Dentists in Plano

Delta Dental's national figures make a benchmark; ask each Plano office for its own fees:

Ask for a written treatment plan with fees before work starts. TSBDE does not handle fee disputes, so settle the price up front. The Texas dentists guide has the wider picture.

TSBDE licenses and oversees Texas dentists, hygienists, registered dental assistants and dental labs. Its Public License Search shows license status and public disciplinary actions. Every Texas dental office must also post TSBDE's consumer information sign where patients can see it.

Specialists versus general dentists in Plano

Texas recognizes 12 dental specialties, including orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, pediatric dentistry and oral and maxillofacial 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 its general dentists are specialists. License certificates do not show specialty, so if an office advertises braces or implants, ask who on staff holds the specialty and from which program.

Who does the cleaning at a Plano dental office

A hygienist can clean and polish teeth, smooth root surfaces, take X-rays, apply fluoride and give local anesthetic under a dentist's authorization, but cannot diagnose, prescribe or do irreversible procedures that cut tissue. A dentist can delegate your cleaning to a hygienist if the dentist examined you within the past 12 months, and does not have to be in the building.

Questions for a first visit to a Plano dental office

• Where is the TSBDE consumer information sign? It should be in plain view.
• Which dentist will examine me, and when was my last exam on file?
• Is this a cleaning by a hygienist, and what does the dentist review afterward?
• Will I get the fee for any filling or crown in writing before it is done?

Texas has four dental schools with public clinics, and Texas A&M's college in Dallas is the one in the Dallas area. Its adult clinics screen new patients for $120, covering registration, screening and X-rays, with no fee if you are not accepted. The clinics do not take insurance but charge much less than private offices.

Children and teens on Medicaid or CHIP, age 20 and younger, mostly get dental care through a managed care plan: DentaQuest, MCNA Dental or UnitedHealthcare Dental. Texas Health Steps helps families find a dentist at 1-877-847-8377, Monday to Friday. At the Texas A&M clinic in Dallas, children are screened for $5 and the children's clinic accepts Medicaid and CHIP. DSHS also points people to 2-1-1 and to federally qualified health centers, some of which offer dental care.

TSBDE investigates quality of care, sanitation, professional conduct and patient abandonment. The board takes complaints on its own form, sent to complaints@tsbde.texas.gov or by fax or mail, and it won't act on an anonymous one. Restitution is limited to out-of-pocket treatment costs where care fell below the standard. This page explains how the rules work and is not dental advice; ask a licensed Texas dentist about your own treatment.

For more local services see the Plano city page, and if you live near the north edge of town, compare dentists in Allen.