This story is part of a series on the challenges and solutions related to oral health in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. It is made possible with funding support from the Delta Dental Foundation.
For many struggling with painful dental emergencies, a trip to the hospital emergency room often brings only temporary relief — and a hefty bill. In response, Cherry Health launched a solution one year ago: the Belknap Commons Dental Center, a Grand Rapids location dedicated solely to urgent dental care.
Since opening just over a year ago – March 5, 2024 – the clinic has provided evening hours twice weekly for patients facing urgent dental needs. It’s one of the few facilities in West Michigan designed to address dental crises for underserved and working populations who often cannot access care during traditional daytime hours.
“People can come to see us during the day, but where do they go when they can’t leave work without risking their job?” says Dr. Bryan Wazbinski, Cherry Health’s chief dental officer. “We were seeing patients driving an hour or more just to get to us because otherwise their only option was the ER, where they received only temporary relief like antibiotics or pain meds — not real treatment.”
The Belknap clinic is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. Patients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. They do not have to be established Cherry Health patients or even live locally. Walk-ins are welcome, and services are available to individuals with commercial insurance, Medicaid, or no coverage at all, thanks to a sliding fee scale.
From March 2024 to March 2025, the clinic treated around 600 unique patients across nearly 700 visits — all within just six hours of service each week.
“That’s a lot, considering the limited hours,” Wazbinski says. “It really shows the need that’s out there.”
Remedying serious conditions
Patients typically come in with severe toothaches, infections, bleeding gums, broken teeth from accidents, or complications from long-standing dental issues.
“We’ve had older adults come in who only had a few teeth left and were trying to get dentures but couldn’t afford oral surgery elsewhere,” Wazbinski says. “We’ve had kids come in after falling at school. And we’ve had patients just seeking reassurance that their gums bleeding wasn't something catastrophic. It’s really all kinds of needs.”
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Cherry HealthThe Belknap Commons Dental Center is located at 751 Lafayette Ave NE in Grand Rapids.
Cherry Health’s urgent dental care model is structured to be efficient and compassionate. A typical evening includes one dentist, two to three dental assistants, and front desk support. Because the clinic will focus on a specific urgent problem, providers can spend quality time with each patient without the pressures of traditional high-volume practices.
“It’s absolutely efficient, but it’s not rushed care,” Wazbinski says. “We’re there to focus on a specific issue. We’re listening, diagnosing, and treating.”
The clinic also reduces strain on local hospitals. Traditionally, emergency departments cannot perform dental procedures, offering only temporary pain management. Cherry Health’s Belknap location changes that dynamic by providing extractions, repairs, and sometimes preventive guidance on the spot.
"It'd be nice if we lived in a world where people didn't need urgent dental services," Wazbinski says. "But when someone can come to us instead of the ER, it's better for everyone. The patient gets real help, and the system avoids an expensive, unproductive visit."
Serving those in greatest need
The Belknap Commons Dental Center, at 751 Lafayette Ave NE, occupies a suite previously used for limited medical and dental services. Cherry Health renovated the space with the support of the Delta Dental Foundation, which helped fund the project. The location now features five fully equipped dental operatories, offering infrastructure for potential expansion beyond urgent care.
“Our mission is to make sure that cost and circumstances aren't barriers to getting help,” Wazbinski says.
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Cherry Health The Belknap clinic is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m.
As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Cherry Health is required to serve a significant proportion of Medicaid patients while also offering services to uninsured and commercially insured patients. About 50% of its patients are on Medicaid, Wazbinski says.
As demand continues, Cherry Health leaders are considering expanding Belknap's hours. But Wazbinski acknowledges that any growth must be carefully planned.
“We would love to open another evening, but staffing becomes a real issue,” he says. “We have to balance adding hours with not burning out our current team.”
Cherry Health also offers walk-in dental services between pre-scheduled appointments at its other locations throughout the week on a first-come, first-served basis. Hours for walk-in dental care vary by site and may change based on availability. More information can be found here:
https://cherryhealth.org/services/dental/
Care with compassion
For Wazbinski, who shifted careers from automotive engineering to dentistry in his early 30s, the mission is personal.
“I realized I wanted a career where I could make a direct impact on people’s lives,” he says. “Seeing someone walk in barely able to talk or eat, and leave smiling — that’s powerful.”
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Cherry Health Dr. Bryan Wazbinski
Wazbinski says that compassion is at the heart of Cherry Health’s work. He emphasizes that dental health is often intertwined with broader health and life challenges, particularly for low-income and marginalized populations.
“When you see someone your own age who’s about to lose all their teeth, it reminds you that you don’t know what people have been through,” he says. “It takes courage for someone to come in and ask for help.”
While dental care is often overlooked in conversations about health access, Cherry Health’s Belknap Commons Dental Center offers a practical, replicable model by meeting patients where they are, removing barriers, and ensuring that a dental emergency doesn't spiral into something worse.
“We’re doing something simple but incredibly meaningful,” Wazbinski says. “And there’s a lot of good that comes from that.”
Photos courtesy of Cherry Health