Community Health Center
Upham's Corner Health Center - Business & Human Resources Office
500 Columbia Rd, Dorchester, MA 02125-2389 0.2 miles away
Community Health Center
Upham's Corner Helath Center
415 Columbia Rd, Dorchester, MA 02125-2424
Upham's Corner Helath Center is a community health center dental clinic in Dorchester, MA, operated by Uphams Corner Health Committee, which runs 3 clinics in Massachusetts.
The health center is open about 65 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.
Clinic Details
| Address | 415 Columbia Rd, Dorchester, MA 02125 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 617-287-8000 |
| Operated by | Uphams Corner Health Committee |
| Program | Health Center Program (federally funded) |
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
Can I get an itemized receipt?
Yes, and ask for one. You need it to claim from an HSA or FSA, to apply to a charitable program, and to get a second opinion on the same plan of work. A receipt that says only a total is not much use for any of those.
Can I book online?
This clinic publishes a website, linked at the top of this page, and some health centers take dental requests through a portal or a form. Calling is still usually faster for dental, because the dental schedule is often held separately from the one an online form writes into.
I have private dental insurance. Is it worth using here?
Often yes, and the two combine: the clinic bills your plan and the discount applies to what is left. Ask whether they are in network for your plan, because out-of-network billing can leave you paying more than the discounted cash price.
What happens at a first appointment?
Usually an examination with X-rays, sometimes a cleaning, and normally no treatment beyond that — anything found is scheduled for a later visit. Those items are billed separately, which is where unexpected first-visit charges come from. Ask for a written treatment plan with itemized costs before agreeing to anything, so you can stage the work over time if you need to.
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.
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. Uphams Corner Health Committee sets its own income bands, so a quote from another clinic tells you nothing about this one. 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 Massachusetts 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
415 Columbia Rd, Dorchester, MA 02125
The published number is 617-287-8000. 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.
Other Clinics Operated by Uphams Corner Health Committee
Uphams Corner Health Committee operates 2 other clinics 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
Measured straight-line rather than by road. Availability varies enough between them that a second call is usually worth making.
- Upham's Corner Health Center - Business & Human Resources Office — Dorchester, less than a mile away
- Upham's Eye and Dental Clinic — Dorchester, less than a mile away
- DotHouse Health — Dorchester, less than a mile away
- Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center — Dorchester, about 1.1 miles away
Confirmed Payment Options
Income-Based Fees
Call Upham's Corner Helath Center
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Nearby Affordable Dental Clinics
Community Health Center
Upham's Eye and Dental Clinic
636 Columbia Rd, Dorchester, MA 02125-3416 0.5 miles away
Community Health Center
DotHouse Health
1353 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester, MA 02122-2987 0.7 miles away
Community Health Center
Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center
632 Blue Hill Ave, Dorchester, MA 02121-3293 1.1 miles away
Before you call
