01
Exam & hygiene visit
A full check of teeth, gums and soft tissue, followed by scaling and polishing. Most adults come every six to twelve months depending on gum health.
Family & restorative dentistry
Dentistry that
explains itself first
Cedar Garden is a two-surgery practice built around unhurried appointments. You see the same clinician each visit, you get the plan in writing before anything starts, and nothing is booked until you have said yes to it.
- Weekday hours
- Monday to Thursday, 8:00–18:00. Friday until 16:00.
- Urgent toothache
- Two slots are held each weekday morning for same-day pain.
- New patients
- First visit runs 45 minutes, including images and a written plan.
Your visit
Hours, and what to bring
The practical details most people want before they book. If something here does not fit your week, say so in the enquiry notes and we will work around it.
- Monday
- 8:00 – 18:00
- Tuesday
- 8:00 – 18:00
- Wednesday
- 8:00 – 18:00
- Thursday
- 8:00 – 18:00
- Friday
- 8:00 – 16:00
- Saturday
- 9:00 – 13:00 · hygiene only
- Sunday
- Closed
Bring these to a first visit
- A list of any medicines you take, including supplements.
- Notes on allergies, heart conditions, diabetes or recent surgery.
- Any X-rays or treatment notes from a previous dentist, if you have them.
- The name of the tooth or area that is bothering you — a photo on your phone is fine.
- Your aligner or night guard if you already wear one.
Access & comfort Step-free entrance, a ground-floor surgery, and a quiet waiting room with no television. Tell us in advance if you would prefer the first appointment of the day, when the practice is at its calmest.
Treatment index
What we do, and how long it takes
Chair times are the real ones we book, not the best case. Where a treatment needs more than one visit, that is listed too, so you can plan work and childcare around it.
02
Gum treatment
For bleeding, receding or persistently inflamed gums. Deeper cleaning below the gum line, usually split across two appointments with a review six weeks later.
03
Tooth-coloured filling
Composite repair for decay, chips and worn edges. Shade is matched in daylight at the chair, and you can eat as soon as the numbness fades.
04
Root canal treatment
For a tooth that is abscessed or has lost its nerve. We work in two sittings so the tooth can settle, then seal and usually crown it.
05
Crowns, onlays & bridges
Rebuilding a heavily broken or root-treated tooth. Digital scan at the first visit, a temporary in between, and the final fit around two weeks later.
06
Clear aligners
For crowding, relapse after childhood braces, and mild bite issues. Starts with a 30-minute suitability consult and a scan before anything is committed to.
07
Take-home whitening
Custom trays with a measured gel, used over two to three weeks at home. Done after hygiene, never before, so the shade lands evenly.
08
Children's first visits
A short, no-instrument introduction from around age two: sit in the chair, count the teeth, pick a toothbrush. Treatment only once a child is comfortable in the room.
09
Night guards for grinding
If you wake with a tight jaw or flattened tooth edges. Scanned at one visit, fitted and adjusted at the next, then checked yearly for wear.
10
Extractions
Only when a tooth cannot be saved or is crowding the others. We talk through replacement options before the tooth comes out, not afterwards.
How a first visit runs
Four steps, no surprises
Nothing is drilled, extracted or ordered on the day you first walk in — unless you are in pain and want it dealt with immediately.
Send the request
Use the form at the bottom of this page with a rough idea of your week. We reply by email with two or three options that fit.
Health history
Ten minutes on medicines, past dental work and what you want to avoid. This is also where you tell us about anxiety or a gag reflex.
Exam & images
A look at every surface, gum measurements, and small digital X-rays only where they change a decision. You see the images on the screen as we go.
Written plan
You leave with a staged plan: what is urgent, what can wait a year, what is optional. Nothing is booked until you have read it at home.
If the dentist makes you anxious
Slow explanations, and a hand signal that actually stops things
A good share of our patients arrive after years away, usually because of one bad appointment a long time ago. We build the first visit around that rather than around a treatment list.
- We agree a raise-your-hand signal before anything starts, and we stop when it goes up.
- Everything is described before it happens: what you will feel, hear and taste.
- Numbing gel goes on first, and the injection is given slowly and warmed.
- You can book a sit-and-talk appointment with no examination at all to start.
Our team
Who you will actually see
Two surgeries, three clinicians, and continuity by design: your name sits with one dentist from the first exam through to the last review.
Dr Marit Sandoval
Principal dentist
Runs the practice and takes most new-patient exams. Particular interest in rebuilding worn and broken-down teeth, and in treating patients who have avoided dentistry for years.
