Questions we get asked
The nineteen that come up most on the phone. If yours isn't here, ring and ask — there's no charge for a question.
Dental FAQs: appointments and registration
Are you taking new patients?
Usually, yes — but it depends on the week and on whether you are looking for NHS or private care. The status at the top of every page is the current answer. Ring us and Gemma will tell you where things stand today.
How do I register?
Ring us, or send the short form on the new patients page. There is no paperwork to fill in before you come. We take your details, book you a first appointment and do the rest when you get here.
How long will I wait for a first appointment?
For a routine first check-up, usually one to three weeks. If you are in pain we will try to see you the same day — we keep slots free every morning for that.
Can I get an appointment outside working hours?
Thursday evenings run until 8pm, and we open on Saturday mornings every second week. Both book up further ahead than the daytime lists, so ask early.
Do you see the whole family in one visit?
We will do our best to put you in consecutive slots so it is one trip rather than four. Say so when you ring and we will build the appointments around it.
What if I need to cancel?
Tell us the day before and there is no charge. Short-notice cancellations and missed appointments cost the practice a slot somebody else needed, so we do ask.
Costs and the NHS
How much is a check-up?
Every price we charge is published on the fees page, including the exam, x-rays and the hygienist. There is no consultation fee for asking what something costs.
Do you take NHS patients?
We treat children and registered patients on the NHS. Adult private care is what we have most availability for. Ring and ask — the answer changes from week to week.
What is the difference between NHS and private treatment?
NHS treatment is charged in fixed bands set centrally rather than per item, and covers what is clinically necessary. Private treatment costs more, allows longer appointments and a wider choice of materials. Both are done by the same dentists in the same surgeries.
Can I pay in instalments?
For larger courses of treatment we can usually split the cost across the visits. We are not a credit broker and we do not arrange finance, so there is no interest and nothing to apply for.
Will you tell me the price before you start?
Always, in writing, as part of the treatment plan. If something changes once we are underway we stop and tell you rather than adding it to the bill.
Children
When should I first bring my child?
Around their first birthday, or whenever the first tooth appears. Nothing happens at that appointment beyond a look and a count, which is the point of it.
Are children free?
Check-ups for under-18s are free on the NHS. Some treatments are not, and we will tell you which before anything is done.
My child is frightened of the dentist. What happens?
We book a longer slot, and often the first visit is nothing more than coming in, sitting in the chair and going home again. We do not hold children still, and we do not carry on if they have had enough.
Do you do braces?
We do not straighten teeth here. We check whether it is worth looking at, and refer to an orthodontist if it is.
Nervous patients and emergencies
I have not been to a dentist in years. Will I get a lecture?
No. The longest gap we have heard was nineteen years and nobody said a word about it then either. You are here now, which is the part that matters.
Can I just come and look round first?
Yes. Ring and ask for a look round — you can see the room, meet whoever would treat you and leave without sitting in the chair. There is no charge for that.
Do you offer sedation?
We do not sedate patients here. What we do offer is longer appointments, first slot of the day, headphones and stopping whenever you raise your hand. If sedation is genuinely what you need, we will refer you to somebody who provides it.
What do I do if I am in pain out of hours?
Ring the practice number first — the message tells you what is available. Outside our hours, Northern Ireland has an urgent dental service; the number is on the emergency page. If there is facial swelling with a fever or difficulty swallowing or breathing, that is an emergency department matter, not a dental one.
Still not sure? Ring and ask.
Gemma Watson answers the phone and will tell you if she doesn't know rather than guess.