Haven't Been for Years?
What to expect, step by step, how to make it easier, what it costs, and why nobody here will judge you.
What Happens at Your First Dental Visit After Years Away?
Your first visit starts with a conversation about what's brought you in, not with the chair. Then, only if you're ready, a gentle examination of your teeth, gums and mouth, with X-rays where needed, and your options explained in writing with the fee for each. Nothing is done unless you want it. At St Vincent Smile in Finnieston, Glasgow, a new patient examination with X-rays is £70, you have about 45 minutes with your dentist, and IV sedation is available for treatment if you need it. However long it's been, you won't be lectured.
You're Not Alone
Lots of people stay away from the dentist for years. A bad experience as a child, a fear of injections or the drill, worries about cost, or simply embarrassment about how things have got and the dread of being told off. The longer it goes on, the harder it feels to go back, and the first thing most people say when they finally do is that they wish they'd come sooner. Many of our patients hadn't been for years before they came to us. Whatever the reason, our job is to help from where you are now, not to ask why you didn't come earlier.
Before You Come
- Message us on WhatsApp first if that's easier than calling. A sentence in your own words is enough, and a friend or family member can message for you
- Tell us what worries you, so your dentist knows before you arrive and can plan around it
- Fill in your medical history and consent forms online, from the secure link we text you. It takes about five minutes on your phone
- Choose a time when you won't feel rushed. We're open until 7.30pm on Thursdays
- Bring a list of your medicines, or a photo of the boxes
- Eat something beforehand, and go easy on caffeine, which makes nerves worse
Start with a Message
Tell us how you feel about the dentist, in your own words.
At Your First Visit
Allow about 45 minutes with your dentist. We start with a conversation, not the chair: what's brought you in, what's worried you, what you'd like to change, and anything in your medical history that matters. Then, only if you're ready:
- A gentle examination of your teeth and gums with a small mirror, and a check of your bite
- A look at your tongue, cheeks, lips and the roof of your mouth for anything unusual, which is a routine mouth cancer screen
- X-rays, only where needed, to see between the teeth and under old fillings
- Photographs, so we can show you what we mean on screen
- Your options explained plainly, with nothing done unless you want it
If you'd rather stop after the conversation, that's fine. You can come back for the examination another day.
What We Might Find
After years away, the common findings are tartar and gum inflammation, decay or broken fillings, a cracked or worn tooth, and sometimes a tooth that can't be saved. None of it will shock us. Gum disease, even when it's advanced, can be stabilised with staged treatment. Decay is treated with fillings, or an onlay or crown where more of the tooth has gone. A tooth that's infected can often be kept with root canal treatment. And a tooth that does need to come out can be replaced with an implant, a bridge or a denture, in your own time. Your dentist will sort everything into what's urgent, what's important and what's optional, so you know where to start.
Making It Easier
- Everything explained before it happens, and a warning before anything noisy
- A stop signal, like raising your hand, and we stop straight away
- Nothing done until you are ready and have agreed to it
- Numbing gel on the gum before any injection, which is then given slowly
- Shorter appointments to start with, building up as you feel ready
- Your own headphones and music, if that helps
- A free consultation just to talk things through, if even an examination feels like too much
- IV sedation with Dr Kalsi for treatment, if nerves are severe or there's a lot to do in one go
Our dental anxiety guide has more on each of these.
After Your Visit
You'll get a written plan with your options and the fee for each, sorted into what's urgent, what's important and what's optional, along with which dental plan would suit you. The fee for each treatment doesn't change once you decide to go ahead. There's no pressure to book anything on the day; take it home and think about it. You can spread treatment out at a pace that suits you, dealing with the urgent things first and the rest over months if that's what works. Once you're up to date, dental membership keeps you on track, with your dental examinations and hygiene visits booked before you leave each time.
What It Costs
A new patient examination with X-rays is £70.2 Any treatment is priced in your written plan before it starts, and treatment of £1,500 or more can be spread monthly through Chrysalis Finance, interest free over 6 or 12 months, subject to status. If you're in pain now, we keep same-day emergency appointments at £70, whether or not you're registered with us. NHS places for adults are limited, so request a call back to join our waiting list; children are seen on the NHS with no waiting list, and NHS dental care in Scotland is free for under-26s. Our fees page lists every price.
Getting Here
We're at 23C St Vincent Crescent in Finnieston, Glasgow G3 8LH. The practice is on the ground floor and step-free from the pavement, with an accessible toilet. Exhibition Centre station is about four minutes' walk, two stops from Glasgow Central on the low-level line, and there's pay-and-display parking on St Vincent Crescent outside. We're open Monday to Friday, until 7.30pm on Thursdays for appointments after work. Call 0141 248 1183, or WhatsApp 07761 066850. If you're not sure what to say, "I haven't been for a while and I'm nervous" is enough.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.