About The Community Dental Clinic
The Community Dental Clinic is a 501(c)(3) non-profit healthcare facility located in Topeka, Indiana, that provides specialized dental care consistent with Amish and Mennonite (Plain) values. The Community Dental Clinic provides clinical dental services to all individuals, regardless of religion, race or age.
We have a partnership with the nearby Community Health Clinic, which provides coordinated, comprehensive & compassionate medical genetics care.
Our Mission
To provide high quality, affordable and compassionate dental treatment with a focus on prevention and education.
Our History
The Community Dental Clinic (CDC) originates from a partnership between the northern Indiana Amish community and Dr. Amy Shapiro.
In the 1990’s, Dr. Amy Shapiro discovered the need for improved dental care for special health care individuals. In collaboration with Dr. Brian Sanders of the IU School of Dentistry, Janet Mulherin, RDH, and community member Esther Wingard, the outreach program started.
In the Spring of 1998, a three-member committee from the local Amish community was asked to research the possibility of creating a dental facility in the LaGrange / Elkhart area. Several haystack suppers were held to raise funds and share information about the program with the community. With the success of these dinners and support from Dr. Shapiro and The Indiana Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center, Inc. (IHTC), the project started.
Funding contributors to the project included the LaGrange County Community Foundation, the South Bend Memorial Foundation, the Indiana State Department of Health, and several private donors.
They broke ground for the new 2,480 sq. ft. facility in May 1999, consisting of four operatories and four employees, seeing children with bleeding disorders only. The Community Dental Clinic now has 11 operatories, with additional space equipped to add four more operatories, and employs over 10 workers. The CDC now sees both children and adults from various backgrounds and socioeconomic levels.