Community Health Center
Sikeston Dental Center
220 Southland Dr, Sikeston, MO 63801-4403 25.6 miles away
Community Health Center
Bernie Medical and Dental Center
741 S Walnut St, Bernie, MO 63822-8900
Bernie Medical and Dental Center is a community health center dental clinic in Bernie, MO, operated by Southeast Missouri Health Network, which runs 5 clinics in Missouri.
The health center is open about 40 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.
Clinic Details
| Address | 741 S Walnut St, Bernie, MO 63822 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 573-293-6836 |
| Operated by | Southeast Missouri Health Network |
| Program | Health Center Program (federally funded) |
| Site schedule | Full-Time |
| Operating calendar | Year-Round |
Planning Your Visit
741 S Walnut St, Bernie, MO 63822
The published number is 573-293-6836. 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, and what to bring for the sliding fee application.
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.
Costs and Coverage
Charges are set against household income and household size rather than a fixed fee schedule. The bands are set by Southeast Missouri Health Network 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.
This clinic has a Medicaid billing registration on file, which is a good sign but not a guarantee for your particular plan. What Missouri 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
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.
What if I have no income at all?
Health centers deal with this routinely and have a procedure for applicants who cannot document income — usually a signed declaration. Being unable to prove income is not a reason to stay away; say so when you call so they can tell you what to bring instead.
How soon could I be seen?
Dental waits at health centers are frequently longer than medical waits, and can run weeks for a routine appointment. Ask for the next available and also whether they hold same-day slots for pain, which is a different queue.
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.
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.
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.
Size of the Dental Service
Southeast Missouri Health Network provided 16,381 dental visits and 7,769 dental patients in 2025, with the equivalent of 21.5 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 Southeast Missouri Health Network
Southeast Missouri Health Network operates 4 other clinics in 4 other communities in Missouri. 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.
- Sikeston Dental Center — Sikeston, about 25.6 miles away
- Missouri Highlands Dental - Poplar Bluff — Poplar Bluff, about 26 miles away
- Otto Bean Dental Clinic — Kennett, about 29 miles away
- Cross Trails Medical Center — Advance, about 30.9 miles away
Confirmed Payment Options
Income-Based FeesMedicaid
Call Bernie Medical and Dental Center
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Nearby Affordable Dental Clinics
Community Health Center
Missouri Highlands Dental - Poplar Bluff
1407 N Westwood Blvd, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 26 miles away
Community Health Center
Otto Bean Dental Clinic
500 Russell St, Kennett, MO 63857-2102 29 miles away
Community Health Center
Cross Trails Medical Center
307 W Gabriel St, Advance, MO 63730-8301 30.9 miles away
Before you call
