Thyme Thread is a two-chair studio. We book longer appointments than most practices so that a check-up, a cleaning and the conversation about what comes next all fit in one sitting — and you leave knowing the plan.
Most dental questions fall into one of four visits. Here is what each one includes and who it tends to suit, so you can ask for the right appointment rather than a generic one.
A full examination with a hygiene appointment attached, rather than two separate bookings weeks apart.
SuitsAnyone due a routine visit, or returning after a gap of a few years.
Repair work for decay, cracks and worn-down old restorations, shade-matched to the teeth around it.
SuitsSensitivity when biting, a rough edge you can feel, or a filling that has chipped.
Straightening for mild and moderate crowding, with a frank answer when a case needs an orthodontist instead.
SuitsAdults with front-tooth crowding, relapse after childhood braces, or a lost retainer.
A short assessment visit to find the cause, settle the pain and agree what the proper repair should be.
SuitsPain that wakes you, a broken tooth, or swelling that appeared overnight.
A first appointment with us runs about an hour. Nothing irreversible happens at it — no drilling, no decisions made on the spot. You will know the cost of any treatment before it is booked.
We start seated upright, not reclined. You tell us your dental history, what has gone badly before, and what you want from the next few years.
About 10 minutesTeeth, gums, bite and jaw joints, plus a check of the soft tissues in your mouth and neck. We describe what we see as we go, rather than dictating codes across you.
About 20 minutesRadiographs are taken when there is a specific question to answer — a shadow between teeth, a deep old filling, a tooth that has been sore. Not as routine.
About 5 minutesIf your gums are healthy enough, the cleaning happens in the same visit. Where there is inflammation, we plan a longer session instead so it is done properly.
About 25 minutesYou leave with the findings written down, in order of urgency, with the cost of each item and what happens if you choose to wait. Treatment is booked afterwards, not under pressure.
Sent the same day
“Most people who describe themselves as bad at the dentist are describing a bad appointment they once had, not a fact about themselves.”
Saying you will be gentle costs nothing. These are the specific things we do differently, and you can ask for any of them by name when you arrive.
Raise your left hand and the instruments come out of your mouth, every time, without a negotiation about finishing the section first.
Topical gel goes on and is given time to work before any injection, and the anaesthetic itself is warmed and delivered slowly, which is most of what people feel.
If mornings are easier for you, we book mornings. Anxious patients get the first slot of the day, when the practice is quiet and nothing is running late.
Inhalation sedation is available for longer treatment, and it wears off quickly enough that you can usually get on with the rest of your day.
You are welcome to book a first appointment where we only talk and look. Some people need two or three of those before anything else, and that is a reasonable way to start.
Including ours. Changing dentist is hard to judge from the outside, so these are the questions that tend to reveal how a practice actually works.
Two chairs, one hygienist, and a deliberately unhurried book. Urgent assessment slots are released at the start of each weekday morning.
| Monday | 8:00 – 17:00 · urgent slots from 8:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 8:00 – 19:00 · late treatment appointments |
| Wednesday | 8:00 – 17:00 · urgent slots from 8:00 |
| Thursday | 9:00 – 19:00 · late hygiene appointments |
| Friday | 8:00 – 15:00 · examinations only |
| Saturday | 9:00 – 12:30 · hygiene and check-ups |
| Sunday | Closed |
Everything you take regularly, including supplements and anything prescribed in the last year.
Conditions, allergies and any recent surgery. It changes what anaesthetic and antibiotics we can use.
Recent radiographs from a previous practice, if you have them. It can save you a repeat set.
Any night guard, retainer or partial denture you currently wear, so we can check the fit.
Honest answers, including the ones where the answer is “it depends, and here is what it depends on”.
We cannot tell you before we have looked, and anyone who quotes a filling over the phone is guessing. What we can promise is the order of events: examination first, then a written plan with a price against every item, then you decide.
If a tooth turns out to be worse once we are working on it, we stop, explain the change and get your agreement before continuing.
Book a first visit and write “nervous patient” in the notes on the request form. That gets you the first appointment of the day and a dentist who knows before you walk in.
You can also ask for a talk-only visit where nothing goes in your mouth at all. Plenty of people start there.
As soon as their first teeth appear, though the early visits are mostly about getting used to the room. A toddler can sit on your lap in the chair while we count teeth, and that is a successful appointment.
Children are booked alongside a parent's own check-up wherever the diary allows, so it is one trip rather than two.
Check-ups and hygiene visits are recommended rather than avoided, because gums react strongly to pregnancy and bleed more easily. Tell us the stage you are at when you book.
Routine radiographs and elective treatment are usually deferred, while anything painful or infected is treated promptly — leaving it carries more risk than treating it.
It varies far more than the standard six-month rule suggests. Healthy gums and little staining may only need a yearly visit; gum disease, smoking or a dry mouth may call for every three or four months.
We set an interval based on what we measure at your examination, and revisit it as things improve.
They work well for mild to moderate crowding and for relapse after childhood braces. They are a poor choice for large bite corrections, significant jaw discrepancies and some rotated teeth.
We will tell you plainly if your case belongs with an orthodontist rather than with us. Starting the wrong treatment is more expensive than referring it.
Pain that keeps you awake or does not respond to ordinary painkillers, facial swelling, a tooth knocked out or pushed out of position, and bleeding that will not stop. Those get a same-week assessment slot.
A chipped edge, a lost filling with no pain, or a crown that has come off cleanly is uncomfortable but not urgent, and is usually better booked into a proper repair appointment.
Yes. Your notes and radiographs belong to you, and your previous practice can transfer them on request. Bring recent images with you if you already have copies.
If nothing is available, we work from a fresh examination. It is not a problem — it just means we may need a new set of radiographs sooner.
Tell us roughly when suits you and what the appointment is for. We reply with two or three specific times rather than a form letter.