Frequently Asked Questions

At our practice, we believe that a comprehensive oral health assessment, commonly known as a check-up, is the cornerstone of your dental care journey. Just as a surgeon wouldn’t proceed with an operation without a thorough consultation and diagnosis, we need a complete understanding of your teeth, gums, and overall oral health before recommending any treatments.

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During this initial check-up, we carefully evaluate everything from your dental history to your current oral health and aesthetic goals. This allows us to develop a personalised treatment plan that addresses your immediate concerns while proactively preventing future issues. Think of it as laying a strong foundation before any dental work begins—because your smile deserves the highest standard of care!

During a comprehensive oral health assessment, our goal is to thoroughly evaluate your overall dental health and address any specific concerns you may have. This comprehensive examination helps us understand the current condition of your teeth, gums, and oral tissues, enabling us to develop a personalised treatment plan tailored to your needs moving forward.

 

It includes:

• A detailed examination of your teeth, gums, oral tissues, oral cancer screening

• A review of your dental and medical history

• X-rays, if necessary, to provide a complete view of your dental health. These are processed through our advanced real-time dental AI platform, which automatically detects various conditions in dental X-rays, offering dentists a second set of eyes and ensuring superior radiologic accuracy

• A discussion of any findings and recommended next steps

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This thorough assessment allows us to take a proactive approach to your oral health, ensuring both current and future concerns are addressed with the highest standard of care.

A hygienist appointment plays a crucial role in maintaining both the health and appearance of your smile. While brushing and flossing at home are essential for daily oral care, they aren't always enough to remove all the plaque and tartar that can accumulate over time, especially in those hard-to-reach areas. A professional cleaning performed by a dental hygienist ensures that your teeth and gums are thoroughly cleaned, significantly reducing the risk of gum disease, cavities, and other oral health problems.

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During your hygienist appointment, several important things happen:

1. Plaque and Tartar Removal: Even with the best home care routine, plaque can harden into tartar, which can only be removed by a professional. If left untreated, tartar buildup can lead to gum inflammation, gum disease, and tooth decay.

2. Prevention of Gum Disease: One of the leading causes of tooth loss is gum disease, which starts as gingivitis (gum inflammation). Hygienists can detect early signs of gum issues and remove bacteria and buildup that cause inflammation, helping to prevent it from progressing to more serious stages like periodontitis.

3. Better Overall Health: There is a growing body of research linking oral health to overall systemic health. Conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory issues have been associated with poor oral hygiene. Regular hygienist visits help reduce harmful bacteria in your mouth, lowering your risk of these conditions.

4. Personalised Advice: A hygienist will provide tailored guidance on how to improve your at-home oral care routine, focusing on your specific needs, such as brushing technique, flossing, and dietary choices that can impact your teeth and gums.

5. Fresher Breath and Brighter Smile: Regular cleanings not only make your teeth look and feel cleaner but also help eliminate the bacteria that cause bad breath. Removing surface stains during your cleaning will also help brighten your smile.

6. Early Detection of Issues: Hygienists are trained to spot early signs of dental problems, such as cavities, gum disease, or even oral cancer. Early detection means less invasive and more affordable treatment, saving you from more complex dental procedures down the road.

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In summary, hygienist appointments are about more than just having clean teeth. They are an integral part of your overall oral health strategy, preventing future problems, protecting your gums, and promoting better general health. Regular visits help ensure that your mouth stays healthy, which, in turn, supports your long-term well-being. For most patients, we recommend scheduling hygienist visits every 3 months

We require 48 hours' notice to cancel an appointment to ensure we can provide the highest level of care to all our patients. 

Here’s why:

 

General Impact of Not Adhering to Our 48-Hour Notice Policy:

• Delays in Treatment: Missing or cancelling your appointment on short notice can delay your dental treatment, potentially allowing oral health issues to worsen.

• Lost Time for Other Patients: When appointments are missed or cancelled late, valuable time that could have been used to treat other patients in need of care is wasted.

• Increased Costs: No-shows and late cancellations increase operating costs for the practice, which may lead to higher fees for all patients over time.

• Disruption to Care Plans: Regular dental visits are essential for maintaining good oral health. Late cancellations and missed appointments disrupt the continuity of your care plan, potentially impacting the effectiveness of your treatment.

 

Impact on NHS Appointments:

• Wasting Valuable NHS Resources: Missed or late-cancelled appointments waste NHS-funded resources, reducing the efficiency and effectiveness of the service.

• Limited Appointment Availability: Missed slots lead to longer waiting times for other patients, delaying access to critical dental care.

• Impact on Funding: Frequent no-shows and late cancellations place a strain on the NHS budget, reducing the resources available to serve the wider community.

 

By providing 48 hours' notice, you help us offer your appointment slot to another patient, reduce unnecessary costs, and ensure smooth and efficient care for everyone.

