Community Health Center
Surrey Street Community Health Center
1004 Surrey St, Lafayette, LA 70501-6143 2.1 miles away
Community Health Center
SWLA Center for Health Services - Lafayette
500 Patterson St, Lafayette, LA 70501-1849
SWLA Center for Health Services - Lafayette is a community health center dental clinic in Lafayette, LA, operated by Swla Center for Health Services, which runs 2 clinics in Louisiana.
The health center is open about 40 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.
Clinic Details
| Address | 500 Patterson St, Lafayette, LA 70501 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 337-769-9451 |
| Operated by | Swla Center for Health Services |
| Program | Health Center Program (federally funded) |
| Site schedule | Full-Time |
| Operating calendar | Year-Round |
Planning Your Visit
500 Patterson St, Lafayette, LA 70501
The published number is 337-769-9451. It may be a shared scheduling line. Say which site you mean and that you want dental rather than medical, or you can be booked into the wrong queue.
Things to settle on the phone first: 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.
Dental Services
This clinic has not published a list of the treatments it provides. Expect the routine treatments to be available. The question worth asking is about the expensive ones: root canals, dentures and oral surgery are handled in house at some health centers and referred out at others.
Costs and Coverage
Charges are set against household income and household size rather than a fixed fee schedule. The bands are set by Swla Center for Health Services rather than nationally, which is why prices differ between two clinics on the same scale. Ask them to run your household through it before you commit to a treatment plan. 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. What Louisiana Medicaid covers for adults is a state decision and has been cut and restored in several states; for children the benefit is required nationally. The Medicaid dental page covers how to check yours.
Common Questions
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.
Would a dental school be cheaper?
For a large amount of work, often yes — but a school screens you first, may turn your case down, and takes months rather than weeks. A health center discounts by your income and can usually see you sooner. Our guide to dental school clinics compares the two.
Is anything done for anxiety?
Ask, because the answer changes what the visit costs. Talking it through, longer appointments and numbing gel before the injection are usually free; sedation is a billed extra and does not always fall inside the discount. Our guide to dental anxiety and what it costs covers what to ask for.
Is this the only option in Lafayette?
No — Lafayette 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.
Is Medicaid accepted?
It has not been confirmed either way for this clinic, which is not the same as no. In most states the dental benefit runs through separate managed care plans, so call with the dental plan name printed on your card rather than asking about Medicaid in general.
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.
Other Clinics Operated by Swla Center for Health Services
Swla Center for Health Services operates one other clinic elsewhere in Louisiana. Asking the scheduling line which site can see you soonest is usually faster than calling each in turn; the shortest wait is not always the closest clinic. 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
Straight-line distances. The nearest clinic is not reliably the one that can see you soonest, so try a couple.
- Surrey Street Community Health Center — Lafayette, about 2.1 miles away
- St. Martin Parish Community Health Center — Saint Martinville, about 14.4 miles away
- Abbeville Community Health Center Main Site — Abbeville, about 20.2 miles away
- SOUTHWEST LA PRIMARY HEALTH CARE — Opelousas, about 22 miles away
Confirmed Payment Options
Income-Based Fees
Call SWLA Center for Health Services - Lafayette
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Nearby Affordable Dental Clinics
Community Health Center
St. Martin Parish Community Health Center
317 Dernier St, Saint Martinville, LA 70582-3809 14.4 miles away
Community Health Center
Abbeville Community Health Center Main Site
1009 Charity St, Abbeville, LA 70510-5302 20.2 miles away
Community Health Center
SOUTHWEST LA PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
8762 Highway 182, Opelousas, LA 70570-5603 22 miles away
Before you call
