New patients
Welcome. Whether it's been six months or sixteen years, here's everything you need to know before your first visit.
Before you come
Book online or by phone
Choose a new patient exam. It takes about 45 minutes, and we will send a confirmation by text.
Fill in your health form
We email a short form two days before. It asks about your health and medicines, and takes about five minutes.
Bring what helps
A list of medicines, your Community Services Card if you have one, and anyone you'd like to sit with you.
On the day
Arrive and settle
Come in, take a seat by the window and have a glass of water. There are no forms on a clipboard; you'll have filled them in online already.
Tell us at the desk if you're feeling nervous. It changes how we run the visit.
A chat before anything else
Your dentist sits with you, chair upright, and asks what you'd like from the visit and anything that has worried you before.
You can agree a stop signal, like raising a hand, and we will stop straight away.
Check-up and x-rays
A gentle look at your teeth and gums, and small x-rays if you need them. We tell you what we're doing before we do it.
Headphones and a blanket are there if you'd like them.
Your plan, in writing
We show you what we found on the screen and explain your options, including doing nothing for now. You get a written plan with costs.
Take it home and think it over. There is no pressure to book on the day.
Next steps, if you want them
If you'd like to go ahead, we book your next visit at a time that suits you. If not, we will remind you when your next check-up is due.
Most first visits take about 45 minutes in total.
Nervous? Tell us. We'll plan around it.
Feeling anxious about the dentist is common, and it's nothing to be embarrassed about. These are some of the things we can do.
A longer first visit
Ask for a relaxed appointment and we book extra time, so nothing feels rushed.
A stop signal
Agree a signal with your dentist, like raising a hand. When you use it, we stop.
Talk first, treat later
Your first visit can be a chat in a normal chair. No treatment unless you want it.
Comfort, if you'd like it
Headphones with your own music, a weighted blanket, sunglasses for the light.
Questions people ask
It's been years since I saw a dentist. Is that a problem?
Not at all. Lots of people come to us after a long gap. We won't lecture you; we'll just look at where things are now and talk about options.
Do you see children?
Yes. We see children from their first tooth, and teens from Year 9 until their 18th birthday under the publicly funded adolescent scheme, if they are eligible.
Can I bring someone with me?
Of course. A partner, friend or support person is welcome in the room for any part of the visit.
What if I need to cancel?
Please give us 24 hours' notice by phone or text on 07 555 0162, so we can offer the time to someone in pain.
Do you offer sedation?
We don't offer sedation here. If you need it, we can refer you to a Hamilton practice that does, and see you for check-ups afterwards.