Several dental practices and clinics have closed since the beginning of 2026 over financial headwinds.
Four updates:
1. The University of Minnesota Boynton Health Dental Clinic in Minneapolis closed earlier this month after more than a century of operation. The university said the clinic had been running on a budget deficit for several years and that the budget had been subsidized by the Boynton Health medical clinic. The clinic was also in need of several capital investments. A petition to keep the clinic open has been created.
2. United We Smile in Traverse City, Mich., closed in January due to financial hardship. The clinic’s proceeds and donations were used to cover expenses for United Way, its fiduciary, according to Jennifer Kerns, founder of United We Smile. The closure came after the clinic attempted to cut costs by reducing staff pay and ending cleaning services.
3. Buffalo, N.Y.-based Kaleida Health recently announced it will close the Gundlah Dental Clinic in Olean, N.Y., over financial headwinds and workforce limitations. A spokesperson told Becker’s that the closure is part of a $200 million strategic plan to strengthen the health network’s long-term sustainability and enhance patient care. The clinic has faced ongoing financial performance challenges, workforce limitations and reimbursement pressures, incurring losses exceeding $800,000 over the last five years.
4. Eugene-based Lane Community College officials have proposed closing one of their dental clinics to help balance its budget. College administrators proposed $4.2 million in cutbacks for the next school year as part of the school’s plan to trim a total of $9 million in costs over the next three years. The closure of the Willamette Restorative Dental Clinic is estimated to save the college $320,000. The college’s education board will vote on the plan March 31.
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