By Dr Elizabeth Crake
Between the school run, work, after-school clubs and weekend sport, finding time for the dentist can feel like one juggling act too many. That's exactly why so many of our Wimbledon families have switched to a simple trick: booking everyone's check-ups together, back to back, on the same visit. One trip into the Village, one block in the diary, and the whole family ticked off until next time. Here's why scheduling family dental appointments together is one of the easiest ways to keep busy lives, and healthy smiles, on track.
One trip instead of four
The biggest win is the most obvious one: fewer journeys. Parking in Wimbledon Village is at a premium, and a separate appointment for each family member can mean four or five trips a year wrestled into the calendar. Grouping everyone into consecutive slots turns that into a single visit, you arrive once, park once, and leave with everyone seen.
It also makes the rhythm of dental care easier to sustain. Regular check-ups and preventive care only protect your family if they actually happen, and an appointment that fits neatly around everyone else's is one you're far more likely to keep.
Less time off school and work
A back-to-back family booking means one shared slice of time away from the classroom or the office rather than several. Slot one child's check-up alongside the others and your own examination, and the whole family is done inside a single window. For parents commuting into town, a Saturday or early-morning block keeps the working week undisturbed.
Children under 18 receive free NHS dental care in England, and keeping their visits aligned with yours means no separate afternoon off school for a routine check. The NHS sets out who qualifies for free care, and our reception team can help you make the most of it.
Plan around the calendar that rules SW19. Wimbledon Village gets noticeably busier through Championships fortnight and on sunny Common weekends, so parking and traffic are tighter. Booking a single family block, ideally a quieter weekday morning, means one easy trip rather than several stop-start runs into the Village during peak season.
Building shared healthy habits
There's a quieter benefit to going together, too. When a check-up is something the whole family does side by side, it stops being a chore and becomes a normal part of life. Younger children take their cue from older siblings and parents who sit calmly in the chair, one of the simplest ways to prevent dental anxiety taking hold.
Those shared visits reinforce the habits that matter most at home:
- Twice-daily brushing with a fluoride toothpaste, as the NHS recommends, supervised for younger children until around age seven.
- Cutting back on sugary snacks and drinks, especially between meals.
- Keeping to the recall interval your dentist sets for each person.
- Adding a hygienist visit for older children and adults, which is particularly worthwhile against Wimbledon's hard water and coffee staining.
When good habits are a family project rather than a solo task, they're far more likely to stick for life.
How often should each family member be seen?
There's no single answer that fits everyone, recall intervals are tailored to each person's risk. The NHS guidance, based on NICE recommendations, sets the range below. Knowing roughly when each family member is due makes it easy to find a shared slot.
| Group | Typical recall interval |
|---|---|
| Children & young people (under 18) | 3 to 12 months |
| Adults, lower risk | Up to 24 months |
| Adults, higher risk | 3 to 12 months |
Your dentist agrees the right interval with each person. Aligning everyone toward the same month is the easy part, our team is happy to nudge the dates so the family lines up.
What a family visit costs
Booking together saves time, not money, each appointment costs the same. NHS care remains free for under-18s, and our private fees are simple and transparent. Here are the prices most families book.
| 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) | £55 |
| Standard hygiene clean (adult) | £90 |
| Children's hygiene (under 17) | £80 |
| NHS care for under-18s | Free |
| Denplan family membership (per adult · inc. 2 exams + 2 hygienes) | Contact us for pricing |
Prices are confirmed at your appointment. For the full list, see our general & family dentistry page.
Book your family's check-ups in one visit
Our family team, with Dr Elizabeth Crake, will group your appointments into convenient back-to-back slots at The Dental Lounges Wimbledon, mornings and Saturdays available.
Book an appointment View family dentistryMaking the most of a family booking
A few simple steps help a group visit run smoothly:
- Ask reception to align your dates. Tell us who's due and we'll find consecutive slots, or set you all on the same recall going forward.
- Pick the calmest time. Mornings tend to suit younger children, while early-evening or Saturday blocks keep the working week clear.
- Consider a membership plan. Denplan spreads the cost of exams and hygiene across the year, which can simplify budgeting for a whole household.
- Bundle hygiene where it helps. Adults and teenagers can add a hygiene visit to the same trip.
Whenever you're ready, our friendly team in Wimbledon Village would be glad to organise the whole family into a single, stress-free visit.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, our Wimbledon Village reception can group your family's check-ups into back-to-back slots so everyone is seen on the same morning or afternoon. It means one trip into the Village, one parking session and far less disruption to school and work.
The NHS recommends an interval between three months and two years, set by your dentist based on each person's risk. Many healthy adults and children are seen every 6 to 12 months. Booking everyone together makes those recurring visits much easier to keep.
Yes, NHS dental care is free for children under 18 in England. We also offer private family check-ups, with children from £55 to £60, so you can book the whole family into convenient, unhurried slots around school and work.
