Appointments

Your appointment

We offer face-to-face appointments.

How to get an appointment

We accept referrals from:

• general dental practitioners
• primary care dentists
• GPs
• paediatricians
• other medical and dental specialists

For dental emergencies, please call NHS 111.

Changing or cancelling your appointment

You can change or cancel your appointment up to 24 hours before your appointment. Please give us as much notice as possible so that we can offer cancelled appointments to other patients.

If you cancel your child's appointment with less than 24 hours' notice, we'll record this as did not attend and may discharge you from our care.

If your child misses their appointment, we may need to remove them from our waiting list and refer back to their local dentist.

Before your appointment

Before you leave home, please check if your appointment is at St Thomas' Hospital children's dental centre or at Guy's Hospital.

Please allow plenty of time for your journey. If you arrive late, we may need to reschedule your appointment.

Your child can eat and drink as usual and take any regular medicines as normal. If your child needs to eat before their appointment, please bring their toothbrush and clean their teeth before they see the dentist.

Your child must come to the appointment with a parent or a guardian who has legally been given parental responsibility.

We'll ask questions about your child's medical history.

During your appointment

At your child's first appointment, we'll assess their mouth and dental health.

When you arrive, a dental nurse will record your child's height and weight.

Consultant and specialist children's dentists lead our team and work with junior qualified dentists and trainees in children's dentistry. One of these dentists will assess and examine your child. A senior dentist will always be present at the clinic to discuss your child's care.

Your child may need an X-ray or another type of test to help us provide the right care for them. If we need to carry out any tests, we will discuss this with you during the appointment.

Your child's first appointment as a new patient can take up to 3 hours.

We do not usually provide treatment at the first appointment.

After your appointment

After the first appointment, we'll draw up a plan of care and we may add your child to a waiting list for treatment.

We'll write to your local dentist or GP and send you a copy of any letters.

When your child's treatment with us is completed, they'll return to their local dentist for regular dental care. During a long course of treatment your child must continue to see their family dentist.