Community Health Center
Fenway Health, Ansin Building
1340 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215-4302 2.6 miles away
Community Health Center
Charles River Community Health at 495 Western Ave
495 Western Ave, Brighton, MA 02135-1007
Charles River Community Health at 495 Western Ave is a community health center dental clinic in Brighton, MA, operated by Charles River Community Health, which runs 2 clinics in Massachusetts.
The health center is open about 59 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.
Clinic Details
| Address | 495 Western Ave, Brighton, MA 02135 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 617-783-0500 |
| Operated by | Charles River Community Health |
| Program | Health Center Program (federally funded) |
| Site schedule | Full-Time |
| Operating calendar | Year-Round |
Dental Services
Service and coverage information recorded for this clinic includes:
- Medicaid
Treatments offered and insurance accepted change over time, and services not listed here may still be available. Contact the clinic to confirm what is currently offered.
Common Questions
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.
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.
Do I need to be a US citizen?
No. The Health Center Program does not set citizenship or immigration status as a condition of being seen, and clinics in it are not required to ask. What they do need is something to work out your fee, which is income and household size rather than status. If this is the thing keeping you from calling, ask what they require before you decide not to go.
Is this the only option in Brighton?
It is the only clinic of this kind we hold for Brighton itself. Clinics of this kind cluster around larger towns, so the nearest alternatives are listed further down this page and are frequently worth the journey.
Can I just walk in?
Rarely for dental, even where the medical side takes walk-ins. Dental chairs are booked by appointment because each one occupies a room and a clinician for a set time. Call first; a walk-in dental visit is usually reserved for emergencies.
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.
Costs and Coverage
This clinic prices by household income and family size instead of charging everyone the same. The scale belongs to Charles River Community Health, 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.
This clinic has a Medicaid billing registration on file, which is a good sign but not a guarantee for your particular plan. Adult dental benefits vary by state and Massachusetts has set its own; children’s dental coverage is mandatory in every state regardless. The Medicaid dental page covers how to check yours.
Dental Providers at This Clinic
Alongside general dentistry, providers registered in dental public health and prosthodontics, for dentures, crowns, and bridges practice at this address. That is not the same as the clinic taking new patients for those treatments, or the discount covering them, so name the treatment when you call.
Planning Your Visit
495 Western Ave, Brighton, MA 02135
The published number is 617-783-0500. 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, and what to bring for the sliding fee application.
Size of the Dental Service
Charles River Community Health provided 15,266 dental visits and 5,436 dental patients in 2025, with the equivalent of 18.86 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 Charles River Community Health
Charles River Community Health operates one other clinic elsewhere in Massachusetts. The wait differs between them, sometimes by weeks, so ask which site could see you first rather than assuming the nearest is quickest. Once your discount is assessed at one of its sites, the others normally honor it without a second application. 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.
- Fenway Health, Ansin Building — Boston, about 2.6 miles away
- Whittier Engagement Center — Roxbury Crossing, about 3.3 miles away
- DIMOCK COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER — Roxbury, about 3.7 miles away
- DIMOCK COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER — Roxbury, about 3.8 miles away
Confirmed Payment Options
Income-Based FeesMedicaid
Call Charles River Community Health at 495 Western Ave
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Nearby Affordable Dental Clinics
Community Health Center
Whittier Engagement Center
1290 Tremont St, Roxbury Crossing, MA 02120-3432 3.3 miles away
Community Health Center
DIMOCK COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
45 Dimock St, Roxbury, MA 02119-1208 3.7 miles away
Community Health Center
DIMOCK COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
55 Dimock St, Roxbury, MA 02119-1029 3.8 miles away
Before you call
