Examinations & preventive care
Full-mouth check, gum and soft-tissue screening, clenching and wear assessment, and X-rays only where they change what we would do. You leave with a plan in order of priority.
Linen Grove · Family & preventive dentistry
Dentistry that explains itself before it treats you
Longer first appointments, written plans you can read at home, and no pressure to say yes in the chair. We look after families, nervous patients and anyone who has been away from a dentist for a while.
- Open
- Monday to Saturday Weekdays 8:00–18:30, Saturday 9:00–14:00. Two late evenings a week for working patients.
- First visit
- 40 minutes Enough time to examine, photograph, talk it through and write the plan — not a five-minute look.
- Same day
- Relief slots held back A block of appointments is kept free each morning for pain, swelling and broken teeth.
Treatment index
What we treat, and how long it takes
Every appointment below is booked with the time it actually needs. If something turns out to be more involved, we stop, explain it and book it properly rather than rushing it in.
Hygienist & gum health
Scale and polish, stain removal, pocket measurements recorded so changes are tracked over time, and a home routine built around the brush and floss you will actually use.
Fillings & everyday repairs
Tooth-coloured composite, replacing worn or leaking old fillings, rebuilding chipped edges and smoothing cracks. Shade matched in daylight before we start, not after.
Crowns, bridges & dentures
Digital scanning instead of impression putty wherever the case allows, a temporary you can eat with, and a fit appointment booked before you leave the first one.
Children’s dentistry
Lap visits from the first tooth, ride-the-chair appointments for toddlers, fluoride varnish, fissure sealants and brushing games. Children are never held still for treatment here.
Urgent relief
Pain assessment, temporary dressings, re-cementing a crown that has come loose, and reviewing swelling. The aim of an urgent slot is to settle things, then plan the repair calmly.
Your first visit
Four steps, and nothing decided in the chair
New patients tell us the worst part of a dental visit is not knowing what happens next. Here is the whole sequence, start to finish.
Step 01
Tell us what is bothering you
Send the short request below. One line about what prompted you to get in touch is enough for us to book the right length of appointment.
Step 02
Arrive ten minutes early
Medical history, medication list and anything you would rather we knew in writing first. Tea or water in the waiting room, no rush.
Step 03
Examination and photographs
We look, measure and photograph, then show you the screen and talk through what we found in plain language before suggesting anything.
Step 04
Written plan by email
Options, order of priority and exact fees arrive in writing. You book treatment when you have read it, and only the parts you agree to.
Nervous patients
If you have been putting this off for years
A good share of our new patients have not sat in a dental chair for a long time. There is no lecture waiting for you, and these are the practical things we do differently.
- An agreed stop signal — raise a hand and the instruments come out, mid-procedure, no questions.
- Numbing gel before the injection, and a pause until the area is genuinely numb rather than nearly.
- Quiet appointment times at the start or end of a session, when the practice is at its calmest.
- Narration on request, or silence on request. Some people want every step described; some want none of it.
- Breaks built into longer appointments so you are never lying back for more than fifteen minutes at a stretch.
- A first appointment that can be a conversation only — sit up, talk, book the examination for another day.
Tell us in the notes field when you request a time. It goes on your record so you do not have to explain it again at reception.
Fee guide
What things cost before you ask
These are the starting fees for straightforward cases. Complex work is quoted individually, and you always receive exact figures in writing before anything is booked.
| Appointment or treatment | From |
|---|---|
| New patient examination40 minutes, photographs and written plan | £68 |
| Routine examinationReturning patients, 20 minutes | £48 |
| Child examinationUnder 16, attending with a registered adult | £24 |
| Hygienist appointment30 minutes, scale and polish | £62 |
| Extended gum care appointment45 minutes, pocket charting included | £86 |
| Tooth-coloured fillingSingle surface, shade matched | £145 |
| CrownDigitally scanned, temporary included | £620 |
| Urgent relief appointmentSame day, 20 minutes | £75 |
| Take-home whiteningCustom trays and two weeks of gel | £295 |
Treatment is never carried out at the examination appointment unless you ask for it. If a plan runs to several stages, we will set out which parts are urgent and which can wait.
Questions
The things people ask at reception
I have not seen a dentist in years. Am I going to get a lecture?
No. Gaps are extremely common and they tell us nothing useful about you. The first appointment is spent finding out where things stand and deciding what matters first — not reviewing the years in between.
Can I bring my children to my own appointment?
Yes. Children are welcome in the surgery with you, and most are curious rather than worried. If you would rather concentrate, book one of the quieter session-end slots and we will keep them company at reception.
What if I need treatment I cannot afford right now?
The written plan separates what is urgent from what can safely wait, with a timeframe for each. We would rather stabilise the urgent part and revisit the rest later than have you avoid the whole plan.
Do you see emergencies if I am not registered here?
Yes. Urgent relief slots are available to anyone, and being seen once does not commit you to joining the practice. If you would like to stay, we book the full examination separately.
Will I definitely need X-rays at the first visit?
Only if they would change what we recommend — usually to check between teeth or below an existing filling. If you have recent images from another practice, ask them to send them over and we will use those.
Can I ask you to stop in the middle of treatment?
Always. We agree a hand signal before we begin, and it works at any point. Stopping, sitting up and taking a minute costs nothing and makes the rest of the appointment easier.
Is whitening safe, and will it work on my teeth?
Supervised whitening with custom trays is safe for healthy teeth and gums, which is why we check first. It lifts natural enamel but will not change crowns, veneers or fillings, so we plan the order carefully if you have any.
Appointments
Request an appointment
Send a few details and we will reply by email with the first two or three times that fit, usually within one working day.