Free dental clinic opens in Dallas

Agape Clinic, a nonprofit organization providing healthcare services to underserved communities, has opened a new dental center in Dallas.

The location at 4104 Junius Street in Dallas officially opened on September 28 and has since grown exponentially, according to their executive director Paul Hoffman.

“The first week there were about 20 patients. Now we are seeing about 20 patients a day for dental care,” Hoffman said. "Having quality access to dental care is a necessity and there are so many people in our community who just don't have the insurance or the money to be able to afford much-needed procedures and care."

The dental center currently operates with two part-time dentists and will expand to two full-time dentists and one part-time dentist later this fall. This team is supported by six additional dental staff members, including a hygienist, dental assistants, and a dental receptionist. 

“Agape Clinic understands that health is a fundamental right and that access to healthcare should be equitable for all. As we know, oral health is an integral part of overall health and an essential component of comprehensive healthcare. We are absolutely thrilled to be able to expand our services to include dental care at absolutely no cost to our clients,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman said the clinic is the only charity clinic in the DFW metroplex that provides integrated and comprehensive healthcare services (medical, pediatrics, behavioral health, and dental) without any prerequisites or restrictions. Agape has no zip code requirements, does not require income verification or insurance filed, and has no sliding fee scale and no cost conditions.  

“We have one big, private donor who wants to remain anonymous and they are funding about 90% of all of this. Then we have other donors and we ask the patients to donate what they can. It allows them to partner in their healthcare to help cover service costs,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman said that in 2023, Agape Clinic provided over $8.3 million in quality healthcare to the community; every $1 given is magnified to $8 in overall medical impacts. In addition, over 14,000 patient visits were provided last year, with an expected 20,000 patient visits in 2024. The clinic served patients from over 262 zip codes and 23 counties.