Your first dental visit: what to expect

What happens, step by step

1. A few questions. The dentist or a team member asks about your general health, medicines, allergies, pregnancy, and any pain or worries about your teeth. This helps keep your treatment safe.
2. A check of your teeth and gums. The dentist looks at each tooth for decay, cracks and old fillings, and checks your gums for bleeding or pockets.
3. A check of the rest of your mouth. The dentist looks at your tongue, cheeks, lips and throat. This matters more if you smoke, chew tobacco, or use gutkha, paan or betel nut, which the NHS lists as risk factors for mouth cancer.
4. X-rays, only if needed. The American Dental Association says X-rays are not needed at every visit. A single dental X-ray gives about 0.005 mSv, about one day of natural background radiation (RadiologyInfo).
5. What we found, in plain words. The dentist explains what they saw and what it means. Ask anything you like.
6. Your options and their costs. If you need treatment, the dentist explains the options, including simpler ones, the likely cost of each, and what happens if you wait. Nothing is done without your agreement.
7. When to come back. The dentist suggests your next checkup based on your own risk.

How long does a first visit take?

It depends on what the dentist finds and whether you need X-rays. A simple check with a talk is a short visit. If you are in pain or need X-rays, allow more time. When you book, tell us if you have a problem so we can plan enough time.

What to bring

• A list of your medicines, including blood thinners, diabetes or blood pressure medicine, and any inhalers.
• Old dental X-rays or records, if you have them. They help the dentist compare.
• Your questions, written down, so you do not forget them.
• A parent or guardian if the patient is under 16. They need to give consent to treatment.
• Glasses or a hearing aid if you use them, so you can read and hear the plan.

Please tell us if you are or may be pregnant, or if you have a heart condition, diabetes or a bleeding problem.

What a checkup costs

Here is our current checkup price, with the date it was set. If you need treatment, the dentist tells you the cost before anything is done.

See all our prices on the prices page.

How often you need a checkup

There is no single rule. The NHS says adults may need a checkup anywhere from every 3 months to every 2 years, and children up to once a year, depending on how healthy their teeth and gums are. This follows NICE guidance. Your dentist sets the gap for you.

If you are nervous

You are not alone. Tell us when you book, and read our page for nervous patients: you can agree a stop signal, hear each step first and go at your own pace.

You can also read how we keep instruments clean and safe and your rights as a patient, including the right to know the cost first and to say no.