Children's Dental Services

What Children's Dental Services does

Children's Dental Services (CDS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dental care provider founded in 1919 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the only community dental services agency in the state dedicated exclusively to children and pregnant women, delivering a full range of preventive, restorative, and emergency dental services to children from birth through age 26, pregnant women, and, since the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020, family members of all ages regardless of income. Services are delivered at two Minneapolis clinics, a Duluth clinic, and satellite sites across International Falls, the Iron Range, Moorhead, St. Cloud, and Worthington, with coverage spanning 72 Minnesota counties; emergency cases are typically seen within 24 to 48 hours.

The organization's core technology and operational platform is a Rural Teledentistry Network Project, a telehealth program that has expanded dental care access to 16 previously underserved rural counties, complemented by a clinical workforce of more than 100 culturally competent staff capable of serving patients in over 20 languages. A dental-therapist-inclusive staffing model has been validated in a 2024 Journal of Public Health Dentistry study for increasing access and operational efficiency.

Revenue is generated through three streams: fee-for-service dental care (private insurance and Medical Assistance), with a sliding-scale discounted fee schedule for uninsured or underinsured families and multilingual care navigators supporting enrollment; government contracts and grants, including county partnerships (e.g., Washington County) and Minnesota Department of Health grants (Clinical Dental Education Innovations, Dental Safety Net, and Community Clinic Grant Program in 2026); and donor contributions, including support from the Otto Bremer Trust. The go-to-market is mission-driven and relationship-led rather than commercial, with patient acquisition driven by community outreach, social service referrals, schools, and public health system partnerships across the state.

Name

Children's Dental Services

Legal name

Children's Dental Services

Website

https://childrensdentalservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Children's Dental Services is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1919, providing preventive, restorative, and emergency dental care to children, pregnant women, and families across 72 counties via clinics, satellite sites, and a Rural Teledentistry Network, regardless of ability to pay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric and Community Dental Services

NAICS

Offices of Dentists (621210)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Public Health Dentistry Clinics (FQHC/School-Based/Nonprofit) (HLABAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pediatric Dentistry Group Practices (HLABAKAD)

Keywords

• Pediatric dental services
• Community dental care
• Prenatal dental care
• Teledentistry services
• Sliding fee dental

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Dental care service fees: CDS generates revenue through fee-for-service dental care payments, accepted from private insurance and Medical Assistance (state-covered Medicaid). For families ineligible for Medical Assistance, a sliding-scale discounted fee schedule is offered based on family size and income. No one is denied access due to inability to pay.
2. Government grants and contracts: CDS receives grant funding from government entities including the Minnesota Department of Health (Clinical Dental Education Innovations Grant, Dental Safety Net Grant, Community Clinic Grant Program) and contracts with county governments (e.g., Washington County) to provide dental care at clinic sites.
3. Donor contributions: CDS receives support from donors and supporters, including the Otto Bremer Trust which has awarded grants to support community programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Children's Dental Services provides full-range preventive, restorative, and emergency dental care to children from birth to age 26, pregnant women, and family members of all ages across 72 Minnesota counties. Services are delivered at fixed clinic locations and satellite sites, supplemented by a Rural Teledentistry Network reaching 16 underserved counties. The organization accepts private insurance and Medical Assistance, and offers a sliding-scale discounted fee schedule for uninsured or underinsured families, with multilingual navigation support in over 20 languages.

Product overview

Children's Dental Services (CDS) is a nonprofit dental care provider offering a unified suite of services centered on pediatric and prenatal oral health. The core offerings include dental services for children from birth through age 26, prenatal dental care, and family dental services for all ages. The organization operates a Rural Teledentistry Network Project to extend care to underserved rural counties, and provides a sliding fee discount program for uninsured or underinsured families. Emergency dental services with 24-48 hour turnaround are available for urgent cases. A major expansion initiative includes a planned 8-10 operatory Dental Access Hub in Chisholm, Minnesota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dental Services for Children (Birth to Age 26)
• Prenatal Dental Services
• Family Dental Services
• Rural Teledentistry Network Project
• Emergency Dental Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Rural Teledentistry Network Project expanded to serve 16 previously underserved counties.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Washington CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2026The Washington County Board approved a contract with Children's Dental Services to provide dental care at monthly clinics for children and pregnant women. This contract represents a core government partnership that expands CDS's geographic reach into Washington County, providing care under public health programs.
• Duluth Preservation AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDS was awarded the 2025 Duluth Preservation Award by the Duluth Preservation Alliance for the renovation and preservation of its historic 25 W. Superior St. clinic building in Duluth, recognizing the organization's contribution to historic preservation in the community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Apple Tree Dental: Minnesota-based nonprofit dental services organization providing care to underserved populations, including children, via clinics and a teledentistry program. Most directly comparable peer given shared nonprofit model, MN geography, and focus on access for low-income patients.
• Minnesota Community Care: Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) operating dental clinics for underserved populations in the Twin Cities. Comparable because it competes for the same Medicaid and sliding-scale pediatric dental patient base and draws on similar state safety-net grants.
• Open Cities Health Center: Twin Cities FQHC offering dental services to a diverse, primarily low-income patient population. Comparable because it serves similar pediatric and family dental patients, accepts Medical Assistance, and pursues comparable public-health funding.
• People's Center Health Services: Minneapolis-based FQHC providing integrated medical and dental care to underserved communities. Comparable because it offers pediatric and family dental services to low-income patients on a sliding-scale basis within the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• HealthPartners Dental: Large Minnesota-headquartered dental group and integrated care system with multiple clinic locations. Comparable as a pediatric-capable dental provider in the same geography, though it is a much broader, commercially-oriented operator rather than a safety-net nonprofit.
• Park Dental: Large Minnesota-based dental group practice with 40+ locations across the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota. Comparable as a multi-site pediatric-capable dental provider in the same geography, but operates as a private group practice rather than a safety-net nonprofit.
• Hennepin Healthcare: Large Minnesota safety-net hospital and clinic system that operates dental services for low-income patients. Comparable because it serves a similar Medicaid and uninsured pediatric dental population in the same Twin Cities geography, though as part of a much broader integrated delivery system.

Others

• Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation: Foundation arm of Minnesota's largest dental benefits insurer that funds oral-health access initiatives. Comparable not as a service competitor but as a key funder/ecosystem participant whose grant decisions directly affect CDS and similar safety-net dental programs.
• National Children's Oral Health Foundation (America's ToothFairy): National nonprofit supporting children's oral health programs and safety-net dental clinics. Comparable as a pediatric-dental mission peer and ecosystem participant; CDS could be a regional affiliate or partner within this network.

Regional players

• Smiles for Life Network: National network of community dental programs providing care to underserved children via school-based and clinic-based models. Comparable in mission and pediatric-only focus, though operating in different geographies and at a smaller clinic scale than CDS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChildrensDentMN
• Facebookfacebook.com/childrensdentalservices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Children's Dental Services