Finding a Family Dentist
A good family dentist makes looking after everyone's teeth simpler: one practice, one team that knows the household, and dental examinations that fit around school and work. Here's what to look for, and how we look after families at Comely Bank Dental.
How Do I Find a Good Family Dentist in Edinburgh?
Look for a practice that can see adults and children together, looks after children on the NHS, puts prevention first, explains fees in writing and can see you quickly when something goes wrong. Comely Bank Dental in Edinburgh sees adults privately and the children of its dental plan members under the NHS, where children's care is free, with family dental examinations booked back to back. An adult new patient examination is £95.
How Do You Find a Good Family Dentist in Edinburgh?
Look for a practice that can see every member of your family, gives children free NHS care, puts prevention first, is clear about fees and can see you quickly when something goes wrong. Recommendations from friends and online reviews help, but they tell you more about the welcome than the dentistry, so it's worth asking a few practical questions too.
At Comely Bank Dental we see our plan members' children under the NHS, where their dental care is free, and adults privately. That means parents and children can be looked after at the same practice, by the same team, with appointments booked together. We don't run a waiting list, so you can register and book straight away.
What Should You Look for in a Family Dentist?
A short checklist worth running through before you register:
- Can they see adults and children? Some practices only take one or the other, or have closed their list for one group. Splitting the family across two practices doubles the admin.
- How is children's care funded? In Scotland, NHS dental treatment is free for children. Check whether the practice registers children under the NHS.
- Is prevention taken seriously? A good family practice spends time on brushing, diet and fluoride, not just on fixing holes.
- Are fees clear? For private care you should see guide prices up front and get a written treatment plan before anything starts.
- Do the hours work for you? Ask whether there's any flexibility around the school and working day.
- What happens in an emergency? Find out how they handle toothache, a broken tooth or a knocked-out tooth.
- How do they look after nervous patients? Most families have at least one person who'd rather be anywhere else. Ask what help is available for adults and for children.
- Is there a waiting list? If someone already has a problem, a practice that can see you now matters more than one that might have space next year.
Register Your Family with Us
Our plan members' children are seen under the NHS and adults privately, and there's no waiting list. Tell us who's joining and we'll book your family's dental examinations together.
Can Parents and Children Be Seen at the Same Practice?
Yes. At Comely Bank Dental, plan members' children are registered and seen under the NHS, and NHS dental treatment for children in Scotland is free. Adults are seen privately; we don't have NHS places for adults.
Having everyone at one practice has advantages beyond convenience:
- Shared habits get noticed. If several people in a household are getting decay in similar places, the cause is often something at home, such as a favourite drink or a snacking pattern. Seeing everyone makes that easier to spot.
- Children learn by watching. A child who has sat in on a parent's calm dental examination usually comes to their own with far less worry.
- One conversation about the family. A teenager's crowded teeth, a toddler's thumb-sucking and a parent's bleeding gums can all be talked through with a team who knows the household.
Booking Family Dental Examinations Back to Back
If you'd like, we'll book family dental examinations one after another so everyone is seen in a single trip. A few things help it run smoothly:
- Tell us who's coming when you call. We can then plan the order, so that, for example, a nervous child can watch a parent go first.
- Book the next round before you leave. It's the easiest way to keep everyone on schedule.
- Think about timing. We're open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm, with later appointments by arrangement, and we're closed at weekends. Appointments in school holidays go quickly, so booking ahead helps.
- Bring medical details. Let us know about medicines, allergies or health changes for each person, children included.
Not everyone needs to be seen at the same interval. How often each person comes is based on their own risk, so one child might need a visit every few months while a parent with healthy gums can go longer. We'll explain the reasoning for each of you.
Why Prevention Matters More Than Anything Else
Most dental problems in families are preventable, and a good family dentist spends as much effort on keeping teeth healthy as on treating them.
For children, that means checking how teeth and jaws are developing, advice on brushing and diet, fluoride varnish painted onto the teeth from around age two, and fissure sealants on the back teeth when they're needed. Our children's dentistry page explains more.
For adults, it means a thorough examination, regular hygiene visits with our hygienist and therapist Katie Ventisei, and catching gum disease, worn fillings and decay early, while they're small and simpler to treat. A 30-minute hygiene visit is £90, and Airflow polishing to lift staining can be added for £30.
For the whole household, the biggest gains usually come from the simplest habits: fluoride toothpaste twice a day, spitting rather than rinsing, cleaning between the teeth, and keeping sugary food and drinks to mealtimes.
What Does a Family Dentist Cost?
For children registered with us under the NHS, dental treatment is free. For adults, our private fees are guide prices, confirmed in a written treatment plan before any treatment starts:
| Appointment | Fee |
|---|---|
| New patient examination | £95 |
| Routine examination | £70 |
| Hygiene visit (30 minutes) | £90 |
| Emergency appointment (registered patients) | £75 |
Many adults choose one of our dental plans rather than paying for each visit. Plan A and Plan B include examinations and hygiene visits, and members save 10% on most private treatment. Children don't need a plan, because their NHS care is already free. The full list of guide prices is on our fees page.
What If Someone in the Family Is Nervous?
Dental anxiety often runs in families, and children quickly pick up on how their parents feel about the dentist. A few things help on all sides:
- For adults, tell us when you book. We'll take things at your pace, explain each step before we do it and agree a signal for stopping. For more involved treatment, IV sedation is available at the practice. Our nervous patients page explains the options.
- For children, we keep early visits short and positive, and let them get used to the chair, the light and the mirror before anything else. We won't push a child who isn't ready.
- For parents, try to keep your own worries out of the conversation. Avoid words like 'hurt' or 'needle', and never use the dentist as a threat. Simple, matter-of-fact language works best.
What If Someone Needs an Emergency Appointment?
Toothache, a broken tooth or a knocked-out tooth rarely happens at a convenient time. We keep emergency appointments for patients in pain, so ring us as early in the day as you can. For registered adults an emergency appointment is £75; if you're not yet registered with us it's £99. Children registered with us are seen under the NHS.
We're closed at weekends. Outside our opening hours, NHS 24 on 111 can advise you and direct you to urgent care.
If a child knocks out an adult tooth, hold it by the crown, put it back in the socket if you can or keep it in milk, and get help straight away. A knocked-out baby tooth shouldn't be put back. Our emergencies page has more on what to do.
A Family Dentist in North Edinburgh
We're at 3 Comely Bank, Edinburgh EH4 1AN, and look after families from the surrounding streets as well as Stockbridge, Inverleith, Fettes, Craigleith and Blackhall.
Registering is simple: call us on 0131 332 3971, email info@comelybankdental.co.uk or book online, and tell us who you'd like to register. Because there's no waiting list, we can usually book your family's first dental examinations straight away.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.