Your First Visit in Years
A step-by-step look at your first appointment, small things that help, the fees involved, and why you'll find no judgement here.
What Happens When You Go Back to the Dentist After Years Away?
It begins with a chat about why you've come, not with the chair. After that, and only when you're ready, we gently examine your teeth, gums and mouth, take X-rays if they're needed, and give you your options in writing with a fee for each. We don't treat anything you haven't agreed to. At Peninsula Dentists on Greenwich Peninsula, a new patient dental examination including two X-rays is £30, you'll have around 45 minutes with Dr Pei, and IV sedation with our oral surgeon is available for treatment. However long it's been, nobody will lecture you.
Plenty of People Are in the Same Position
Staying away from the dentist for years is far more common than most people think. Sometimes it started with an unpleasant visit in childhood; sometimes it's fear of needles or the drill, concern about cost, or embarrassment and the dread of a telling-off. The longer the gap, the bigger the hurdle feels, and almost everyone who comes back tells us they wish they hadn't waited. A good number of our patients arrived after a long break. Whatever kept you away, we start from where things are today, and we won't ask you to justify the past.
Getting Ready
- If calling feels like a lot, send a WhatsApp message instead. One line is enough, and someone close to you can write it for you
- Let us know your particular worries, which gives Dr Pei the chance to plan your visit around them
- Complete your medical history and consent forms beforehand using the secure link we send; it takes a few minutes on your phone
- Book a slot when you have time to spare. Our hours are Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to 5.30pm, so a Saturday slot is an option too
- Bring a list of any medicines you take, or snap a photo of the packets
- Have something to eat first, and keep coffee to a minimum, because caffeine can make nerves worse
Drop Us a Message First
Tell us how you feel about coming back, however you want to put it.
Your First Appointment
Expect to spend around 45 minutes with Dr Pei. We begin by talking rather than reclining the chair: what has brought you in, what has put you off, what you'd like to improve, and any medical history we should know about. Then, only if you feel ready:
- A gentle look around your teeth and gums, and a check of how your top and bottom teeth meet
- An inspection of your tongue, cheeks, lips and palate for anything out of the ordinary, which doubles as a mouth cancer screen
- X-rays where needed, to see between teeth and beneath old fillings
- Photographs, which let you see on screen exactly what we're describing
- A plain-English explanation of your options, with nothing carried out unless you choose it
If you'd like to stop once we've talked, that's completely fine, and the examination can wait for another day.
What We May Find, and What It Means
After a long gap, we most often see tartar build-up and inflamed gums, decay or broken fillings, a worn or cracked tooth, and occasionally a tooth that is beyond saving. We've seen it all before. Gum disease, even at an advanced stage, can usually be brought under control with treatment in stages. Decay is repaired with fillings, or with an onlay or crown when more of the tooth has been lost. Root canal treatment frequently saves a tooth that has become infected. Where one does have to be removed, an implant, bridge or denture can fill the gap whenever you're ready. Dr Pei will divide everything into urgent, important and optional, so it's clear where to begin.
Ways We Make It Easier
- Each step described before we do it, and a heads-up before anything noisy
- An agreed stop signal, such as lifting your hand, which we act on immediately
- No treatment until you feel ready and have said yes
- Numbing gel on the gum first, and injections given very slowly
- Short appointments at first, getting longer as your confidence builds
- Your own headphones and playlist, if they help you switch off
- A first appointment that's purely a conversation, if even an examination feels too much
- IV sedation with Dr Imran Riaz, our oral surgeon, for treatment when anxiety is overwhelming or a long session is planned
Each of these is covered in more depth in our guide to dental anxiety.
Once Your Visit Is Over
You'll leave with a written plan listing each option alongside its fee, grouped into urgent, important and optional, together with a note of which dental plan would suit you. Once you decide to go ahead, the fee for each item is fixed. You don't have to commit to anything on the day; take the plan home and mull it over. Treatment can be paced however suits you, tackling the urgent work first and spreading the rest over several months if you prefer. When you're back on track, a dental plan helps you stay there, with your next dental examination and hygiene visit booked before you leave each time.
Costs
A new patient dental examination, including two X-rays, is £30, one of the lowest we found among practices around Greenwich and SE London.2 Every treatment has its price confirmed in writing first. If your plan comes to £1,500 or more, Chrysalis Finance lets you pay monthly at 0% over 6 or 12 months if your application is accepted. We're a fully private practice, so there's no waiting list to join and new patients are usually seen within days. If you're in pain now, call before 9.30am, Monday to Saturday, and we'll see you the same day, registered or not, for £70. Every fee is on our fees page.
Finding Us
You'll find us at 26-28 Chandlers Avenue, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 0GE, next to Greenwich Millennium Village. There's step-free access at street level, and an accessible toilet inside. North Greenwich station on the Jubilee line is about a ten-minute walk, and buses 108, 129, 132, 161 and 486 stop at Millennium Village Oval Square. To get in touch, call 020 8788 6688 or send a WhatsApp to 07515 676150. If you're lost for words, "It's been a while and I'm nervous" tells us everything we need.
Questions
This guide explains the options in general terms. Only an examination can tell you which of them suits your own teeth.