Community Health Center
Community Health Center of Eagle Grove
306 W Broadway St, Eagle Grove, IA 50533-1712 17.9 miles away
Community Health Center
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF FORT DODGE
126 N 10th St, Fort Dodge, IA 50501-3915
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF FORT DODGE is a community health center dental clinic in Fort Dodge, IA, operated by Community Health Center of Fort Dodge, which runs 4 clinics in Iowa.
The health center is open about 63 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.
Clinic Details
| Address | 126 N 10th St, Fort Dodge, IA 50501 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 515-576-6500 |
| Operated by | Community Health Center of Fort Dodge |
| 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
How soon could I be seen?
Dental waits at health centers are frequently longer than medical waits, and can run weeks for a routine appointment. Ask for the next available and also whether they hold same-day slots for pain, which is a different queue.
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.
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.
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.
What happens if I miss an appointment?
Missed dental appointments are taken seriously because the chair time cannot be reused, and repeated no-shows can affect whether you keep the slot. Call to cancel even at short notice; it costs you nothing and keeps you on the books.
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.
Costs and Coverage
This clinic prices by household income and family size instead of charging everyone the same. Where the thresholds fall is decided by Community Health Center of Fort Dodge, so what a friend paid elsewhere is not a guide. 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
126 N 10th St, Fort Dodge, IA 50501
The published number is 515-576-6500. 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
Community Health Center of Fort Dodge provided 22,914 dental visits and 10,522 dental patients in 2025, with the equivalent of 39.5 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 Community Health Center of Fort Dodge
Community Health Center of Fort Dodge operates 3 other clinics in 3 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
Distances are as the crow flies. Wait times are set clinic by clinic, so ask each one rather than assuming.
- Community Health Center of Eagle Grove — Eagle Grove, about 17.9 miles away
- Community Health Center of Clarion — Clarion, about 27.8 miles away
Confirmed Payment Options
Income-Based Fees
Call COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF FORT DODGE
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Nearby Affordable Dental Clinics
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Community Health Center of Clarion
303 N Main St, Clarion, IA 50525-1441 27.8 miles away
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United Community Health Center of Storm Lake - Replacement
715 W Milwaukee Ave, Storm Lake, IA 50588-1564 53 miles away
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Community Health Center of Mason City
404 N Federal Ave, Mason City, IA 50401-3293 67 miles away
Before you call
