Skip to main content

Child and Teen Dental Clinic

Providing a dental home for children living in Champaign & Urbana

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District’s Child & Teen Dental Clinic provides a dental home to children ages 0-18. Services include twice yearly exams and cleanings, fluoride, dental sealants and repair of decayed teeth.

Make an Appointment

To make an appointment, please call us at 217-531-4279. As of May 2023, CUPHD's Child & Teen Dental Clinic is only able to accept new patients who are children aged 0-18 who are:

  • Champaign and Urbana residents
  • Medicaid recipients (all MCO’s)
  • Are actively enrolled in WIC

  • Foster Children who live in Champaign County

  • Patients seen at school by CUPHD dental staff through our school dental sealant program within the last 2 school years.

Registration Paperwork

You may print and complete the Patient Registration Packet and bring it to your appointment, along with Photo ID and Insurance Card

As of April 2024, CUPHD's Child & Teen Dental Clinic is not accepting any new patients.

Community Dental Resources for people with Medicaid: English, Spanish, French

Dental Emergency Questionnaire

If your child/teen is experiencing an urgent dental need, please email us at dental @c-uphd.org. Please include the name for each child, DOB, and phone number. You will be asked to answer the below questions and send us 3 photos of the area of concern.

  1. When did the pain start?
  2. Where is the pain located (Upper Right/Lower Right, Upper Left/ Lower Left)
  3. How would you rate the pain on a scale of 1-10
  4. Has any medication been taken? Was it helpful?
  5. Is there facial swelling, or does the cheek feel hot to the touch?
  6. Has the child had an accident that has injured teeth?
  7. How did this happen? (If it’s about broken tooth or restoration)
  8. Has the child seen a doctor recently for this pain?
  9. Does the pain prevent the child from sleeping or eating?
  10. Does your child have any allergies to any medications?
  11. If the dentist needs to prescribe an antibiotic, where would you like it called into?

Clinic Guidelines

  1. Bring your photo ID to every appointment. If you have authorized other adult(s) that may bring your child, they must provide their photo ID.
  2. A parent or legal guardian must accompany the child to their first visit and once yearly to update this paperwork. If you are unsure if a parent/legal guardian is needed at future appointments, please ask.
  3. Stay in the building during the appointment. A parent or authorized adult must bring children under age 18 to every appointment and stay until the appointment is complete. Failure to stay in the building during the appointment can result in dismissal from our clinic.
  4. Call at least 24-hours ahead if you cannot bring your child to their appointment: 217-531-4279
  5. Be on time. If you are late for your child’s appointment, you may be asked to wait or reschedule.
  6. Appointments are limited. Effective January 1, 2020, if 2 appointments are missed, your family will be dismissed from the dental clinic for a period of 1 year and referred to your insurance to locate a new dental provider.
  7. Effective January 1, 2020, you must confirm your future appointments. If you do not confirm your appointment by 3 p.m. the day before the scheduled appointment, it will be cancelled. You can confirm via text message, email, or phone call.
  8. Only you and the child being treated are allowed in the treatment area; if you bring other children with you, they must stay with you (or another adult) in the lobby.
  9. Cell phones and food are not allowed in the treatment area.

School Sealant Program

C-UPHD's Dental Staff visit all public schools in Champaign, Savoy, & Urbana to provide school dental exams, cleanings, fluoride & dental sealants. All students with Medicaid, All Kids, or who are uninsured are eligible for a dental exam at school, at no cost to the parent! To sign up, fill out a consent form:

Proof of School Dental Examination Form

Illinois law (Child Health Examination Code, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 665) states all children in kindergarten, second, sixth, and ninth grades of any public, private, or parochial school shall have a dental examination. The examination must have taken place within 18 months prior to May 15 of the school year.  All students who are seen through our school sealant program will receive a state dental exam form.

Community Dental Resources

Community Dental Resources for people with Medicaid: English, Spanish, French.

Silver Diamine Fluoride Info

Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) is a colorless liquid that is applied to decayed teeth with a small brush. It contains silver, which kills germs that can cause tooth decay, as well as fluoride to prevent, slow down, or stop decay. 

SDF can be put on teeth as soon as tooth decay is detected.  SDF works best if it is put on the decayed tooth more than once. Understanding Use of Silver Diamine Fluoride.

Public Health Dental Hygienists

In July 2021, C-UPHD’s Registered Dental Hygienists obtained their Public Health Dental Hygienist (PHDH) certification. The PHDH certification allows a Registered Dental Hygienist to treat patients without a dentist first examining the patient. PHDHs must have 4,000 hours of clinical experience, complete 42 hours of additional continuing education, and pass a comprehensive exam. In addition to the certification, PHDHs must have a written collaborative agreement with a licensed dentist. To date, our PHDHs have provided care to more than 1,000 patients in our clinic and our school-based sealant program. More information about Public Health Dental Hygienists.

Frequently Asked Questions

Parents often contact our office after noticing an adult tooth growing behind a baby tooth in their child’s mouth. This is a common inquiry we hear from parents and guardians of children aged five through seven. Could this have a long-term impact on your child’s smile?

In normal tooth development, permanent teeth start to grow underneath the baby teeth after birth. As the permanent tooth comes in and up behind the baby tooth, it slowly resorbs the baby tooth’s root, leaving the baby tooth with no support. The baby tooth becomes loose and eventually falls out, so the permanent tooth can take its place. However, sometimes it doesn’t always happen for permanent lower incisors.

Besides dental trauma, the most common “emergency” calls we receive are when parents notice two rows of lower front teeth. This appearance is often called “shark teeth”. Fortunately, it’s not a real emergency that requires immediate attention.

It is normal for the lower permanent incisors to erupt behind the baby teeth. We advise you to check how lose the baby tooth is. If it’s very loose, we encourage your child to work on wiggling it out. Once the baby tooth is out, the permanent tooth will be pushed forward by your child’s tongue gradually.

If the baby tooth is still firm, we ask you to take a photo of your child’s tooth and email it to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. A provider will assess if your child should come in for further evaluation. A radiograph (X-ray film) sometimes may be indicated to assess if the root of the primary tooth has been properly resorbed as the permanent tooth comes in. If the root of a baby tooth is not resorbed as it should be, it may need to be removed. 

Hours and Contact Information

Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Phone: 217-531-4279
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
201 W. Kenyon Rd., Champaign, IL 61820