Dr Elias Navarro
Restorative & aligners
Handles crowns, bridges and root canal treatment, and leads our clear aligner cases. He will usually show you a scan on screen before suggesting anything at all.
Nadia Okoro
Lead hygienist
Takes the hygiene and gum appointments, including the Saturday morning list. Spends the last five minutes of every visit on technique rather than product recommendations.
Choosing a path
Three ways to straighten crowded teeth
Most people asking about straightening are choosing between these. The right answer depends on how much movement is needed and how much daily effort you want to sign up for.
Option A
Clear aligners
- Best for
- Mild to moderate crowding, relapse after childhood braces, closing small gaps.
- Time at the practice
- A scan, then a short review roughly every eight weeks.
- Daily commitment
- High. Trays worn 20–22 hours a day and removed for every meal.
- Visible while wearing
- Barely, at conversational distance.
Option B
Fixed braces
- Best for
- Larger movements, rotated teeth and bite correction that trays struggle with.
- Time at the practice
- Fitting appointment, then adjustments every six weeks.
- Daily commitment
- Low effort, but careful brushing and a short list of foods to avoid.
- Visible while wearing
- Yes, though ceramic brackets soften it.
Option C
Edge bonding only
- Best for
- Uneven edges and small chips where the teeth are already well aligned.
- Time at the practice
- One appointment of 60–90 minutes.
- Daily commitment
- None beyond normal care; avoid biting nails and pens.
- Visible while wearing
- Not applicable — the change is permanent on the day.
All three finish the same way: a retainer, worn at night indefinitely. Teeth drift back towards their old position for the rest of your life, so retention is part of the treatment, not an upsell at the end.
Common questions
Asked before most first visits
If your question is not here, put it in the notes field of the appointment request and you will get a straight answer by email before you commit to a booking.
How often should I come in for a check-up?
Twelve months suits most adults with healthy gums and no active decay. We shorten it to six or even four months if you smoke, have gum disease, wear aligners or have a history of rapid decay — and we will tell you which group you are in, with the reason.
I have not seen a dentist in years. Will I get a lecture?
No. It is one of the most common reasons people book here, and a long gap tells us nothing useful about you. The first visit is an examination and a written plan, in priority order. What happened before you walked in is not the point.
What do I do about pain outside your opening hours?
Send the appointment request with the urgent box ticked. We hold two slots each weekday morning for same-day pain and work through those requests first thing. For a facial swelling that is spreading, a fever, or trouble swallowing or breathing, treat it as a medical emergency and seek urgent medical care immediately rather than waiting for a dental slot.
Does whitening damage enamel?
Correctly dosed gel in a custom tray does not strip enamel. Sensitivity during the two to three weeks of use is common and settles afterwards. What does cause harm is unregulated gel bought online, worn in a one-size tray that lets it sit on your gums. We also whiten after hygiene, never before, because plaque blocks the result unevenly.
Can you use records from my previous dentist?
Yes, and it often saves you a set of X-rays. Bring whatever you have, or ask your previous practice to send your notes and recent images across. If they are more than a year old we may still take new ones, but only where they would change a decision.
Can a large treatment plan be split across several visits?
Nearly always. A written plan is staged by clinical urgency, so you can take the first stage now and the optional work later in the year. We will say plainly which items cannot wait without risking the tooth, and which are comfort or appearance choices.
What if I need to stop halfway through a procedure?
We agree a hand signal first, and raising it stops the work — not at a convenient moment, immediately. Most treatments can be left in a safe temporary state and finished at another appointment. Saying stop does not cost you your place in the plan.
Is dental treatment safe during pregnancy?
Routine exams and hygiene are safe and worth keeping up, because gums often bleed more in pregnancy. Tell us the stage you are at: we avoid non-urgent X-rays, keep appointments shorter, and schedule elective work for the middle trimester or after birth where it can reasonably wait.
Request an appointment
Tell us roughly when, and we will find a slot
This is a request, not a confirmed booking. We reply by email with two or three times that match your week, and the appointment is only set once you pick one.
Before you send it
- Rough availability is enough — "weekday mornings" works better than one exact slot.
- If a tooth is already painful, tick the urgent box so it reaches the morning list.
- Mention anxiety, a strong gag reflex or a past bad appointment. It changes how we plan the visit.
- Bringing children? Say how many and their ages so we can book adjacent slots.
- Saturday morning requests are hygiene appointments only.