Akron native Tawanda Thomas has been on the receiving end of dental copay bills of up to $800 for services such as filling a cavity, a root canal or a tooth extraction.
Even though Thomas, 60, has dental insurance through her full-time job, she’s still been hit with high out-of-pocket costs. She has not had a follow-up appointment since a tooth extraction two years ago because she is searching for an affordable dentist.
“We pay for insurance, and they barely cover anything,” Thomas said. “It’s like they only cover so much, and it’s hard for me to come up with the remaining amount.”
After trying a holistic dental clinic, a dental clinic with natural remedies like herbal medicine, a clinic near her Merriman Valley home and a well-known area clinic that was recommended to her, Thomas is searching for a dental clinic that is within her budget, accepts her insurance plan and has appointment time slots for both her and her family’s checkups twice each year.
Her hunt for a dental clinic has lasted for the last seven months.
Free, local clinics are limited on time and volunteers
As Akron residents seek out low-cost or free dental care, local free clinics such as the one at Open M are experiencing a surge in patients, to the point the agency closed its new-patient intake form.
Open M is searching for volunteer dentists, dental assistants and dental hygienists to work in the clinic.
“We are completely maxed out on volunteers,” said Shannon Barney, director of health services at Open M, a non-profit organization that provides food, healthcare, employment support and free dental care in Akron.
MedWish MedWorks clinic in Cleveland provides dental services such as screenings, cleanings, extractions, fillings and temporary dentures.
For people seeking urgent dental care, Toms recommended several dental providers in Summit and Stark County (below) as well as safety net dental care programs in Ohio.
Six low-cost or free dental resources in the Akron area
Summit County Public Health Dental Clinic
1867 W. Market St. | 330-812-3816 | 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
Summit County Public Health Dental Clinic is accepting new patients and is scheduling appointments for routine dental care into May of next year. Appointments for specific issues are being scheduled in November.
This dental clinic accepts all Medicaid insurance plans and some private insurance. While no free services are offered, Summit County Public Health has a sliding scale for fees based on household income and size.
Languages offered: Translation services on site.
Emergency appointments available: For emergency dental appointments, call 330-812-3816.
Services offered:
- Exams
- Cleanings
- X-rays
- Dentures/partials
- Crowns
- Fillings
- Sealants
AxessPointe Community Health Centers
AxessPointe Arlington: 1400 S. Arlington St., Suite 38 | 330-724-5471 | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
HealthQuarters: 527 W. Market St. | 330-510-4747 | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Axess Family Services also has dental clinics in Kent, Barberton, Ravenna and Warren.
AxessPointe Mobile Clinic: Find updates on where and when to find the mobile clinic through social media.
Both AxessPointe locations are accepting new patients. AxessPointe Arlington’s appointment wait time is around a month and a half. HealthQuarters’ wait time is between two to three weeks.
Both locations accept Medicaid, Medicare and some private insurance. For patients without insurance, a sliding fee scale is available based on income and household size.
Languages offered: Translation services have all languages; some dental receptionists are bilingual in Spanish at the Arlington Street location.
Emergency appointments available: Emergency appointments are available throughout the day. The best time to call for an emergency appointment is when the clinics open.
Types of services offered:
- Cleanings
- Dental exams
- Diagnostic X-rays
- Extractions
- Fillings
- Fluoride treatments
- Pediatric exams
- Referrals to oral surgeons
- Sealants
Advanced services offered at the West Market Street HealthQuarters location:
- Crowns
- Complete dentures
- Partial dentures
- Telehealth services
- Flippers (a temporary, removable partial denture used to fill a gap)
- Immediate dentures
- Occasional guard (mouth guards)
- Whitening
Summa Health Dental Center
75 Arch St., Suite 303 | 330-375-6262 | Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Summa Health Dental Center is currently accepting new patients from Stark and Summit counties, with no wait time. Most privately and government-funded dental plans are accepted.
The following insurance plans are accepted:
- Aetna Dental Commercial
- Buckeye Medicare Medicaid and Exchange
- Caresource Dental Mycare
- Cigna Dental PPO Commercial
- Delta Dental EPO Commercial
- Dental Dental PPO Commercial
- Delta Dental Premier
- DentaQuest/Doral Dental Medicare-Medicaid
- DenteMax
- G.E.H.A. Connection Dental
- Guardian Life Dental
- Humana Dental Medicare
- LIBERTY Dental Anthem
- Molina Dental Medicaid and Mycare
- UnitedHealthCare Dental Commercial and Medicare
If a patient has an out-of-network insurance plan, they cannot be scheduled for an appointment. If a patient has no insurance but opts for self-pay, an appointment can be scheduled.
Languages offered: There is a contracted in-person interpreter and a translator system on site.
Emergency appointments available: On-call dentists are available for emergency care and consultations. The nurse line is available for emergency appointments — call 330-375-6262.
Types of services offered:
- Implant dentistry
- Restorations (tooth-colored fillings)
- Root canal treatment
- Preventative care
- Adolescent dentistry
- Adult dentistry
- Simple extractions
- Some surgical extractions
- Periodontal/gum treatment
- Complete dentures and partial dentures
- Crowns (caps) and bridges
- Sedation dentistry for adult special needs patients
Medwish/Medworks Dental and Medical Clinic
300 Lakeside Ave. E., Cleveland | 216-692-1685, ext. 205
Clinics in Cleveland only accept walk-ins and patients without insurance. Check the website for upcoming clinics.
Emergency appointments available: Patients seeking dental care do not have to wait until a clinic is scheduled to get help. Call 216-692-1685, ext. 205 to discuss case-by-case situations and Medwish Medworks will help find care for the patient.
Types of services offered:
- Dental screenings
- Cleanings
- Extractions
- Fillings
- Temporary partials
- Dentures for adults
- Dental screening and sealants for children
Cleveland Dental Institute
1494 S. Arlington St. | 330-773-7100 | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m
In the South Arlington Strip, Cleveland Dental Institute offers dental care for patients with all insurance types. Cleveland Dental Institute also offers the C.O.D.E Membership Program, a dental program that has discounts on all procedures for eligible members. CDI Ohio also has a mobile dental clinic that primarily serves Ashtabula but travels to Akron.
There is no set schedule for the CDI Ohio Mobile Dental Clinic, but schools, businesses or properties can request to book it.
Emergency appointments available: Same day appointments are offered — call 330-773-7100. For after-hours emergencies, call 216-503-3303
Types of services offered:
- Cleanings
- X-Rays
- Exams
- ZOOM Teeth Whitening
- Dental Fillings
- Braces & Aligners
- Wire Braces
- Invisalign Aligners
- ClearCorrect Aligners
- Root Canal
- Tooth Extraction
- Dentures and Partials
- Dental Implants
- Crowns and bridges
- Special needs dental services
For more safety-net dental clinics in Ohio, see the document below.
