Dental Services & Practice Guide
This guide explains what we treat, how each kind of treatment runs, what it typically costs, and how appointments, payment and emergencies are handled. It is a reference document — there is nothing to fill in or return. Fee ranges are indicative; the figure that binds us is the one on your written treatment plan.
Section 1 — What We Treat
- Routine examination with soft-tissue and oral-cancer screening — one visit, usually every six to twelve months.
- Hygiene appointments: scaling, polishing and tailored home-care advice — one visit, repeated at your recall interval.
- Fluoride application, fissure sealants and dietary advice, particularly for children and high-risk adults — one visit.
- Bitewing and periapical radiographs, taken only when clinically justified by the examination.
- Composite and amalgam fillings to repair decay or fracture — one visit per tooth.
- Crowns, inlays and onlays for heavily broken-down teeth — two visits, with a temporary restoration in between.
- Bridges and dentures to replace missing teeth — three to five visits including try-in and fit.
- Implant restoration in partnership with a surgical colleague — planning, placement, healing period, then the final crown.
Endodontics (root canal treatment)
- Treatment of an infected or dying nerve to save a tooth that would otherwise be lost — one to two visits.
- Front teeth are usually quicker; molars have more canals and take longer.
- A root-treated back tooth almost always needs a crown afterwards to stop it splitting — this is a separate appointment and fee.
- Simple extractions under local anaesthetic — one visit, with a review if healing needs checking.
- Surgical extractions, including buried roots and some wisdom teeth — one longer visit, quoted individually.
- Referral to a specialist when the case is beyond what can be done safely in general practice.
- Assessment with photographs, scans and a written plan before anything is started — one or two visits.
- Clear aligners or fixed braces, with review appointments every four to eight weeks over roughly six to twenty-four months.
- Retainers at the end of treatment, plus long-term retainer checks — teeth move back without them.
- Professional whitening with custom trays — one visit to take impressions, then two to three weeks of home wear.
- Composite bonding to reshape or close gaps — usually a single visit.
- Porcelain veneers — two to three visits, always preceded by a discussion of the irreversible tooth preparation involved.
Section 2 — Indicative Fee Ranges
Ranges reflect typical cases. Complexity — the number of canals, the material chosen, laboratory work, or treating a nervous patient over longer appointments — moves a fee toward the upper end. Your written plan states the fee that actually applies to you.
| | |
|---|
Examination and screening | | New-patient appointments are longer than a routine recall; radiographs are charged separately |
| | Appointment length; deep cleaning of gum pockets is quoted separately |
| | Number of surfaces, material chosen, whether the tooth is front or back |
| | Number of canals; a molar costs more than an incisor; a crown afterwards is extra |
| | Laboratory and material — full ceramic costs more than metal-backed |
| | Simple versus surgical; buried roots and wisdom teeth are quoted individually |
| | Number of teeth replaced, material, and how many try-in stages are needed |
| 8 – 20 over 6 – 24 months | Case complexity and appliance type; retainers are included in the course fee |
| | Number of teeth treated; top-up gel is charged separately |
| | Covers assessment and pain relief only; definitive treatment is quoted afterwards |
Section 3 — Insurance, Payment & Plans
- Anything beyond a routine examination is quoted in writing before we start. You will never receive a surprise bill.
- Payment is due on the day of treatment by card, bank transfer or cash. Laboratory-based work may require a deposit at the first stage.
- For insured patients we provide an itemised receipt with treatment codes, and we will submit a pre-treatment estimate to your insurer on request.
- Insurance rarely covers the full fee. Any shortfall between the insurer’s settlement and our fee remains payable by you.
- Longer courses of treatment can be paid in instalments across appointments, or through a monthly practice plan that also covers your routine care.
- If a plan needs to change mid-course for clinical reasons, we stop, explain, and re-quote before continuing.
Section 4 — Appointments, Late Arrival & Cancellation
- Book by phone, by email or at reception. We confirm the appointment and send a reminder a few days beforehand.
- Arrive five to ten minutes early so we can confirm your medical history and start on time.
- Arriving more than ten minutes late may mean we can only complete part of the planned treatment, or have to rebook.
- Please give at least 24 hours notice to change or cancel — that lets the slot go to someone who is waiting.
- Short-notice cancellations and missed appointments may be charged at a proportion of the reserved appointment fee.
- Ask to join the short-notice list and we will call you when an earlier slot becomes free.
Section 5 — Nervous Patients & Sedation
- Tell us you are anxious when you book. We will allow extra time and never rush an appointment.
- Agree a stop signal with your dentist before we begin — raise a hand and we pause immediately.
- Many nervous patients do well with an acclimatisation visit first: no treatment, just a conversation and a look.
- Inhalation sedation is available for suitable patients and wears off within minutes of the appointment ending.
- Intravenous sedation is arranged separately, requires a medical assessment, and you must be escorted home by a responsible adult.
Section 6 — Out of Hours & Emergencies
- During opening hours, call the practice as early in the day as you can — we reserve slots each day for urgent problems.
- Out of hours, our answerphone message gives the number of the emergency dental service covering our area.
- For a knocked-out adult tooth, hold it by the crown, rinse gently in milk, replace it in the socket if you can, and come straight to us.
- For bleeding after an extraction, bite firmly on clean gauze for twenty minutes before calling.
- For facial swelling with difficulty breathing or swallowing, or a swelling closing the eye, go to an emergency department immediately.
Section 7 — Infection Control & Your Privacy
- Every reusable instrument is cleaned, inspected and steam-sterilised in a validated autoclave, with each cycle logged.
- Single-use items are never reprocessed, and handpieces are sterilised between every patient.
- Surfaces in the surgery are disinfected between appointments, and water lines are treated and tested on a set schedule.
- All clinical staff are trained in infection control and immunised in line with national guidance.
- Your records are held securely and used only to provide and account for your care. We do not share them without your consent except where the law requires it.
- You may ask to see your records, request a copy, or ask us to correct anything that is wrong, at any time.
- If something about your care disappoints you, tell us. We investigate every concern and reply in writing.
This guide is general information about our practice and is not clinical advice for any individual. Please speak to your dentist about your own circumstances.