Your first visit: what happens at a £35 new patient examination

If you have not seen a dentist for a while, or you have moved to the area and need to register somewhere, the first appointment is a new patient examination. It costs £35.

This post explains what that appointment involves, so you know what you are booking.

What a new patient examination is for

It is an assessment rather than a treatment appointment. The point of it is to find out what is going on, write it down, and give you a clear picture of where your mouth is now.

That matters more than it sounds. Most dental problems are cheaper, simpler and more comfortable to deal with early, and most of them give very little warning. Decay between teeth is not usually visible or painful until it is well established. Gum disease is often painless in its early stages. A baseline record means that at your next visit we are comparing against something rather than starting again.

What happens on the day

The appointment runs roughly like this.

A conversation first

We ask about your dental history, anything that is bothering you, how you have got on at previous practices, and whether there is anything you would rather we knew before we start. If you are nervous, this is the point to say so. It is a common thing to say and nobody will make anything of it.

The examination

The dentist checks each tooth for decay, cracks, wear and failing old fillings, then assesses your gums, your bite and the soft tissues of your mouth, which includes a routine check for anything that needs a closer look.

Scans and X-rays

We use digital scanning, which means we can show you what we are describing on a screen instead of asking you to picture it.

X-rays are included in the examination and are taken where they are clinically useful. They show things a visual examination cannot: decay between teeth, bone levels around the roots, and problems developing under existing fillings and crowns.

What we found, and what to do about it

Before you leave you get a plain explanation of what we found and what your options are, with the cost of each, including the option of leaving something alone and keeping an eye on it. If nothing needs doing, we will tell you that.

What it costs, and what comes next

A new patient examination is £35. After that, a routine examination is £50. Our hygiene appointment, the Airflow Spa Clean, is £99.

If treatment is recommended, you get the cost in writing before anything is booked. You are not asked to decide on the day. Everything we charge is on the fees page, and if you would rather spread the cost of routine care, our Denplan options start at £17.99 a month for adults.

If it has been years

A fair number of people booking a first appointment have not been to a dentist in a long time, sometimes because of a bad experience somewhere else. A few things worth saying about that.

• The first appointment is diagnostic. We are looking and planning, not drilling.
• You will not be lectured. We are more interested in where things go from here than in how they got this way.
• Nothing happens without you agreeing to it first, and you can stop at any point.
• If you would rather talk before anyone looks in your mouth, a Smile Design consultation is free and happens away from the dental chair.

Booking

We are a private practice.

You can book a new patient examination online at sale-dental-care.portal.dental or by calling 0161 969 7464. We are at 77 Washway Road, Sale, Manchester M33 7TQ. There is more on what to expect on the new patients page.