• Is it safe to visit the dentist whilst there are still COVID restrictions in place?

As a healthcare setting, we already have a high standard of infection control to protect our patients and staff during their visit. Since the resumption of face-to-face dental care in June 2020, our team have implemented extra safety measure to further protect our patients and ensure the environment is safe against COVID-19. This includes protective screens at reception, a locked door policy, contactless forms/ payments and a higher level of personal protective equipment for our clinical staff. Our staff undergo twice weekly COVID testing to ensure they are fit for working with the general public and complete regular training in the latest government guidelines.

• What can I expect when I visit the practice?

Our staff will send you details on your visit and what to expect prior to your appointment. Please arrive at the practice at your appointment time. Due to our locked door policy and robust planning to ensure safe passage through the practice, we may not be able to admit entrance until the previous patient has left. You will be asked verbal COVID screening questions and we will take your temperature for our records. We ask you wear a mask for your visit unless you have a medical exemption. Don’t worry if you forget, we can provide you with a mask. We ask you to attend alone if possible and let us know if you require a chaperone or carer to accompany you. Our reception team will escort you to the surgery and back to the reception area after your appointment. We have hand sanitiser available throughout the practice for your use. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of the team.

• Can I book a routine dental appointment?

We are taking bookings for routine appointments. There may be a longer wait than usual due to our appointment’s times being extended but if you have a dental emergency, please contact our reception team on 01424 434433 who will arrange for you to be seen in our emergency times. Due to the restrictions on the number of patients able to attend at the same time, we ‘re unable to accommodate large families on the same day. Once the restrictions have been lifted, we’ll be able to resume seeing families all together.

• I need treatment. Can I book an appointment?

Yes, your dentist will need to assess your condition before any treatment is booked in. Due to the current government guidelines, our rooms have been fitted with ventilation systems to make the environment safe during and after treatment. Once your dentist has planned your treatment, you can be booked into one of our designated surgeries. You will notice your clinical team have a higher level of personal protective equipment and they will wear this for the entire appointment.

• I’m in the vulnerable category but have a dental emergency. What can I do?

Please let our reception team know you fall into the vulnerable category when you call to book an appointment. If your condition is deemed ‘high risk’ or you would prefer not to attend the practice, we have the option of a telephone/ video consultation with your dentist. During this consultation, your dentist will be able to give you advice on how to manage your dental problem at home until you can attend an appointment and prescribe pain relief or antibiotics if deemed necessary. If you require urgent treatment, we have the option of referring you to an Urgent Dental Centre.

• I’m displaying COVID symptoms. What do I do about my upcoming appointment?

Please call the reception team on 01424 434433 to cancel your appointment as soon as possible.
If you are displaying any of the below symptoms, please stay at home and contact the COVID-19 advice line on 119 or book a test online at
https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.

The main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are:

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal.

Once you have received your test results, you can call the reception team to rebook your appointment after your isolation period if you have a positive test. If your test is negative, we can offer you the next available appointment.

At David Neal Dental we are pleased to offer dental care to both NHS and private patients. If wished, patients are welcome to choose private treatment for all or selected NHS treatments. Your NHS status will not be affected if you do choose private treatment.

Children are welcome are David Neal Dental – we offer dental care to the whole family.

We currently promote the DENTALCHECKUP by 1 Scheme which cares for all babies under 1 year old and are accepting referrals from health visitors and GPs.

We always aim to offer the first available appointments, and this is usually within one week. On occasion this is not possible, eg if your preferred dentist is away, so where possible we aim to offer you a suitable alternative.

We hold a limited number of emergency appointments for registered David Neal Dental patients who are experiencing dental-related pain and swelling. So, if you have noticeable swelling, excessive bleeding or pain that you cannot control with pain relief, please call our Reception Team at 8am on weekdays to secure the first available emergency treatment time.

Where possible, emergency appointments are given on the same day.  These appointments are not long-length, but we aim to remove the source of pain to give immediate relief and so you are ready for remedial treatment as required.

If our Reception Team cannot pick up your call during working hours, please leave a voice message and a member of our team will call you back as soon as possible.

If you are in need of emergency dental care outside of normal working hours, please call the NHS emergency dental service on 01424 850792 or call NHS Direct on 111 for help and advice.

Our normal opening hours for private and NHS patients are 8:00am until 5:00pm Monday to Friday.

