Patients coming to the surgery will be welcomed by our receptionists who are here to answer any questions that you may have. We especially welcome nervous patients to whom we aim to provide the highest standards of care. Your medical history form will be given to you to check and complete including forms to verify your personal details.
Once all relevant forms have been completed, you will be allocated a dentist who will ascertain why you have come to the surgery, whether you have a specific problem, a routine check-up or if you may be interested in more specialist treatment.
You can expect your dentists to thoroughly examine your teeth, gums, tongue and overall oral condition to check for any signs of existing issues. Your dentist assisted by a specialist dental nurse will go through a detailed observational and recording exercise to prepare a report on your oral health and wellbeing.
If we ascertain that you require more in depth treatment, we will work this through with you in a detailed dental treatment plan that we will provide you. We will address more immediate problems first and then lay out what needs to be worked on in the longer term. Patients that require cosmetic based work will also be put through a detailed diagnostic and treatment plan before any work is carried out.
We endeavour to keep the relationship between our patients and dental care professionals as open as possible and we welcome any further questions you may have about your oral health or any alternative treatments you may wish to explore further
Be aware that not all dental practices will have the capacity to take on new NHS patients all the time and you may have to join a waiting list or contact multiple practices before you find a NHS dentist with capacity to accept new patients.
You should also be aware that even if you filled in a registration form at your first visit to the practice, so that the dentist can add you to their patient database, that does not mean that you have guaranteed access to a new NHS dental appointment in the future. If the dentist’s quota for NHS patients has been reached by the time you contact the practice you may not be offered an NHS appointment.
From time to time we will not be able to accept any new patients at the surgery as an NHS patient. We understand that this can be a difficult situation for our patients so we have come up with a fantastic alternative. We can see you as an ‘Independent Patient’ and the cost will only be marginally over NHS prices.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like more information to join us as an independent patient. We also have ‘Independent Patient Plans’ that we may be able to offer you. Please be aware that free replacements and fee exemptions do not apply.
The NHS Friends and Family Test
The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) was created to help service providers and commissioners understand whether their patients are happy with the service provided, or where improvements are needed. It is a quick and anonymous way to give your views after receiving care or treatment across the NHS.
Treatment plans and costs
If your dentist recommends a Band 2 or Band 3 dental treatment, you’ll be given a personal dental treatment plan in advance. This outlines all the treatments you are having on the NHS and how much they will cost.