Quality dental care by the experts in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Business Hours:
Mon to Thurs: 9am - 5pm (closed between 1pm and 2pm) Fri: 9am- 1pm.
We are closed on public holidays and weekends.
We try to take a small intake of NHS patients every month, but this is dependant on availability. We recommend phoning on a monthly basis for updates on the waiting list.
We do offer private treatment as well as NHS; private allows a wider scope of treatment, materials, and more detailed lab-work than what is available on the NHS. We also occasionally offer extended opening hours for private patients/ treatment; please enquire at reception.
We have limited on the day emergency appointments available. Emergency appointments are given on a first come first served basis by phoning at 9am. On busy days we may have to triage patients in order of need. Registered patients take priority. If your condition is not deemed an emergency, you will be offered an appointment at the next available time which may mean waiting for a few days. Our weekend answer machine gives contact details for OOH care.
If you are not registered with us, we can offer a one off emergency appointment to get you out of pain, subject to appointment availability. The website for the DAS Scheme (Dental Access Scheme) has further information.
Please arrive 5-10 minutes before your scheduled appointment time in order to complete any necessary paperwork or medical history forms.
When attending an appointment please bring an up to date list of medications/ allergies. Having an accurate up to date medical history is VERY important, as many drugs or health conditions can affect your oral health and the treatment we provide. Illegal drug use is completely confidential but important for us to know as many of these drugs can interact with the anaesthetic we use.
Please bring in date proof of exemption from dental charges if applicable. Please note Universal Credit does not
automatically entitle you to free dental treatment- please check this before attending, as if you do not have appropriate evidence of exemption you may have to pay.
No shows/ late cancellations where we have not been given sufficient time to book someone else in, are charged from £25; the longer the appointment, the higher the charge, up to £100. This is payable even if you are exempt from NHS charges. If you are phoning out of hours to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please leave a message on the answer machine.
Where possible, please attend with clean teeth- if you are attending with children please try and ensure their teeth are cleaned before attending. Kids are very wiggly and if we have to scale their teeth before being able to examine them, we are often fighting an uphill battle!
We are happy to arrange appointments for both adults and children to go over detailed toothbrushing technique, flossing and diet advice; please enquire at reception.
If you have any active cold sores, COVID symptoms, active throat/ chest infections, or vomiting/ diarrhoea within 48 hours of your appointment, we kindly ask that you reschedule. Masks are optional but recommended.
We have a zero tolerance policy on any form of rudeness or aggression towards staff- we reserve the right to refuse to see you at any time. We are one of an ever dwindling number of NHS practices due to poor government funding- we ask for your patience when seeking appointments as we are very very busy. We will always do our best to accommodate you.
Our patient toilets are currently out of order.
We always have anonymous patient feedback forms available at reception. Our complaints policy is available from reception. We always appreciate any positive feedback or reviews 😊
Our contact details
Tel: 028 9037 0951
Email: loughside@hotmail.com
Loughside Dental Practice
214-216 Shore Road,
BELFAST, BT15 3QB