While we do provide NHS dental care, our services are currently in extremely high demand. Due to limited resources and the constraints of our existing NHS contract, we are unable to offer NHS appointments to new patients at this time. With a large patient base, we are already projected to exceed our annual NHS capacity, which is strictly capped. As a result, we are unable to take on additional bookings, and our waiting list for new NHS appointments is temporarily closed. Unfortunately, we cannot provide a timeline for when it may reopen.

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It's important to understand that NHS dental care operates differently from GP services. Patients are only considered 'registered' for NHS dental care while they are actively undergoing treatment, and this does not guarantee access to future NHS services. Each dental practice is bound by a contract that limits the number of NHS treatments it can provide each month, and the high demand often makes it difficult to accommodate everyone under these constraints.

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If you're looking for more immediate care or specific treatments, we also offer a variety of private dental services. Many patients opt for this option for both routine care and cosmetic treatments, such as teeth whitening, invisible aligners, composite bonding, tooth-coloured fillings, crowns, as well as advanced procedures like dental implants and minor oral surgery.

For those eager to start their dental journey without delay, we are happy to arrange a private comprehensive oral health assessment with one of our experienced dentists

There are many misconceptions about NHS dental care, with one of the most common being the belief that patients are "registered under NHS" or classified as "NHS patients." In reality, patients are registered with a dental practice, not directly with the NHS.

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The key difference lies in the type of treatment you receive, which can either be NHS-funded (fully covered if you are exempt from paying dental charges, or subsidised) or private. It is important to understand that NHS dental care operates differently from NHS GP services. For dental care, patients are only considered 'registered' with the NHS while they are actively undergoing treatment, and this does not guarantee access to future NHS services.

Each dental practice operates under a contract that limits the number of NHS treatments it can offer each month. Due to high demand, it can be challenging for practices to accommodate everyone within these constraints.

 

At our practice, our primary focus is to provide exceptional care for our existing patients. We carefully manage our NHS funding throughout the year to ensure we have the resources needed to support our loyal and regular patients with the best possible care.

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While NHS appointments can never be guaranteed, we encourage you to take these steps to maintain consistent access to NHS care:

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• Always Pre-Book Your Next Appointment: Before leaving, please schedule your next appointment with us (and don't forget to add it to your phone calendar!). This helps us plan your care effectively and ensures you stay on track with essential check-ups.

• Respond to Reminders Quickly: When you receive a reminder from us that your next check-up is due, make sure to book your appointment right away. Each reminder includes a personalised online booking link, making it simple and convenient to secure your spot.

• Respect Our Cancellation Policy: To help us serve all of our patients efficiently, please adhere to our 48-hour cancellation policy. This ensures we can manage appointments smoothly and provide availability to others who need care.

Each patient is unique, and the cost of treatment can vary depending on your individual needs. It's impossible to provide an accurate estimate without a thorough assessment by one of our experienced dentists.

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After a detailed consultation, we can give you a clear idea of the costs involved. In the meantime, you can review our detailed fee guide available on our website: William Place Dental Fee Guide.

At our practice, we request payment in advance to ensure smooth scheduling and reduce the impact of no-shows and late cancellations. One of the main reasons for this policy is the significant waste of resources caused when appointments are missed or cancelled at the last minute. Here’s how it affects our practice:

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1. Wasted Time for Our Team: Our dentists, hygienists, and support staff prepare thoroughly for each patient appointment, from setting up treatment rooms to reviewing your specific dental needs. When a patient doesn’t show up or cancels late, this time is wasted, and we lose the opportunity to use that time productively with another patient.

2. Unused Equipment and Supplies: For every appointment, we allocate specific dental instruments, sterilised tools, and other materials. When a patient misses their appointment, these resources are prepared and set aside for no reason, leading to waste. In some cases, certain materials cannot be reused for another patient.

3. Disruptions to Our Schedule: No-shows and late cancellations often leave large, unfillable gaps in our schedule. These gaps affect not only the dental team’s productivity but also other patients who may be waiting for an available appointment. With advance payment, we can minimise disruptions and better serve all our patients.

4. Staff Time and Overhead Costs: Running a dental practice involves many behind-the-scenes costs, including the time spent by our administrative staff scheduling, confirming, and preparing for appointments. When appointments are missed, it creates additional work for our team, increasing overhead without any patient care being provided.

5. Impact on Other Patients: When a patient doesn’t show up, it often means another patient who needed care may have had to wait longer for an appointment. Pre-payment ensures your time slot is reserved and helps us keep our schedule open for those who need it.

 

We understand that unexpected circumstances can arise, and we are committed to working with you in such situations. If you need to reschedule, we kindly ask for at least 48 hours' notice. Our goal is to provide the best care possible for all our patients while managing our time and resources efficiently.