FAQs
Here are some common questions we’ve answered for our patients
We hope these answers will cover most queries. If not, we’ll get right back to you.
enquiries@whitehousedentalclinic.com 01252 722504
How do I book an appointment?
Please ring 01252 722504 and Gill or Justine would be delighted to help or if it’s more convenient send us an email at enquiries@whitehousedentalclinic.com and we’ll get back to you straight away. If you’d like to come in and meet the team and see the practice before arranging an appointment, we’d love to welcome you. Have a coffee and hopefully we’ll be able to answer any questions. Before any booked appointment, we’ll send you a reminder by text. If you need to cancel or change an appointment we’d really love as much notice as possible, at least 24 hours.
Where can I park?
There are a couple of car parks very close to the practice. The nearest is St James’car park about 80 yards away, just off Dogflud Way. First turning on the left as you go down the hill immediately before a sign for ‘FARNHAM BUSINESS CENTRE'. The charges are currently 90p for 1 hour & £1.90 for 2 hours and the ‘RINGO’ code is 16236. (Coins and mobile payments with RingGo).
What do I do if I have a dental emergency and need urgent help?
If you find that you have a dental emergency during our normal surgery hours you should contact the practice and we'll ensure you’re offered an appointment with either Duncan or Grug, that day. It helps us if you contact us as early in the day as you can, although we do understand that as dental emergencies are unpredictable and can occur at any time this is not always possible. We guarantee same day appointments for our registered patients. If the emergency occurs when the practice is closed, we belong to the local emergency dental advice scheme, which provides cover for evenings, weekends & public holidays. The details of this service can be found by dialing our telephone number – 01252 722504 – outside surgery hours and having a pen and paper ready to take down a few details.
What are the ways I can pay my bill?
We’re happy to accept all debit and most major credit cards (excluding American Express). Payments may be made also by cash.
I haven’t visited the dentist for some time, I feel embarrassed.
You’ve made a pretty big leap already in picking up the phone. We’re here to look forward and not to the past. Rest assured we shalln’t reprimand you for the condition of your teeth. We’re all about solutions. We’ll discuss the options available to you, hold your hand through the whole process and get your mouth back on track in the right way and time frame that’s best suits you.
I'm really scared of the dentist. Can you help me ?
Many people feel a bit nervous at the thought of seeing the dentist, particularly a new dentist. Sometimes this fear or phobia is so severe it will stop people coming to see us unless they are in really severe pain. It could be you’ve had bad experiences as a child and the smells and sounds in the surgery bring those memories back, or your fear is very specific and you are really scared of injections or the slow drill. Whatever your problem is we can help!
The first thing to do is make an appointment and tell us you are nervous. You will find us sympathetic and friendly. We’re nice kind folk and we don’t tell people off! We’ll listen to you and will do everything we can to help. We use anaesthetic gel to numb your gum before we give the actual anaesthetic. We put you in charge so if you ever want us to stop you just wave at us and we stop. We go at your pace. You mustn’t feel worried about telling us to stop if you’ve had enough.
If you haven’t been to the dentist in a long time you may be really worried about how much treatment you need. Most of the time it is nowhere near as bad as you imagine. The biggest thing is picking up the phone and making that appointment!
Give us a call! We’re nice people.
Are dental X-rays dangerous?
The amount of radiation received from a dental X-ray is extremely small. For several years now we have been using digital radiography technology which reduces the radiation exposure still further. Radiation is present all around us all the time. You get about the same amount of radiation from having two dental X-rays as you do travelling on a flight to Spain. We take your safety and ours very seriously.
We use x rays to take radiographs which give us much more information about your teeth and mouth than we can by just looking visually, even under magnification. It can show us decay between the teeth or under old fillings which if treated early is much easier and less expensive than waiting until the problem becomes obvious . They can show us the position of second teeth in children and what your wisdom teeth roots might be doing. We usually take radiographs every 2 years as part of your regular check up or if we are treating specific teeth.
What can I do if I'm unhappy with my treatment either in or out of the surgery?
We are very proud of the care we provide, and we know that most of our patients most of the time are very happy, but on very rare occasions despite our best efforts we can get it wrong. We promise we will always be very forthright and honest in letting you know if something has gone wrong and do whatever we can to put it right. We genuinely believe a negative comment gives us an opportunity to improve not only our service, but also our relationship with you. So, if you are unhappy please tell us. There are several things you can do. If it is something small and you don’t feel comfortable telling us in person, please fill in the feedback form on this website either saying who you are or anonymously if you prefer. We look at these regularly and discuss your comments at every staff meeting.
If it is something clinical please do initially talk to your dentist. They will always do everything they can to resolve problems. If you are uncomfortable discussing things with your dentist for any reason, or if a non-clinical issue cannot be sorted out by our reception team, then please write to or email Duncan at the practice and he will get back to you straight away. However you communicate with us please be assured we take your feedback very seriously and it will be acted on … Quickly.
Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we have to know that you have their permission to do so, unless they are a child under 16.
In the unlikely event we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction and you would like to progress it further, please speak to our practice manager who will provide you with written comprehensive information to help you to do this effectively.
How do you make sure all your equipment is properly clean and safe?
We adhere to all the latest government regulations advice and guidelines regarding equipment, cross infection and decontamination. All our equipment is properly serviced and maintained and our staff receive regular training to make sure we are completely up to speed. We take your safety and ours very seriously!
Still need more Help?
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