Community Smiles Dental Clinic

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About

Community Smiles is a community-based, non-profit dental clinic in Miami, FL, dedicated to providing oral health education and affordable dental care to uninsured, low-income children and families. It offers a wide range of services, including preventive, restorative, and specialty care, and also serves as a training facility for post-doctoral residents and dental assistants.

Community Smiles Dental Clinic, also known by its legal name, Dade County Dental Research Clinic, is a fully-accredited, non-profit dental clinic based in Miami, Florida. Its mission is to improve oral health and provide access to dental care for the uninsured, low-income children and families of South Florida. The clinic has a long history, having been delivering oral health care to the underserved since 1946. Community Smiles is recognized as one of the largest community-based dental clinics in Florida, providing millions of dollars in subsidized oral health care annually. The clinic offers a comprehensive range of dental services, including general dentistry, preventative care (such as cleanings, exams, and sealants), and restorative services (like fillings, crowns, and root canals). In addition to routine care, they also provide specialty dental care and emergency services. The clinic is equipped with a state-of-the-art facility and is staffed by a team of highly skilled and caring professionals. Beyond patient care, Community Smiles plays a significant role in dental education and training. It operates a two-year post-doctoral residency program, a dental assistant certification program in coordination with Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center, and provides continuing education for professionals. The clinic also engages in community outreach, offering oral health screenings and education. A distinguishing feature of Community Smiles is its patient-centered approach, focusing on providing a positive and comfortable experience for all visitors, with many patients praising the professional yet friendly environment and the affordability of the services.

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Patient Reviews

4.5 out of 5

Zahraa Younis

My son came as an emergency. They were able to give us a same day appointment. We had a wonderful experience! The staff was kind and patient, and they made my child feel comfortable from start to finish. The dentist dr. Maryangle Roland explained everything clearly. Highly recommend for kids!

July 15, 2025

Elena R

The best place! I’m so happy with the treatment that Dr Zapata supervised. Dr Balda is amazing! They saved my tooth. The kindest doctors! Huge thank you for everything you did for me. I’m forever your patient.

July 9, 2025

Lourdes Gomez

Where do I start… Dr Alegna Alfonso is the BEST in the business when it comes to Dentistry. I always have a lovely experience with Dr Alonso who’s honest and gentle. Great patient service, caring friendly attitudes! 🫶❤️

August 6, 2025

W Dreher

Beware please STAY AWAY…IRRESPONSIBLE. . Community smiles recommended treatment to replace/repair a tooth filling when it was not needed ( per my new dentist who reviewed the Feb 2025 X-rays from community smiles). To make things worse the community smiles student failed to “repair “it after multiple visits ( including an emergency visit) only to aggravate or jeopardize my dental health. The Director Ms Zapata opted to protect the student instead of accepting feedback and following up on the situation.

Also, I was surprised in two occasions to see the community smiles dental instructor/teacher go on YouTube the majority of the time of my two visits. Sad to have received my patient records with tinted personal statements about me. I recommend everyone ask for a copy of your patient records. The community smiles CEO has yet to respond to my complaint. I have decided to go to a new dentist outside of community smiles for the repair of the damage.

I also reported the incident to the state health regulator. My next steps are to pay a separate Dentist to repair the student’s damage or faulty work that should have never taken place. Simply irresponsible.

July 3, 2025