Dentists in Sherman

The three managed care dental plans are DentaQuest, MCNA Dental and UnitedHealthcare Dental. Call the office and ask which it takes before booking a child's checkup. Texas Health Steps, 1-877-847-8377 (1-877-THSTEPS), helps Medicaid and CHIP families find a dentist on weekdays.

For adults without coverage, DSHS points people to 2-1-1 (211Texas.org) and to federally qualified health centers, some of which have dental clinics.

Dental school clinics in Texas

Texas has four dental schools with public clinics where supervised students treat patients: Texas A&M in Dallas, UTHealth Houston, UT Health San Antonio and Texas Tech in El Paso. Texas A&M's adult clinics in Dallas start with a $120 screening covering registration, screening and X-rays, with no fee if you are not accepted. Children are screened for $5 there, and the children's clinic accepts Medicaid and CHIP (214-828-8133). The adult clinics do not take insurance but charge much less than private offices.

Delta Dental publishes national averages; these are not Sherman prices:

Get a written estimate before treatment. TSBDE does not settle fee disputes. The Texas dentist guide has more on insurance and costs.

License and discipline

TSBDE licenses and oversees dentists, hygienists, registered dental assistants and dental labs. Its Public License Search shows license status and public disciplinary action. Texas dental offices must post TSBDE's consumer information sign in plain view.

Specialists in Sherman

Texas recognizes 12 dental specialties, among them orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, endodontics, periodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery. Advertising as a specialist requires an accredited program of two or more years or board certification, and general dentists must not be presented as specialists. Because specialty does not appear on the license certificate, ask where the dentist trained.

Your cleaning appointment

A hygienist can clean, take X-rays, apply fluoride and give local anesthetic under a dentist's authorization, but cannot diagnose or prescribe. For a delegated cleaning, the dentist must have examined you at the visit or within the previous 12 months. Texas also lets hygienists work under a supervising dentist in alternate settings such as nursing homes, patients' homes, schools and public health clinics, which can help a relative who cannot get to an office.

TSBDE investigates complaints about quality of care, sanitation, professional conduct and patient abandonment. Send its complaint form by email to complaints@tsbde.texas.gov, fax or mail; anonymous complaints are not accepted. Restitution is possible only in limited cases, up to your out-of-pocket treatment cost.

Statewide, about 19.6 million Texans (72%) drink water with adjusted or natural fluoride. Sherman draws on Lake Texoma and wells; ask the city water department whether it adjusts fluoride if your dentist asks.

None of this is dental advice; talk to a licensed dentist about your own teeth. Compare dentists in Valley View or dentists in McKinney, see gyms in Sherman, and find city services in the Sherman services guide.