What to Expect at Your First Appointment at The Lodge Private Dental Care
If you have never visited a fully private dental practice before, you may not know quite what to expect. Here is exactly what happens, from your first call to the moment you leave.
When people call The Lodge for the first time, they often say the same thing: they were not sure what to expect from a fully private practice. Some have come from a different practice. Some have not been to a dentist in years and are not sure how they will be received. Some have had a difficult experience elsewhere and are approaching the call with some trepidation.
What they almost always say afterwards is that they wish they had called sooner.
This is what actually happens at your first appointment at The Lodge.
Before you arrive
When you call us, you will speak to a real person. There is no automated system, no online form to complete before anyone will speak to you. If you have questions -about what we offer, about our fees, about whether we are the right practice for you - we will answer them properly before you book anything. We will ask you a few questions about your dental history and what has brought you to us. Not to screen you, but because understanding what you need helps us give you the right appointment with the right clinician. Before your visit, we will send you a medical history form to complete at your convenience. That means less time on paperwork when you arrive and more time for the team to focus on you.
When you arrive
The Lodge is at Dolphin Court on the High Street, with the front door accessible via Dragon Street, in Petersfield. When you arrive, Carolyn - who has been welcoming patients here for over 20 years will greet you by name. There is no signing in on a screen, no number to take. Just a warm welcome from someone who genuinely cares.
The space is calm and unhurried. We think carefully about the environment - the light, the atmosphere, the sense that you are not one of thirty patients being processed that morning. You are not.
The appointment itself
Your new patient appointment is with one of our dentists and is typically 45 minutes to an hour. That is considerably longer than most practices allow, and deliberately so.
Your dentist will begin by sitting down with you - not standing over you in the chair - and asking about your past dental experiences, dental history, your concerns, what you are hoping to achieve and what your long term goal is. We listen. This conversation matters. It shapes everything that follows.
The clinical examination is thorough. We check your teeth, your gums, your bite, the soft tissues of your mouth, and your jaw joints and neck. Understanding your jaw, your bite and the different pressures exerted on your teeth, is essential to providing you with excellent dentistry that lasts.
We take photographs and, where clinically indicated, X-rays - which are always included as part of your appointment with no additional charge. If required, we will take a full digital scan of your teeth - a precise, three-dimensional record that gives us a level of diagnostic detail that traditional impressions simply cannot match.
What happens next
At the end of your appointment, your dentist will talk you through their findings. Not in clinical language designed to impress or alarm, but clearly and honestly —
what they have found, what they recommend, and why.
For us, our responsibility is to educate you on what is happening in your mouth and what the picture could look like in the future. By doing that we give the power back to you and give you full control of the future of your dental health.
You will receive a written treatment plan setting out any recommended treatment and the associated fees.
There is no obligation to proceed with anything, and no pressure to make any decisions on the day. We would rather you went away and thought about it than felt rushed into something.
If you need time, take it. We will be here.
Something worth knowing
Many of our patients have been with us for decades.
Some came as children and now bring their own children.
Some were referred by a friend or family member who has been a patient for years.
That kind of continuity is not something that happens by accident. It happens when people feel genuinely looked after - when they trust the people caring for them. Deep and meaningful relationships are built over years, not visits.
Your first appointment is the beginning of that relationship. We take it seriously.
Ready to book?
If you would like to arrange a new patient appointment
at The Lodge, please call us on 01730 266350. We would
be glad to hear from you.
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The Lodge Private Dental Care · Dolphin Court, High Street, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 3JP · 01730 266350
Timeless dentistry, crafted with care.