General & cosmetic dentistry
Dentistry that explains itself first.
Longer appointments, written plans, and no treatment agreed in the chair that you have not had time to think about. If it can wait, we will tell you so.
Opening hours
- Monday & Wednesday
- 8:00 – 18:00
- Tuesday & Thursday
- 8:00 – 20:00
- Friday
- 8:00 – 14:00
- Saturday
- Urgent only
- Sunday
- Closed
Requests sent overnight are answered when the rooms open the next working morning.
How the rooms work
A small practice, run at a sensible pace
Mara Dapple Dental Rooms is a two-surgery practice looking after adults and children for everyday dentistry, and for the tidying-up work that everyday dentistry sometimes leads to — a replaced filling, a crown on a tired tooth, aligners for teeth that have drifted since school.
Appointments are deliberately longer than the industry habit. That is not a luxury; it is what makes it possible to take proper photographs, measure gums properly, and talk through what we found without anyone watching the clock.
You will always leave with the plan written down, in order of what is urgent and what is optional, including the option of doing nothing for now and reviewing it at your next check.
Good to know
- Accepting new adult and child patients
- Two surgeries, one hygienist room
- Step-free access from street level
- Evening examinations on Tuesday and Thursday
- Same-day urgent slots held back each morning
Treatment index
What each appointment actually involves
Chair time and visit counts are what we plan for in a straightforward case. Anything more complicated is discussed before it is booked, never after.
| Treatment | What it is for | Visits | Chair time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine examination | A full look around: teeth, gum measurements, soft tissues, and anything worth watching rather than treating. | 1 | 30 min |
| Hygiene visit | Removing hardened deposits, settling early gum inflammation, and working out which brushing habit is letting you down. | 1 | 40 min |
| Tooth-coloured filling | Small to moderate decay, a chipped edge, or replacing an old silver filling that has started to leak. | 1 | 45–60 min |
| Root canal treatment | Keeping a tooth whose nerve has become infected or is dying, instead of removing the tooth. | 1–2 | 90 min |
| Crown or onlay | Rebuilding a cracked, heavily filled or root-treated tooth so it can take normal chewing again. | 2 | 60 min, then 40 min |
| Clear aligner planning | Mild crowding, a twisted front tooth, or teeth that have drifted back after childhood braces. | Consult, then reviews | 45 min |
| Home whitening | Even staining on healthy enamel, done with custom trays at home rather than in one harsh sitting. | 2 | 30 min |
| Urgent appointment | Pain that is keeping you awake, swelling, a broken tooth, or a filling or crown that has come away. | 1 | 20 min |
Not sure which of these you need? Ask for a new patient examination and we will work it out together before anything is booked.
Request an appointmentYour first visit
Four things happen, in this order
Most people who have put off seeing a dentist are not afraid of treatment. They are afraid of not knowing what is coming. So here it is.
A quiet start
We talk first, with nothing in your mouth: medical history, what has been bothering you, and what you would like your teeth to be able to do.
A proper look
Examination, gum measurements, photographs, and small x-rays only where they will change what we advise.
The findings, plainly
We show you the photographs and name each option, including leaving something alone and watching it. You hear what happens if you wait.
Your plan, your pace
The plan is written down in order of urgency. Book it all, book one step, or take it home and think about it.
If you would rather not be here
Nervous patients are the normal case, not the exception
About half of the people we see would happily be somewhere else. These are the practical things we do about it — no bravery required from you.
- A stop signal, agreed firstRaise a hand and everything stops, mid-treatment, no explanation needed. We rehearse it before we begin.
- Numbing gel before every injectionEvery time, not only when asked. The slow injection technique takes an extra minute and is worth it.
- Quiet mornings held backThe first appointments of the day are kept for anxious patients, so there is nobody waiting and no rush.
- As much or as little detail as you wantSome people want every step narrated. Others want headphones and no commentary at all. Tell us which.
- A first visit with no treatment in itIf you would rather just come in, sit up, and talk, ask for a talk-only appointment. Nothing will be started.
Questions
The things people ask before booking
I have not seen a dentist in years. Will I get a lecture?
No. It is the single most common thing we hear, and telling someone off has never fixed a tooth. We start from where you are now, sort out anything uncomfortable first, and leave the longer list for later visits.
How often should I actually come in?
It depends on your gums and how quickly you form deposits, not on a fixed rule. Some people genuinely need two visits a year, others are fine with one. We will recommend an interval at your examination and explain what it is based on.
Will I know the cost before treatment starts?
Yes. Nothing is started without a written plan that lists each item and its cost. If a tooth turns out to need more than we expected once we are working on it, we stop, explain, and get your agreement before continuing.
Do you see children?
Yes, from their first teeth onwards. Early visits are short and deliberately uneventful — sitting in the chair, counting teeth, a look with a mirror — so that the room is familiar long before anything needs doing.
What counts as an urgent appointment?
Pain that is stopping you sleeping or is not helped by ordinary painkillers, swelling around a tooth or in the face, a tooth broken by an accident, or a crown or filling that has come out and left a sharp edge. Sensitivity to cold that settles in a few seconds is not urgent, but do mention it at your next visit.
Are x-rays taken at every appointment?
No. We take them when they will change the advice we give — checking between teeth that touch, or looking at the root of a tooth that is giving trouble. Otherwise we compare against the images already on file.
Can I bring someone in with me?
Please do. There is room for one person beside the chair, and a second pair of ears is useful when there is a plan to remember. For children, one parent or carer stays in the room throughout.
What if I need to move or cancel an appointment?
Reply to your confirmation email and we will move it. Longer appointments are hard to refill at short notice, so as much warning as you can manage helps us offer the slot to someone waiting.
Request an appointment
Tell us what you need and when suits
This is a request, not a confirmed booking — we will reply with the times we can actually offer you.
What happens next
- We read the request the next working morning and check it against the book.
- You get an email with two or three times that fit what you asked for.
- Reply to pick one. That reply is what confirms the appointment.
In pain right now? Say so in the notes and put “urgent” at the start of your message. Urgent slots are held back each morning and are given out in the order requests arrive.