Please read the question above “Do you offer emergency appointments?” if you are in need of urgent dental care out of normal opening hours.

NHS dental charges are fixed by the government. There are currently three bands of NHS treatment charges. Patients who pay for their NHS treatment will pay according to the treatment required.

1. Band 1 costs £22.70 for an examination, X-rays, preventative fluoride application and oral hygiene instructions and cleaning if clinically necessary
2. Band 2 costs £62.10 for the above fee and any dental treatment not requiring dental laboratory work e.g. fillings, extractions or root canal treatment
3. Band 3 costs £269.30 and this would include both of the above and/or laboratory work if it is required e.g. dentures, crowns and bridges.

For NHS treatment, you will be asked to pay the appropriate Band fee in advance of receiving treatment.

Private treatment fees are payable as you go whether you are a fully private patient or a patient who has opted to have some private treatment.  We may take deposits for long appointments or in advance for lab work, so please be prepared to pay when requested.

You may qualify for FREE NHS dental treatment or partial exemption from NHS charges if you or your partner is in one of the categories below.  Please note that proof of benefit or circumstances is required at the point of treatment.

• Under 18 years of age
• Under 19 and in full time education
• Expectant mothers and mothers of children under one year
• Family receiving Income Support or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• In receipt of Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• In receipt of Guarantee Credit Pension Credit
• Holders of valid NHS tax credit exemption certificates and holders of HC2 and HC3 exemption certificates
• Universal Credit (in the last assessment there were no earnings),

Download NHS Dental Exemptions Form

Our policy is for your dentist to discuss your treatment options with you, and then to provide you with a treatment plan that details those options, along with the costs.  This will help you make the best treatment option decision for you and to make sure you understand how much you will need to pay.

NHS emergency appointments are a Band 1 charge of £22.70, which covers the appointment. Your dentist will then discuss further appointments needed and charges.

Private emergency treatment is charged for treatment carried out on the day, and future treatment needs will also be discussed.

Click here to see our Patient Consent Policy

Your dentist can provide you with the actual costs of your dental treatment once they have examined you.  Our Reception Team can provide you with approximate costs if you would like a general understanding of costs.

We offer finance options for high-end treatments such as dental implant work and cosmetic treatments. Please speak to our Reception Team for more information.

Yes. Our dentists are all highly skilled dental and healthcare professionals who pride themselves on providing outstanding clinical treatment. Our team also includes a team of dental nurses, receptionists and managers who ensure that our dentists are fully supported and that the practice runs smoothly.  Our dentists all have their own areas of special dental interests, so we are able to offer a wide range of treatment options within the practice.

All of our dentists are registered with the General Dental Council (GDC), the government body that regulates dental practitioners in the UK. Our dentists attend courses through a mandatory programme for continuous professional development which assists them in continually achieving new levels of success.

You can check the qualifications and current registration of any individual dentist or dental assistant on the GDC website

Yes, we abide by strict legal guidelines on patient confidentiality as we take your privacy very seriously. Only relevant staff members have access to patient information.  Please note that the relevant social services or the police may be given access to your data in the event of a safeguarding issue.

Click here to see our Privacy Policy, or ask a member of our Reception Team and they will be pleased to provide one.

We do understand that it is sometime not possible to keep your booked appointment time, but ask that, whenever reasonable, you give us 24 hours’ notice if you are unable to attend.  This enables us to offer your appointment to someone else who needs treatment.

For private appointments, we may charge a fee for a missed appointment or late attendance.  If a patient is regularly late or misses appointments, they may lose their place on our patient list as we need to ensure that patient time is not wasted.

Click here to see our Failed Appointments Policy

We are proud that the majority of our patients give us positive feedback – if you are pleased with the treatment you have received please do recommend us as a practice and let us know on our contact forms.  You may also like to leave a Google or Facebook review.

If you have concerns about you treatment or have not been satisfied with the service you have received, we encourage you to discuss this with your dentist or with our Practice Manager, Danielle Mitchell, as we are always keen to resolve any issues quickly and professionally.  If necessary, we will follow through with our Complaints Procedure.

Alternatively, you can write in confidence to Sarah Beckwith, Area Manager, at sarahbeckwith@davidnealdental.co.uk who will deal with the matter personally.

Click here for our Complaints Procedure