For a small team based around Clapham and Balham, Clapham South Dental Centre on Balham Hill is the easiest practice to fit around a working week: it opens from 8am on weekdays, until 8pm Monday to Thursday, and on both Saturday and Sunday. The Dentist Balham has the lowest published new patient exam fee of the four we checked, while Balham Dental Studio includes a scale and polish in its new patient visit where treatment needs allow.
If you run a café on Clapham High Street, a design studio near Clapham South or a trades business with vans parked in Balham, a staff member's dental appointment is rarely just an hour. Someone has to cover the counter, the phones or the site visit. That is why the practice you point people to matters almost as much as whether they go at all.
We compared four practices within a short walk of Clapham South and Balham stations on the things an owner or office manager actually needs: how early and late they open, whether they see people at weekends, and what a first private examination costs. The first is the dental check-up in Clapham offered by Clapham South Dental Centre, which publishes a clear outline of what happens at each visit. Below that we cover the tax and time-off rules a small employer should know before offering to pay for check-ups.
The four practices side by side
| Practice | Address | Private new patient exam | Hygiene visit | Weekday hours | Weekend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clapham South Dental Centre | 15 Balham Hill, SW12 9DY | £65 (X-rays extra) | £79 basic clean; £89 with Air Flow | Mon to Thu 8am to 8pm; Fri 8am to 6pm | Sat 9am to 6pm; Sun 9am to 4pm |
| The Dentist Balham | 1 Bedford Hill, SW12 9ET | £39.50 | £74 for 30 minutes | Not listed on the pages we read | Not listed |
| Balham Dental Studio | 112 Balham High Road, SW12 9AA | £89 (40 minutes, scale and polish included subject to need) | £75 registered; £79 direct access | Mon, Wed, Thu 8:30am to 7pm; Tue, Fri 8:30am to 5:30pm | Sat 9:30am to 3pm |
| MyHealthcare Clinic Balham | 169 Balham Station Road, SW12 9AU | Not listed on the clinic page | Hygiene offered; price not listed | Mon to Fri 8am to 6pm | Closed |
Fees and hours were taken from each practice's own website in October 2026. They change, so confirm before you book.
What we checked
We read each practice's homepage, fee list and contact page. For a business owner, the useful questions are simple: can staff be seen before or after a shift, is there a weekend option, can appointments be booked online without a phone call during trading hours, and is the price of a first visit published. We did not rate clinical quality, and we did not use prices from directory sites. Where a practice does not publish something, the table says so rather than guessing.
1. Clapham South Dental Centre, Balham Hill
Clapham South Dental Centre is at 15 Balham Hill, a short walk from Clapham South. The practice says it has handled more than 36,800 appointments in twelve months and has been caring for smiles for over 30 years. It offers both NHS and private care. Private appointments can be booked online at any time of day, and the practice also takes bookings by phone on 0208 673 3250 and by WhatsApp. NHS appointments are booked by phone.
Its hours are the main reason it suits working people. It opens at 8am every weekday and stays open until 8pm from Monday to Thursday, closes at 6pm on Friday, and opens 9am to 6pm on Saturday and 9am to 4pm on Sunday. For a shop or café that trades on Saturdays, a Sunday appointment can mean nobody has to leave a shift at all.
The check-up page sets out what happens. At a first visit the dentist takes a full dental and medical history. They examine your teeth, gums and mouth, take X-rays if needed, and talk through your general health, diet, smoking and alcohol, and how you clean your teeth. If more treatment is needed, such as a filling or a hygienist visit, you get a full treatment plan. If not, you are told when to come back. The page says routine check-ups are usually every six months, but the right interval varies from person to person.
On cost, the practice's fee list shows a private examination at £65, not including X-rays, a basic hygienist clean at £79 and a clean with an Air Flow jet polisher at £89. Private treatment can be spread with 0% finance through Tabeo.
