By Dr Elizabeth Crake
If you live near Wimbledon Common, you already know the value of having the things you rely on close to home. A family dentist is one of them. The right practice keeps everyone, from toddlers to grandparents, on the same trusted books, makes appointments easy to keep, and turns dental care into a simple routine. Here's what to look for when choosing a family dentist around the Common, and how our team in Wimbledon Village fits into life this side of SW19.
Why proximity to the Common matters
When your practice is a short walk or drive from home, you're far more likely to attend regular check-ups, bring children in early, and pop in quickly if something goes wrong. From the Common and the surrounding streets, our practice at 92 High Street in Wimbledon Village is just up the hill, so a family appointment can slot neatly around the school run, a morning on the Common or a weekend errand.
Choosing locally also means one familiar team gets to know your whole family's history, the nervous youngster, the teenager in braces, the parent grinding their teeth through a busy week. That shared context is the foundation of good general and family dentistry.
What to look for in a family dentist
Not every practice is set up for families. As you compare options near the Common, it helps to have a simple checklist. The table below sets out the features that matter most when one practice needs to care for several generations at once.
| What to look for | Why it matters for families |
|---|---|
| All-ages care under one roof | Children, parents and grandparents on the same books, no juggling different practices |
| Flexible appointment times | Early, late and Saturday slots that fit around school, work and sport |
| Preventive focus | Check-ups, hygiene and advice that stop problems before they start |
| Emergency cover | Same-day help for a knocked tooth or sudden toothache |
| Easy access & parking | Step-free entry and parking nearby make every visit simpler |
| A gentle, patient manner | A calm team puts nervous children, and adults, at ease |
| Transparent pricing | Clear, upfront fees with no surprises on the bill |
If a practice ticks most of those boxes, you've found somewhere that can grow with your family for years.
All-ages care, from first tooth to retirement
A true family dentist looks after every stage of life. For little ones, that means gentle first visits and a focus on building confidence; NHS dental care is free for children under 18 in England, so there's every reason to start early. For teenagers, it might mean monitoring how adult teeth come through or discussing straightening with Invisalign. For parents and grandparents, it's routine check-ups, hygiene visits and restorative care as needed.
- Toddlers & young children, familiarisation visits, fluoride advice and good brushing habits
- School-age children, check-ups, fissure sealants where helpful and sports mouthguards
- Teenagers, bite and alignment monitoring, plus orthodontic options
- Adults, examinations, hygiene visits, fillings and cosmetic care
- Older adults, care for crowns, bridges, gum health and dry mouth
Sport on the Common? Protect those smiles. The Common is a hub for rugby, hockey, football and riding, and a stray ball, stick or fall can chip or knock out a tooth in an instant. For anyone playing contact or stick sports, a custom-fitted mouthguard is one of the best investments you can make. It fits closely, stays put and cushions the teeth far better than a shop-bought version, and if an accident does happen, our emergency dentist service is just up the hill in the Village.
How often should your family visit?
There's no single answer that fits everyone. The NHS advises that your dentist sets a recall interval based on your individual risk, anywhere from as long as two years for low-risk adults to as short as three months for higher-risk patients. Children are often seen more frequently as their teeth develop. The guideline table below shows the general pattern many of our families follow.
| Group | Typical check-up interval |
|---|---|
| Low-risk adults | Up to 24 months |
| Most adults & families | Every 6–12 months |
| Children & teenagers | As advised, often 6–12 months |
| Higher-risk patients | As short as every 3 months |
Register your family with a Wimbledon Village practice
Gentle, all-ages care close to the Common with Dr Elizabeth Crake and the team at The Dental Lounges Wimbledon. New patients welcome six days a week.
Book an appointment View family dentistryWhat family care costs at our practice
Clear, upfront pricing is part of being a good family dentist. We never spring surprises on the bill, and any further treatment is always quoted before it goes ahead. Here are our real, transparent prices for everyday family care:
| Appointment | Price |
|---|---|
| New patient exam (inc. 2 X-rays & oral cancer screening) | Contact us for current fees |
| Regular patient check-up (X-rays extra) | £80 |
| Child check-up (new patient, under 17) | £60 |
| Child check-up (regular patient) | £55 |
| Standard hygiene clean | £90 |
| New patient emergency appointment | £150 |
| NHS care for under-18s | Free |
| Denplan family membership (per adult, inc. 2 exams + 2 hygienes) | Contact us for current pricing |
Prices are confirmed at your appointment. You can see the full list on our general dentistry page, and you're always welcome to ask us anything first.
Getting to us from the Common
We're at the top of the High Street in Wimbledon Village, a short hop from the Common's open spaces. There's parking nearby, step-free access inside, and appointment times from early morning into the evening, with Saturdays by arrangement, so a family visit rarely means rearranging your whole day. You can read more about our team on the about page, or get in touch whenever suits you. Whether you're booking a first check-up for a toddler or moving the whole household to one trusted practice, we'd be glad to welcome your family.
Frequently asked questions
Look for a practice that treats every age under one roof, offers flexible times around school and work, has step-free access and parking nearby, and provides preventive care, hygiene and emergency cover. Being close to the Common and Village makes regular check-ups far easier to keep.
The NHS recommends an interval set by your dentist based on individual risk, as long as two years for low-risk adults and as short as three months for higher-risk patients. Many families settle on every six to twelve months, and children may be seen more often as their teeth develop.
For contact and stick sports such as rugby, hockey and football played around the Common, a custom-fitted mouthguard is strongly advised. The Oral Health Foundation recommends professionally made mouthguards because they fit closely, stay in place and protect teeth better than boil-and-bite versions.
