Family appointments together · Free parking outside the door

Little check-ups, big habits — children's & family dentistry in Rugby

The best thing we can give a child isn't a filling done well — it's growing up thinking the dentist is completely normal. Gentle first visits, check-ups the whole family can book together, and prevention that saves everyone drama later.

  • Children's check-ups £20 — and free for Dental Plan members' children
  • Book the family in together — one trip, everyone seen
  • Nervous little ones welcome — first visits can be just a hello and a ride in the chair
Book a family visit   Call 01788 579 577

Sound familiar?

Still hunting for a dentist that'll take the kids?

Between the school run, work and everything else, "find the children a dentist" has probably lived on your list for a while — especially with NHS places so hard to come by. Meanwhile the children get older, and the habit that matters most (going, routinely, without fuss) isn't being built.

Here's the honest picture: we're a private practice, so children's check-ups are £20 — not free like the NHS. But there's no waiting list, the whole family can be seen together, and if a parent joins the £22/month plan, the children's check-ups are included free. (Still want to pursue an NHS place? Our honest NHS guide shows you how — no hard feelings.)

What a child's visit looks like

Gentle, unhurried and occasionally giggly

First: hello, and a go in the chair

For little ones, the first visit is about the place, not the teeth — a ride in the magic chair, counting teeth with a mirror, a sticker. No instruments they haven't met, nothing done without them being ready.

Then: the actual check-up

A gentle look at how the teeth and jaws are developing, spotting anything early — when fixes are small, quick and rarely dramatic. You're in the room the whole time, and you'll always know what we've seen.

Always: prevention

Brushing coaching pitched at your child (and honest answers for you — including the surprising foods loaded with sugar). The goal is a child who never needs the drill at all.

The family maths

One trip, everyone sorted — and how the plan changes the sums

Pay as you go

Adult new-patient check-up £45 for a limited time (usually £65) · children £20 each. Every price published, nothing sprung on you.

Parent on the plan

From £22/month a parent's check-ups and Airflow® hygiene visits are covered — and their children's check-ups are free. For a family of regulars, it usually beats paying per visit. Plan details →

Book together

Tell reception you're booking as a family and we'll line the appointments up back-to-back — one school-friendly trip, free parking at the door, everyone done.

The honest bit

Three straight answers most practices skip

Scared kids are never forced

A child who's marched to the chair learns to dread it — the opposite of the point. If today's visit gets as far as a hello and a look around, that's a good visit. We play the long game.

Parents set the weather

Children borrow their nerves from us. If you're anxious yourself, tell us — we're rather good with nervous adults too — and we'll keep waiting-room talk breezy. Words like "hurt" and "brave" stay outside.

Some things we refer

If a child ever needs complex treatment or care under general anaesthetic, that belongs with a specialist — and we'll say so and refer properly rather than have a go. You'll always get the honest recommendation.

And it's our nursing team — Suze, Nitya and Milly — who are the not-so-secret weapon with wobbly little patients. Sticker distribution is taken very seriously.

Asked at the school gates

Children's dentistry questions, answered honestly

When should my child first see a dentist?
Earlier than most people think: from when the first teeth appear, and ideally by their first birthday. Early visits aren't really about the teeth — they're about making the dentist a normal, boring part of life before any fear has a chance to form. It's also when we can catch habits and diet issues while they're easy to steer.
How much does a children's check-up cost?
£20 — and free for children of Dental Plan members (the plan starts at £22/month for the parent). Any treatment a child ever needs is priced in writing first, like everything here.
My child is terrified / refused to open their mouth last time. What then?
Completely normal, and genuinely fine. We'll slow everything down — a chat, a chair ride, maybe just counting teeth with a mirror. Some children need two or three gentle visits before a proper look, and that investment pays back for the rest of their lives. Nobody here will ever hold a child down or push through tears.
Do you see children on the NHS?
No — we're a fully private practice, so we can't offer free NHS children's care. If an NHS place is what you need, our honest NHS guide shows you how to pursue one. Plenty of families use us in the meantime — £20 check-ups, or free with a parent on the plan — rather than let the wait become no visits at all.
How often should children have check-ups?
Usually every six to twelve months — your dentist will recommend the right interval for your child based on their teeth, diet and risk. Children's teeth change fast, so regular beats occasional.
What about sweets — realistically?
Realistically: it's less about how much sugar and more about how often — constant grazing and sugary drinks between meals do the damage. Sweets with meals, water in between, and watch the "healthy" impostors — we've written up the surprising foods that are high in sugar. No family goes sugar-free; aim for sugar-smart.
My teenager wants straighter teeth — where do we start?
With an honest assessment. Depending on their teeth and age, options range from Invisalign to fixed braces — our teeth-straightening guide compares them properly, with real prices on everything.
Can we all be seen in one visit?
Yes — tell reception you're booking as a family and we'll arrange back-to-back appointments so it's one trip. Free parking directly outside, and the waiting room copes admirably with small people.

Two ways this goes

The dentist becomes boring

Check-ups become a routine nobody thinks twice about. Problems get caught while they're tiny, the children collect stickers, and "going to the dentist" never becomes a thing that needs courage — for them or for you.

It stays on the list

Another term rolls by, the NHS search stays fruitless, and the first visit eventually happens because something hurts — the worst possible introduction. If now's not the time, fair enough. But the habit is the cheapest gift going.

No pressure — ever

Get the family booked in

Book online, call 01788 579 577 and tell us it's a family visit — or leave your number and Georgia will ring you back to sort the logistics.

Book a family visit

Thanks — Georgia will call you back within working hours. Talk soon.

Rugby Smiles Dental Clinic · 3 Newbold Road, Rugby CV21 2LQ · Free parking outside the door

Call us Book family visit