Community Health Center
Chattanooga Hamilton County Health Department
921 E 3rd St, Chattanooga, TN 37403-2165 0.3 miles away
Community Health Center
Cempa Dental Clinic
1042 E 3rd St STE 100, Chattanooga, TN 37403-2110
Cempa Dental Clinic is a community health center dental clinic in Chattanooga, TN, operated by Chattanooga C. A. R. E. S.
The health center is open about 40 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.
Clinic Details
| Address | 1042 E 3rd St STE 100, Chattanooga, TN 37403 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 423-203-1568 |
| Operated by | Chattanooga C. A. R. E. S. |
| Program | Health Center Program look-alike |
A look-alike meets every requirement of the federal Health Center Program — including the income-based sliding fee discount and seeing patients regardless of ability to pay — but does not receive the federal grant that funds the others. For you as a patient the discount works the same way; what differs is the funding behind it.
Planning Your Visit
1042 E 3rd St STE 100, Chattanooga, TN 37403
The published number is 423-203-1568. 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. Chattanooga C. A. R. E. S. sets its own income bands, so a quote from another clinic tells you nothing about this one. 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 Tennessee 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.
Common Questions
Do they do root canals, or would I be referred out?
This is the question worth asking before anything else if you already know you need one. Health centers commonly do extractions in-house and refer root canals to a private endodontist at full price, which changes the arithmetic completely. Ask before you start treatment, not after.
Would a dental school be cheaper?
For a large amount of work, often yes — but a school screens you first, may turn your case down, and takes months rather than weeks. A health center discounts by your income and can usually see you sooner. Our guide to dental school clinics compares the two.
Is the building accessible if I use a wheelchair?
Federally supported facilities are subject to accessibility requirements, but the practical questions — whether the dental chair can be transferred to, whether the accessible entrance is the one you would arrive at — are worth asking directly rather than assuming from the front door.
How do they work out what I pay?
From your household income and family size, checked against a scale the clinic sets itself. That is why a quote from another clinic tells you nothing about this one. Our guide to applying for the discount lists the documents to take.
What if I need to be seen urgently?
If you think it might be an emergency, go to an emergency room rather than trying to book here — that is the one situation where the price of the visit is not the thing to weigh. Otherwise, call early in the day and say you are in pain, because it routes the call differently; some health centers hold same-day slots for exactly that and do not advertise them.
What should I bring to the first appointment?
Photo identification, proof of address, and documentation of household income — recent pay stubs, a benefits award letter or a tax return. Take your insurance or Medicaid card if you have one, and a list of any medications you take.
Other Clinics Operated by Chattanooga C. A. R. E. S.
Chattanooga C. A. R. E. S. has no other locations, so there is nowhere else within the same organization to ask. Work down the nearby clinics below if this one is full.
Other Dental Clinics Nearby
Measured straight-line rather than by road. Availability varies enough between them that a second call is usually worth making.
- Chattanooga Hamilton County Health Department — Chattanooga, less than a mile away
- Homeless Health Care Center — Chattanooga, less than a mile away
- DODSON AVENUE COMM HEALTH CENTER — Chattanooga, about 1.5 miles away
- Primary Health Care Center Trenton — Trenton, about 16.2 miles away
Confirmed Payment Options
Income-Based Fees
Call Cempa Dental Clinic
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Nearby Affordable Dental Clinics
Community Health Center
Homeless Health Care Center
730 E 11th St, Chattanooga, TN 37403-3103 0.8 miles away
Community Health Center
DODSON AVENUE COMM HEALTH CENTER
1200 Dodson Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37406-3214 1.5 miles away
Community Health Center
Primary Health Care Center Trenton
13570 N Main St, Trenton, GA 30752-2012 16.2 miles away
Before you call
