Community Health Center
NORTH END WATERFRONT HEALTH
332 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113-1901 0.9 miles away
Community Health Center
New Health Charlestown
15 Tufts St, Charlestown, MA 02129-2711
New Health Charlestown is a community health center dental clinic in Charlestown, MA, operated by North End Community Health Committee, which runs 2 clinics in Massachusetts.
The health center is open about 49 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.
Clinic Details
| Address | 15 Tufts St, Charlestown, MA 02129 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 617-643-8000 |
| Operated by | North End Community Health Committee |
| Program | Health Center Program (federally funded) |
Planning Your Visit
15 Tufts St, Charlestown, MA 02129
The published number is 617-643-8000. 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 scale belongs to North End Community Health Committee, not to a national schedule, so the only reliable figure is the one they give you. 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 Massachusetts 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.
Dental Providers at This Clinic
Alongside general dentistry, providers registered in dental hygiene, for cleanings and preventive care 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.
Common Questions
Is this a federally funded clinic?
Yes, this site operates under the federal Health Center Program, which is what obliges it to discount by household income and to see patients regardless of ability to pay. It does not make the care free, and it does not decide which treatments are offered here.
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.
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.
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 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 if I cannot get there?
Ask whether the clinic has transport assistance or can tell you what local programs exist — many health centers help with this and it is rarely advertised. Your county health department is the other place that knows.
Other Clinics Operated by North End Community Health Committee
North End Community Health Committee operates one other clinic elsewhere in Massachusetts. 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
These are straight-line distances. Two clinics a mile apart can have very different waits, so it is worth calling both.
- NORTH END WATERFRONT HEALTH — Boston, less than a mile away
- 10 Gove Street — East Boston, about 1 mile away
- 20 Maverick Square — East Boston, about 1 mile away
- MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL — Boston, about 1.2 miles away
Confirmed Payment Options
Income-Based Fees
Call New Health Charlestown
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Nearby Affordable Dental Clinics
Community Health Center
10 Gove Street
10 Gove St, East Boston, MA 02128-1931 1 mile away
Community Health Center
20 Maverick Square
20 Maverick Sq, East Boston, MA 02128-2335 1 mile away
Community Health Center
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114-2696 1.2 miles away
Before you call
