Community Health Center
Primary Health Care at Kurtz Opportunity Center
1000 Porter Ave, Des Moines, IA 50315-7236 2.7 miles away
Community Health Center
Primary Health Care - Bery Engebretsen Clinic
2353 SE 14th St, Des Moines, IA 50320-1109
Primary Health Care - Bery Engebretsen Clinic is a community health center dental clinic in Des Moines, IA, operated by Primary Health Care, which runs 4 clinics in Iowa.
The health center is open about 48 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.
Clinic Details
| Address | 2353 SE 14th St, Des Moines, IA 50320 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 515-248-1400 |
| Operated by | Primary Health Care |
| Program | Health Center Program (federally funded) |
| Site schedule | Full-Time |
| Operating calendar | Year-Round |
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
Is the discount worked out on gross income or take-home pay?
Normally gross, before tax and deductions, which surprises people who budget by what lands in the account. Ask which figure this clinic uses and over what period, because a year that included a few months of higher earnings can put you in a band that does not reflect what you have now.
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.
Does Iowa Medicaid cover adult dental work?
That is decided at state level and has changed more than once in most states, ranging from comprehensive to emergency extractions only. Dental coverage for children enrolled in Medicaid is a required benefit everywhere. Our Medicaid dental page covers how to check where your state stands now.
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.
Will they see me if I still owe them money?
Usually yes for pain and for anything urgent, though a clinic may ask you to agree a plan for the balance before booking routine work. An old balance is worth raising on the phone instead of discovering it at the desk; it is often smaller after a discount is applied than the letter suggests.
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.
Costs and Coverage
This clinic prices by household income and family size instead of charging everyone the same. The scale belongs to Primary Health Care, 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 Iowa 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
2353 SE 14th St, Des Moines, IA 50320
The published number is 515-248-1400. 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.
Size of the Dental Service
Primary Health Care provided 21,828 dental visits and 10,207 dental patients in 2025, with the equivalent of 28.73 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, across all of its clinics.
Other Clinics Operated by Primary Health Care
Primary Health Care operates 3 other clinics in 2 other communities in Iowa. The wait differs between them, sometimes by weeks, so ask which site could see you first rather than assuming the nearest is quickest. The income assessment usually transfers between sites in the same organization, which saves repeating the paperwork. 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.
- Primary Health Care at Kurtz Opportunity Center — Des Moines, about 2.7 miles away
- Primary Health Care - University Dental Clinic — Des Moines, about 3.1 miles away
- Primary Health Care - Marshalltown Clinic — Marshalltown, about 46.5 miles away
- Infinity Health — Leon, about 56.7 miles away
Confirmed Payment Options
Income-Based Fees
Call Primary Health Care - Bery Engebretsen Clinic
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Nearby Affordable Dental Clinics
Community Health Center
Primary Health Care - University Dental Clinic
1200 University Ave, Suite 100, Des Moines, IA 50314-2355 3.1 miles away
Community Health Center
Primary Health Care - Marshalltown Clinic
101 Iowa Ave W, Suite 102, Marshalltown, IA 50158-4781 46.5 miles away
Community Health Center
Infinity Health
302 NE 14th St, Leon, IA 50144-1206 56.7 miles away
Before you call
