Dr. Christina Dawson is the dentist and owner of Dawson Family Dentistry in Lewisville. In a family dental practice that sees routine cleanings, crowns, ongoing care, and surgical visits, she pays particular attention to patients who are nervous about being in the chair.
She bought the practice from Dr. William Guthrie on February 1, 2017, and has continued it as a family dental office where patients can receive ordinary preventive care and more involved treatment in the same place.
Dr. Dawson is the first dentist in her family. She knew she wanted to become a dentist when she was 16, then earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and Chemistry from Southern Methodist University. She received her DDS in May 2015 from Texas A&M Health Science Center, Baylor College of Dentistry.
Care for patients who are nervous about dentistry
Some patients come in ready for a routine visit. Others have been putting off treatment because they are worried about what the appointment will feel like. Dr. Dawson is comfortable with those patients and actively enjoys helping them through the part they have been avoiding.
“I most enjoy working with patients that have the most apprehension.”
That shows up in the way she explains treatment, checks in during care, and works to end the visit on a positive note. She describes herself as gentle, and she is candid about one practical advantage patients notice: small hands can make dental treatment easier to tolerate.
Her goal is not to talk anyone into pretending dentistry is easy. It is to help patients get through the visit with trust still intact.
Surgery inside a family dental practice
Dawson Family Dentistry is still a family practice. Routine cleanings, crowns, and long-term dental care are part of daily life here. Dr. Dawson also enjoys the surgical side of dentistry, especially when the procedure is the part a patient fears most.
“What I enjoy most is surgery. I enjoy tooth extractions, bone remodeling, dental implants, wisdom teeth. I like turning the scariest procedure into a ‘no big deal’ procedure.”
For appropriate cases, Dr. Dawson places dental implants herself and performs bone grafting. The practice does not offer All-on-4 or fixed full-arch implant bridges. She also maintains current LANAP laser certification for laser gum treatment.
For patients who need help with anxiety, in-house sedation is limited to nitrous oxide and Level 1 minimal sedation. When deeper sedation is needed and arranged in advance, an anesthesiologist can come to the office.
Training and continuing education
Dr. Dawson completes more than 50 hours of continuing education each year. In dental school, she was selected for the Great Expectations program, which focused on orthodontics, oral surgery, and cosmetic dentistry. She is not a specialist in those areas; the program gave her added training and exposure during dental school.
She is a member of the North Texas Dental Association, the American Dental Association, Seattle Study Club, and the DFW CEREC Club.
That CEREC training has a practical benefit for patients: many crowns at Dawson Family Dentistry can be finished in one visit instead of sending the patient home with a temporary crown.
A practice with familiar faces
When Dr. Dawson bought the practice from Dr. Guthrie, she also kept part of what patients already knew. LouAnn, the office manager, has been with the practice for 30 years across both owners. Amy, the practice manager, has been here since 1982.
That continuity matters in a small office. Patients often want to know who will answer the phone, who will help explain a visit, and whether the people they met last time will still be here next time.
Outside the office
Dr. Dawson and her husband have twin boys. Outside dentistry, she enjoys gourmet cooking, being outdoors, gardening, and video gaming. She is also the assistant director of her sons’ local club soccer team.
