Inside the Cabarrus DreamCenter: CHA Dental and WIC Services in Concord

Drive down Concord Parkway South and you will pass a building that quietly does a great deal of work for Cabarrus County. The Cabarrus DreamCenter — formerly Communities at the Village — houses two Cabarrus Health Alliance offices under one roof: a dental clinic in Suite 110A and a WIC office in Suite 110B. For a family without dental insurance, or a mother trying to keep formula and fresh produce on the table, those two suites are often the difference between getting help and going without.

Suite 110A — The Dental Clinic

Cabarrus Health Alliance runs two dental offices — this one in Concord and one at its main campus in Kannapolis — plus a mobile unit that visits schools in the Cabarrus County and Kannapolis City school districts during the school year. The Concord clinic offers preventive and restorative care for both children and adults, along with oral health education. Doors are open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Two details matter if you are calling for the first time. Emergency appointments are available every day at both dental clinics, and staff ask that you begin calling at 7:30 a.m. at 704-920-1070 for a same-day slot. Separately, the clinic is currently not accepting new patients age 19 and older for comprehensive care such as cleanings and full exams — though new adult patients are still accepted for those daily emergency appointments. The dental program is led by Dental Director Elly Steel, DMD, MPH.

Suite 110B — WIC

A few steps away, the WIC office serves pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women along with infants and children up to age five. WIC is a supplemental food and nutrition program, and the benefits reach further than most people expect: healthy foods including fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, referrals to health care and public assistance programs, and breastfeeding support that includes peer counselors, a dedicated breastfeeding room, breast pumps, and supplies.

The Concord WIC office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments for either the Concord or the Kannapolis office can be made at 704-920-1204, with phone lines open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and same-day appointments are offered. Virtual appointments are available as well — CHA asks that documents and height and weight measurements less than 60 days old be emailed to WIC@cabarrushealth.org with the mother or guardian's last name in the subject line. There is also a WIC mobile location serving Mount Pleasant. The program is directed by Erin Babbitt.

The Cabarrus DreamCenter entrance at 280 Concord Parkway South, where Suite 110A houses CHA Dental and Suite 110B houses WIC.

Who Qualifies, and What It Costs

This is where a lot of Concord families stop themselves before they ever pick up the phone, so it is worth being plain about it.

For dental, services are available to any child or adult regardless of residency. CHA accepts Medicaid, Medicare dental plans, and most major private insurance policies, and North Carolina Medicaid covers dental services for both children and adults. For Cabarrus County residents without dental insurance, there is a discounted sliding fee schedule based on family size and income — and CHA states that no one will be denied access to services because of an inability to pay. Patients bring proof of income, such as a pay stub, and proof of residency so staff can determine eligibility. CHA also notes that dental fees increased on July 1, and that treatment quotes given before June 30 are honored through September 30. For payment questions and projected cost of treatment, the number is 704-920-1070.

For WIC, a family needs to live in North Carolina and have a household income below 185% of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines. Anyone already receiving Medicaid, Work First Family Assistance, or NC Food and Nutrition Services automatically meets the income requirement. Applicants also need to be at nutritional risk, which a nutritionist assesses at the local WIC office at no cost to the participant.

What to Bring to a WIC Appointment

CHA asks for one item from each category below. Gathering these first is the single easiest way to keep a first appointment from turning into a second trip.

• Your eWIC card, if you already have one.

• Identification for yourself and for each child — originals only, no copies. A current driver's license, birth certificate, Social Security card, current work ID, a shot record for infants and children, or a current Medicaid card.

• Proof of where you live — a water, electric, cable, gas, or telephone bill less than 60 days old, a current rental or mortgage agreement, or a current Medicaid card showing a street address. It does not have to be in your name, and it cannot be a post office box.

• Proof of income — a current Medicaid card, a letter of Food Stamp eligibility, one month of paycheck stubs for everyone in the household, or written proof of any other money coming into the home, including Social Security, SSI, disability, child support, and unemployment.

• Any form your doctor was asked to complete, if one applies to you.

Getting There — and the Barrier Nobody Lists on a Website

Both offices sit at 280 Concord Pkwy S, Concord, NC 28027 — dental in Suite 110A, WIC in Suite 110B. CHA's main line is 704-920-1000. The general appointment line is 704-920-1205, the dental clinic line is 704-920-1070, and there is a customer complaint line at 704-920-1005.

We list the address deliberately, because at Solo Faith Church — 587 Old Charlotte Rd SW in Concord — the barrier we run into most often is not eligibility and not paperwork. It is transportation. A clinic that takes your insurance and a WIC office with same-day appointments do not help much if there is no way to get across town on a weekday morning. If that is the piece standing in your way, ask a neighbor, ask a family member, or reach out to us and let us help you think it through. Our free food pantry and DoorDash grocery delivery program exist for exactly this reason: the help has to reach the door, not just exist somewhere in the county.

For the full picture of services, payment options, and forms, visit Cabarrus Health Alliance directly. Their Concord dental location page lists clinic hours and directions, and the WIC locations and hours page covers both the Concord and Kannapolis offices.

Solo Faith Church highlights the Cabarrus Health Alliance offices at the Cabarrus DreamCenter in our Solo Faith Directory because a dental chair and a nutrition appointment are two of the quietest, most practical forms of relief a working family in Concord can receive. Health care a household can actually afford is not a luxury — it is the floor that everything else in a family's life stands on.

Solo Faith Church Is Here for the Whole Community

Whether you need food delivery, a listening ear, or a community to belong to, Solo Faith Church is here. Free food delivery through DoorDash. Open every Sunday. No judgment, no paperwork. Learn more here.

Community Support Note: This spotlight is part of Solo Faith Church's local business directory initiative to uplift our Concord neighbors. Information was responsibly compiled from the organization's public website and publicly available records to help our congregation and community discover local services. Hours, fees, and patient-acceptance policies change — please call ahead to confirm before you travel.