Ask two or three what their next dental appointment is before choosing.

Will the number listed reach the dental department?

Often it reaches central scheduling instead, especially at larger organizations. Name the clinic and say the appointment is dental, or you can be booked into the medical queue.

How do I confirm a sliding-fee discount?

Ask which documents the clinic wants, whether dental is on a separate fee schedule from medical, and what your planned treatment would cost after the discount is applied.