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Community Health Center

FFHC - Western

5843 South Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60636-1526

773-434-8600 Directions Website

FFHC - Western is a community health center dental clinic in Chicago, IL, operated by Friend Family Health Center.

The health center is open about 51 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.

Clinic Details

Address5843 South Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60636
Phone773-434-8600
Operated byFriend Family Health Center
ProgramHealth Center Program (federally funded)
Site scheduleFull-Time
Operating calendarYear-Round

Costs and Coverage

Fees follow an income-based scale, so the same treatment costs different patients different amounts. Where the thresholds fall is decided by Friend Family Health Center, so what a friend paid elsewhere is not a guide. Get the assessment done first; it changes what the whole plan costs, not just the first visit. 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. Illinois decides its own adult dental benefit, which ranges from comprehensive to emergency extractions only depending on the state and the year. Children are covered everywhere. The Medicaid dental page covers how to check yours.

Dental Services

The treatments available at this clinic are not listed publicly. Health center dental programs usually cover examinations, cleanings, X-rays, fillings and extractions; root canals, dentures and oral surgery are the ones that vary, and are often referred out.

Planning Your Visit

5843 South Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60636

The published number is 773-434-8600. At larger organizations it may reach central scheduling rather than the dental department, so say which clinic you are calling about and that it is for dental care.

Before making the trip, check: 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.

Size of the Dental Service

Friend Family Health Center provided 5,354 dental visits and 3,227 dental patients in 2025, with the equivalent of 12.3 full-time dental staff. This indicates an established dental service operating regular sessions, although appointment availability still varies by clinic and time of year.

Figures describe the operating organization as a whole.

Common Questions

Is this the only option in Chicago?

No — Chicago 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.

What if I need to be seen urgently?

If you think it might be an emergency, go to an emergency room rather than trying to book here — that is the one situation where the price of the visit is not the thing to weigh. Otherwise, call early in the day and say you are in pain, because it routes the call differently; some health centers hold same-day slots for exactly that and do not advertise them.

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.

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.

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.

What should I bring to the first appointment?

Photo identification, proof of address, and documentation of household income — recent pay stubs, a benefits award letter or a tax return. Take your insurance or Medicaid card if you have one, and a list of any medications you take.

Other Clinics Operated by Friend Family Health Center

This is the only site Friend Family Health Center operates, which means a single waiting list with no sister clinic to try instead. The nearby clinics listed below are the alternative.

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 Fees

Call FFHC - Western

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

773-434-8600

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Before you call

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How sliding-scale dental clinics workWho qualifies, and what the discount does and does not cover.
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Does Medicaid cover dental care?Adult coverage is a state choice; children are covered everywhere.
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Finding dental care without insuranceThe three cheaper routes compared.
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What dental work costs when you are paying cashRanges for the common treatments, and what drives them.