Dental Health

Due to COVID-19 Emergency Response , Peoria City/County Health Department Dental Clinic exams are by appointment only. No walk-ins. Call for instructions for appointments. 309-679-6141

Kids Dental Clinic 

This clinic is routine dental services for children age 6 months through 20 years. Appointments only and income guidelines apply. Medicaid and All Kids accepted. Call for appointment 309-679-6141.

Special Populations Dental Clinic

Preventive and routine dental care for special populations, by appointment only.

Dental Health in our Community

Dental caries or tooth decay remains one of the most common chronic childhood diseases and can affect the overall health of children and even adults. The good news is that dental disease is preventable. The Dental Health Group works toward goals to prevent dental disease, promote oral health, and protect the community with a competent workforce.

Dr. Susan B. Bishop, Dental Clinic Director, strongly recommends limited sugar intake to reduce overall ill effects on health. Recommendations include limiting added sugars to 10% of daily calorie intake. Added sugars are defined in the guidelines as sugars and syrups that are included in foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared. Guidance does not apply to naturally occurring sugars, such as those in fruits and milk.

Dental Education

This includes a variety of school and community-based education programs designed to promote dental health awareness. View the Dental Display (PDF) and Get It Done By One Presentation (PDF). You can also view the Get It Done By One Brochure in English (PDF) or Spanish (PDF).

Dental Sealant Program in Schools

PCCHD is proud to collaborate with Peoria County Schools to offer the Dental Sealant Program to students. Dental sealants help to prevent painful tooth decay. Tooth decay, or a cavity, is a preventable infection caused by bacteria in our mouths that produce acids from what (sugars) we eat. The acids can destroy tooth structure. Ninety percent of tooth decay occurs in the pits and fissures on the chewing surfaces of our first and second molars (back teeth.) The good news is that Sealants are one of the most effective ways to protect those molars and are most effective when placed on those molars around the ages of 6 to 12 years. Check with your school for the current schedule. 

Dental Health Planning

We collaborate with community partners to conduct an Oral Health Needs Assessment (PDF) and an Early Childhood Caries (PDF) assessment to identify priority dental issues.

Workforce Development

We work with community resources of the Peoria Dental Society, Heartland Community Health Clinic, and OSF Saint Francis Hospital to design and implement a General Residency Program to expand dental practice in the public health workforce. We also work with Illinois Central College Dental Hygienists, Midwest Technical Institute Dental Assistants, UnityPoint Health, and Illinois Wesleyan students.