Free Dental Clinic Opens On Brookdale Community College Campus

LINCROFT, NJ — Last Wednesday, June 17, a free dental clinic opened on the campus of Brookdale Community College in Lincroft.

This clinic is the first of its kind clinic in Monmouth County.

Its founders say they want to provide free dental care for poor Monmouth County families and individuals in need. To use the clinic, one must be a Monmouth County resident, have no dental insurance and have an annual income of 300 percent or less of the Federal Poverty Level. For 2026, that is $47,880 for a single individual and for a family of four is $99,000.

The new clinic is located in the former Wilbur Ray Building on the Brookdale campus. It has 10 hygiene bays and two treatment rooms. They expect more than 1,000 patients the first year.

The volunteer-driven clinic is overseen by Dr. William “Bill” Lieberman with Dr. Paul Peduto as clinical director. It will be supported by volunteer dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants and Brookdale faculty and students. Services will include preventive care, cleanings, fillings, X-rays, simple extractions, and oral health education. Go here to get more info. on how to access it and make an appointment: parkerfamilyhealthcenter.org/

The clinic will also serve as a hands-on training site for students studying dental skills at Brookdale. Brookdale currently offers certification programs in dental assisting and dental radiology, but students must travel off-site to complete required clinical training.

Now, they can train right on campus at the new clinic.

There is a growing workforce shortage in dentistry. There are currently more than 50 dental hygienist positions currently open throughout Monmouth County.

Brookdale also plans to launch a new dental hygienist licensing program — the first such program in Monmouth County.

Approximately 85,000 Monmouth County residents between the ages of 19 and 64 lack dental insurance, according to the American Dental Association. Among adults age 65 and older, 56 percent do not have dental coverage, largely because traditional Medicare does not include routine dental benefits.

“Access to affordable dental care is one of the most pressing healthcare challenges facing our community,” said Suzy Dyer, director of Parker Family Health Center at Brookdale. “This clinic represents an innovative solution that not only improves access to essential oral healthcare for thousands of residents but also helps build the workforce needed to meet future demand.”

“Oral health is often the most overlooked area of healthcare, yet it is essential to overall health and quality of life,” said Nashon Hornsby, Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health and a Brookdale alumnus.

With funding from the state of New Jersey, the clinic was created through a unique partnership between the Parker Family Health Center, Brookdale Community College and the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners.

Dr. Robert Cheslock, founder and board member of Parker Family Health Center, called the partnership transformational.

“The marriage of a volunteer free clinic and a community college providing care — while giving birth to professionals who will further the delivery of dental care — is sensational, if not unprecedented,” said Cheslock. “This clinic represents years of vision, planning and collaboration, and I could not be prouder of what has been accomplished.”

The clinic builds upon Parker Family Health Center’s long-standing mission of providing free healthcare services to uninsured and underinsured residents in Monmouth County.