Community Health Center
Lancaster Southeast - (Medical, Dental & Pharmacy)
625 S Duke St, Lancaster, PA 17602-4509 1.1 miles away
Community Health Center
Lancaster Downtown (Medical, Dental & Pharmacy)
304 N Water St, Lancaster, PA 17603-3374
Lancaster Downtown (Medical, Dental & Pharmacy) is a community health center dental clinic in Lancaster, PA, operated by Union Community Care, which runs 4 clinics in Pennsylvania.
The health center is open about 56 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.
Clinic Details
| Address | 304 N Water St, Lancaster, PA 17603 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 717-299-6371 |
| Operated by | Union Community Care |
| Program | Health Center Program (federally funded) |
Dental Services
No service list has been published for this clinic, so the range here is worth asking about directly rather than assuming. The routine work — examinations, cleanings, X-rays, fillings, extractions — is normally available. Whether root canals, dentures and surgery are done on site is what differs from clinic to clinic.
Costs and Coverage
What you pay here is worked out from your household income and family size, not read off a price list. Union Community Care sets its own income bands, so a quote from another clinic tells you nothing about this one. Ask for your band in writing before agreeing to a course of treatment. 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 coverage under Pennsylvania Medicaid is decided at state level and has changed more than once in most states; children’s dental coverage is required everywhere. The Medicaid dental page covers how to check yours.
Dental Providers at This Clinic
Alongside general dentistry, providers registered in pediatric dentistry, for children 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
304 N Water St, Lancaster, PA 17603
The published number is 717-299-6371. Where an organization runs several sites this often lands at a central desk, so name the clinic and say the appointment is dental.
The call is worth making for: 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.
Common Questions
Does my partner’s income count?
If you share a household, generally yes, and household size counts in your favor at the same time — the scale reads income against the number of people it supports. Say who lives with you and who depends on that income, rather than giving a single figure and letting them assume.
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.
Other Clinics Operated by Union Community Care
Union Community Care operates 3 other clinics in 3 other communities in Pennsylvania. A central scheduling line can often say which of them has the shortest wait, and it is not always the nearest one. A sliding fee determination made at one of its clinics commonly carries across to the others, so income documents may not need providing twice. 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.
- Lancaster Southeast - (Medical, Dental & Pharmacy) — Lancaster, about 1.1 miles away
- Columbia Dental Center — Columbia, about 10.1 miles away
- Union Community Care at Welsh Mountain — New Holland, about 15.6 miles away
- Lebanon Dental — Lebanon, about 21.2 miles away
Confirmed Payment Options
Income-Based Fees
Call Lancaster Downtown (Medical, Dental & Pharmacy)
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Nearby Affordable Dental Clinics
Community Health Center
Columbia Dental Center
430 Walnut St, Columbia, PA 17512-1295 10.1 miles away
Community Health Center
Union Community Care at Welsh Mountain
584 Springville Rd, New Holland, PA 17557-9565 15.6 miles away
Community Health Center
Lebanon Dental
101 S 9th St, Lebanon, PA 17042-5108 21.2 miles away
Before you call
