Your first visit, described in advance.
Nothing at Northlight should be a surprise, least of all the first hour. Below is exactly what happens and in what order — what it costs, what you can decline, and what we will not do to you on day one.
Three small things, none of them urgent.
Book
Online in about a minute, or by phone if you’d rather speak to Halime. Say if you want a longer appointment — it costs nothing and it’s yours for the asking.
Fill in the health form
We email it the same day. Four minutes, on the sofa, in your own time — much better than doing it on a clipboard in a waiting room with your coat on.
Bring almost nothing
A list of any medicines you take, and the name of your last practice if you can remember it. If you can’t, we will manage perfectly well without it.
Forty-five minutes, in order.
- 0 min
You arrive
Coat off, sit down, no clipboard. If we’re running late — it happens — you’ll be told at the door, not at the twenty-minute mark.
- 5 min
The chat
Upright, fully clothed, nothing in your mouth. What brought you in, what you’ve been avoiding, what you actually want out of this. Most of the appointment is decided here.
- 15 min
The look around
Teeth, gums, bite, and a soft-tissue check of your tongue, cheeks and neck — the part nobody mentions and everybody should have.
- 25 min
Photographs, X-rays if needed
Digital and low dose. We don’t take them by default; we take them when there’s a question only they can answer, and we say what the question is.
- 35 min
The screen turns round
This is the bit people remember. You see what we see, at proper size, and you get to ask the obvious questions without anyone sighing.
- 45 min
The plan and the number
Written, itemised, priced, printed. You take it home. Nobody follows up with a phone call you didn’t agree to.
You will not be treated on your first visit unless you specifically ask to be. No cleaning, no filling, no “while you’re here”. The first appointment exists to work out what’s true, and that’s all it does.
First visit £59, X-rays included if we take any. In pain instead? That’s an emergency appointment, £85, and the £85 comes off whatever fixes it — see the full price list.
Six things you’re allowed to ask for.
None of these need explaining and none of them cost extra. Say the word when you book, or say it at the door — Sam will have already assumed half of them anyway.
The talk-only appointment
Twenty minutes, free, no examination. Sit in the room, look at the chair, ask every question you’ve been embarrassed to ask. Leave. Some people do this twice before booking anything.
The raised hand
Put a hand up at any point and everything stops — not just the drill, the appointment. Nobody here will be annoyed. It is a rule, not a courtesy.
Bring someone
A friend, a partner, a parent. They can sit in the room. It is your appointment and we are not precious about who’s in it.
Sedation, if you want it
Inhalation sedation from £180 a session. You stay awake and in control, and you can drive yourself home half an hour later.
Headphones on
Bring your own, play whatever you like, loud. We will tap your shoulder rather than talk over it.
No lecture. Ever.
Nobody here is going to ask why you left it so long. We already know why. Roughly a third of our new patients haven’t seen anyone in over five years.
The eight questions we get every week.
I haven’t been to a dentist in years. Will you tell me off?
No. It is the single most common thing new patients say to us and we have no interest in the reason. We look, we tell you what we find, and we work out the order to fix it in — usually starting with whatever is hurting or whatever is bothering you in photographs, your choice.
Are you an NHS practice?
No, Northlight is private. That is why every price is published on this site rather than sorted into bands you have to look up. If you want NHS care we will say so plainly and point you at the local list rather than quietly take the appointment.
Can I get a quote before I commit to anything?
Yes, and you should. The first visit ends with a written, itemised quote that you take home. There is no charge for the quote beyond the £59 exam, no expiry date on it, and no follow-up call unless you ask for one.
Do you do payment plans?
Anything over £500 can be spread over ten months at 0% — arranged at reception with Bex, decided the same day. Longer terms are available on treatment over £2,000 and those do carry interest, which we will show you in pounds rather than as a percentage.
Can I bring my children?
Yes. Children under 12 are free on a parent’s Northlight Plan, and Theo sees the under-16s. First visits for small children are mostly a ride in the chair and a look in a mirror — we are not trying to get anything done.
What if I need to cancel?
Twenty-four hours’ notice and there is no charge, ever. Less than that and we may ask for half the appointment fee, because the slot usually can’t be filled — though if you’ve had a genuinely bad day, tell us and we’ll drop it.
Where do I park?
There are six spaces behind the building off the lane, and the parade itself is free after 6pm and on Sundays. If they’re full, the multi-storey two streets over validates for an hour at reception.
Something hurts and it’s Saturday night. What do I do?
Call the practice number. The out-of-hours message gives you the on-call line, which is answered by one of our own dentists rather than a call centre. If it can wait until Monday we will tell you how to get through the night.
No rush. The slot will still be there next month.
But it is easier to book it now than to think about booking it for another year. Forty-five minutes, £59, and nothing gets done to you that you haven't agreed to.