Dentists in McKinney

TSBDE's Public License Search verifies a dentist's or hygienist's license status and shows public disciplinary actions. The board licenses and oversees dentists, hygienists, registered dental assistants and dental labs, and every Texas dental office must post its consumer information sign in plain view of patients.

McKinney dental specialists

Texas rules recognize 12 specialty areas, including orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, pediatric dentistry and oral surgery. A dentist may advertise as a specialist only after an accredited specialty program of two or more years or board certification in a recognized specialty, and a practice must not imply that its general dentists are specialists. License certificates don't show specialty recognition, so ask where a dentist trained if the title matters to you.

Who cleans your teeth in McKinney

A dentist can delegate cleanings to a hygienist if the dentist examined you within the previous 12 months, and need not be in the building. Hygienists clean and polish teeth, take X-rays and can give local anesthetic under a dentist's authorization, but may not diagnose or prescribe.

These are Delta Dental's national averages, so ask a McKinney office for its own fee list before you book.

Ask for a written treatment plan with each code and fee before work starts. TSBDE does not handle fee disputes. The longer Texas guide is on our dentists page.

• Dental school clinic. Texas A&M's dental college in Dallas, the nearest of the state's four dental schools, screens adults for $120 (registration, screening and X-rays), with no fee if you are not accepted. Its adult clinics don't take insurance but charge much less than private offices.
• Medicaid and CHIP. Most Texans age 20 and younger with Medicaid or CHIP get dental care through DentaQuest, MCNA Dental or UnitedHealthcare Dental. Texas Health Steps helps families find a dentist at 1-877-847-8377, Monday through Friday.
• Children at the dental school. Texas A&M's Dallas college screens children for $5, and its children's clinic accepts Medicaid and CHIP.
• Clinics. DSHS points people to 2-1-1 and to federally qualified health centers, some of which offer dental care.

About 72% of Texans drink adjusted or naturally fluoridated water. McKinney's water comes wholesale from the North Texas Municipal Water District. If your dentist brings up fluoride for a child, ask the city's water utility for its level or look the system up on the CDC's My Water's Fluoride page.

Ask whether the office is in network for your plan, who will do the cleaning, and what happens if you need a specialist. TSBDE investigates complaints about quality of care, sanitation, professional conduct and patient abandonment. It can order restitution only in limited cases, up to your out-of-pocket treatment costs where care fell below the standard.

To file, send TSBDE's complaint form to complaints@tsbde.texas.gov or by fax or mail, with your name on it, since the board turns away anonymous complaints. For a homebound relative, Texas hygienists may also work under a supervising dentist in patients' homes, nursing homes and other alternate settings, so ask whether the office offers that. Compare the Allen dentists list if you work south of town, and see the McKinney page for local services.

This explains how Texas dental rules work and is not dental advice. Confirm any treatment decision with a licensed dentist.