Dentists in Prosper

TSBDE licenses Texas dentists, hygienists, registered dental assistants and dental labs. Besides the license search, look in the office for the TSBDE consumer information sign, which every Texas dental office must post where patients can see it.

Prosper orthodontists and other dental specialists

If your child needs a pediatric dentist or an orthodontist, check the specialty as well as the license. Texas recognizes 12 specialties, and a dentist may advertise as a specialist only after an accredited specialty program of at least two years or board certification. Because a license certificate doesn't list a specialty, ask whether the dentist treating your child is a pediatric specialist or a general dentist who sees children.

At a routine visit, a hygienist may clean and polish teeth, take X-rays and apply fluoride, but may not diagnose or prescribe; that is the dentist's job.

None of this is dental advice. Ask a licensed Texas dentist what treatment you need.

Get a written estimate before treatment. The dental board doesn't handle fee disputes, so a price disagreement is between you and the office. The Texas dentists guide has more on costs.

Lower-cost care within reach of Prosper

Texas has four dental schools with public clinics; the nearest to Prosper is Texas A&M's in Dallas, where adult screening costs $120 for registration, screening and X-rays, with nothing charged if you aren't accepted. The adult clinics don't accept insurance but charge much less than private offices.

Most Texans 20 and younger on Medicaid or CHIP get dental care through one of three managed care dental plans: DentaQuest, MCNA Dental or UnitedHealthcare Dental. Texas Health Steps, 1-877-847-8377, helps families find a dentist or book a checkup, Monday through Friday. For other low-cost options, DSHS points to 2-1-1 and to federally qualified health centers.

Hygienists can also work outside the office, under a supervising dentist, in settings such as schools and public health clinics.

Complaints about a Prosper dentist

TSBDE investigates quality of care, sanitation, conduct and patient abandonment. File on the board's complaint form by email, fax or mail, and sign it, since anonymous complaints aren't taken. For a second opinion, compare dentists in Frisco or dentists in McKinney, and see the Prosper town page.