Dentists in Allen

Texas dental rules recognize 12 specialties: endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics, dental public health, oral pathology, oral radiology, oral medicine, dental anesthesiology and orofacial pain. To advertise as a specialist, a dentist must have finished an accredited specialty program of two years or more or be board certified in one of them.

The license certificate on the wall will not tell you. Specialty recognition is not printed on Texas dental certificates, though a dentist can ask TSBDE to add an accredited specialty certificate to the licensing record. For orthodontic or surgical work in Allen, ask the office which program the treating dentist completed.

Delta Dental's national figures give you a starting point for comparing an Allen quote:

• Cleaning: $85 to $160 for a standard cleaning without dental benefits (no data year given).
• Front-tooth filling: $145 to $480 tooth-colored (2024 data).
• Back-tooth filling: $165 to $530 tooth-colored, or $110 to $455 for silver amalgam (2024).
• Crown: $1,100 to $2,000 out of network (2023).

Get a written estimate for anything beyond a cleaning. TSBDE does not settle fee disputes, and it orders restitution only in limited cases, capped at out-of-pocket treatment costs where care fell below the standard. The Texas dentists guide covers insurance and costs in more depth. These figures are price references, not dental advice.

Before a first visit in Allen, search each name you'll see in the chair on TSBDE's Public License Search. The board covers dentists, hygienists, registered dental assistants and dental labs, and the search shows any public discipline.

What an Allen hygienist can and cannot do

Hygienists in Texas clean and polish teeth, smooth root surfaces, apply topical drugs such as fluoride, take X-rays and can give local anesthetic when a dentist authorizes it. They may not diagnose, prescribe treatment or medication, or perform irreversible procedures that cut tissue. A dentist must have examined you in the previous 12 months before handing your cleaning to a hygienist. Hygienists can also work under a supervising dentist in nursing homes, schools and patients' homes, which helps if a relative cannot get to an office.

Look too for TSBDE's consumer information sign. Texas offices must post it in plain view.

Children on Medicaid or CHIP. For Allen kids and young adults up to age 20 on Medicaid or CHIP, dental care usually runs through one of three managed care dental plans: DentaQuest, MCNA Dental or UnitedHealthcare Dental. Call Texas Health Steps at 1-877-THSTEPS (1-877-847-8377) on weekdays to find a dentist or book a checkup.

A dental school clinic. Of Texas's four dental schools, Texas A&M's is the one in Dallas. Its adult clinics screen for $120, covering registration, screening and X-rays, charge nothing if you are not accepted, and price care well below private offices, though they do not take insurance.

Other help. DSHS suggests 2-1-1 and federally qualified health centers, some with dental clinics.

Complaints about care, sanitation or conduct go to TSBDE by email to complaints@tsbde.texas.gov, fax or mail, and must carry your name. This page describes Texas rules, not dental advice; ask a licensed Texas dentist about your treatment. More local services are on the Allen city page, and dentists in McKinney are a short way north.