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Community Health Center

STERLING AREA HEALTH CTR DENTAL

5095 Rifle River Trl, Alger, MI 48610-9327

989-873-5152 Directions Website

STERLING AREA HEALTH CTR DENTAL is a community health center dental clinic in Alger, MI, operated by Sterling Area Health Center.

The health center is open about 42.5 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.

Clinic Details

Address5095 Rifle River Trl, Alger, MI 48610
Phone989-873-5152
Operated bySterling Area Health Center
ProgramHealth Center Program (federally funded)
Site scheduleFull-Time
Operating calendarYear-Round
Published hoursTuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 7am-5:30pm

Published hours describe the health center overall and may not reflect when dental appointments are available. Confirm current dental hours with the clinic.

Planning Your Visit

5095 Rifle River Trl, Alger, MI 48610

The published number is 989-873-5152. 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: 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.

Dental Services

Service and coverage information recorded for this clinic includes:

  • Cleanings
  • Dentures
  • 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.

Costs and Coverage

Charges are set against household income and household size rather than a fixed fee schedule. Where the thresholds fall is decided by Sterling Area Health Center, so what a friend paid elsewhere is not a guide. 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.

This clinic has a Medicaid billing registration on file, which is a good sign but not a guarantee for your particular plan. What Michigan 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

Can I bring someone with me?

Generally yes, and it is worth doing if you are anxious or want a second pair of ears for the costs. Ask when booking whether they can come into the room, because some clinics keep the treatment area to patients and staff.

How long does the discount last?

A determination usually runs for a set period, often a year, and then has to be reapplied for with current income documents. If your circumstances change in between — a job lost, a household member moving out — ask for a reassessment rather than waiting.

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.

Can I pay in installments?

Many health centers will arrange this, particularly for dentures or a course of treatment, but it is rarely advertised and you generally have to ask. Agree the amount and the schedule before treatment starts, and ask what happens if you miss one, because that varies more than the plans themselves do.

Is treatment free?

Usually not, though it can come close. Clinics like this one discount by household income and are required to see patients regardless of ability to pay, but a charge normally applies and the lowest band is a nominal fee rather than nothing. Sterling Area Health Center sets its own scale.

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.

Size of the Dental Service

Sterling Area Health Center provided 9,609 dental visits and 3,017 dental patients in 2025, with the equivalent of 15 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.

Other Clinics Operated by Sterling Area Health Center

Sterling Area Health Center runs this clinic as its only site, so there is one scheduling line and one waiting list. If nothing is available, the nearby clinics below are the next call.

Other Dental Clinics Nearby

Distances are as the crow flies. Wait times are set clinic by clinic, so ask each one rather than assuming.

Confirmed Payment Options

Income-Based FeesMedicaidMedicaid

Confirmed Dental Services

Dental CleaningDentures

Call STERLING AREA HEALTH CTR DENTAL

Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.

989-873-5152

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Before you call

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How sliding-scale dental clinics workWho qualifies, and what the discount does and does not cover.
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Does Medicaid cover dental care?Adult coverage is a state choice; children are covered everywhere.
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