Suits: teams with early starts, late finishes or weekend trading who want one practice everyone can reach.
2. The Dentist Balham, Bedford Hill
The Dentist Balham is at 1 Bedford Hill in Balham. Its pricing page lists a new patient examination at £39.50, the lowest first-visit fee among the four, and a 30-minute hygiene session at £74. Appointments can be booked through an online portal, and there is a callback request form. The pages we read did not list opening hours, so ask when you call 020 3794 6487.
Suits: owners who want a low published price for a first visit.
3. Balham Dental Studio, Balham High Road
Balham Dental Studio is at 112 Balham High Road. Its new patient examination costs £89 and is described as a 40-minute appointment that includes oral cancer screening and a complimentary scale and polish, subject to treatment needs. The fee list also shows direct access hygiene for people not registered at the practice at £79. It opens until 7pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 9:30am to 3pm on Saturdays.
Suits: staff who would like the exam and a clean done in a single, longer visit.
4. MyHealthcare Clinic Balham, Balham Station Road
MyHealthcare Clinic has a Balham clinic at 169 Balham Station Road, open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and closed at weekends. Its page lists general dentistry and hygiene among its services. It says walk-ins are welcome, though booking is recommended. The page did not show a price for a new patient dental exam.
Suits: people who work standard weekday hours near Balham station.
Should a small business pay for staff check-ups?
Some owners like to cover a check-up as a low-cost perk. Before you do, look at how HMRC treats it. GOV.UK guidance on medical and dental treatment says that if a benefit is not exempt, you must report it. If you arrange and pay the provider directly, it goes on form P11D and you pay Class 1A National Insurance on its value. If you reimburse an employee instead, GOV.UK says "This counts as earnings", so it runs through payroll with PAYE tax and Class 1 National Insurance.
The exemption list mentions periodic medical checks or health screening, where only one a year is exempt, but it does not say whether a routine dental check-up counts. If you plan to pay for dental care regularly, ask your accountant or payroll provider to confirm the treatment before you promise anything to staff.
Do staff have a right to time off for the dentist?
Not in law. Acas says: "There's no legal right to time off work for a medical appointment." Most small employers agree an approach anyway, because it avoids awkward conversations later. Acas lists options such as unpaid time, using holiday, making the time up later or booking outside working hours. The main exception is antenatal care for pregnant employees, which is a legal right to paid time off.
A practice open early, late and at weekends takes most of the pressure off this question. If people can book before work or on a day off, there is little to negotiate.
A simple check-up routine for a small team
- Ask each person to book their next check-up before they leave the practice.
- Keep a shared calendar so two people who cover each other are not out at once.
- Point routine visits at your quietest trading hours.
- Write down whether appointment time is paid, unpaid or made up.
- Keep the practice phone number handy for urgent problems.
How often each person goes is a clinical decision. The NHS says "The time between check-ups can vary from 3 months to 2 years", depending on the health of your teeth and gums.
Frequently asked questions
Which practice near Clapham South opens on Sundays?
Of the four we checked, only Clapham South Dental Centre lists Sunday hours, 9am to 4pm. It also opens 9am to 6pm on Saturdays.
How much is a private dental check-up near Clapham?
Published first-visit fees ranged from £39.50 at The Dentist Balham to £89 at Balham Dental Studio. Clapham South Dental Centre charges £65 for a private examination, not including X-rays.
Can staff use the NHS instead?
Yes, if a practice has NHS places. Clapham South Dental Centre offers NHS care, booked by phone. NHS check-ups are charged at the Band 1 rate unless the patient qualifies for free treatment.
Is paying for an employee's check-up a taxable benefit?
It can be. GOV.UK says non-exempt medical or dental treatment must be reported, so check with your accountant before setting it up.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Medical or dental treatment and insurance, what to report and pay
- GOV.UK: Medical or dental treatment and insurance, what's exempt
- Acas: Time off for medical appointments
- NHS: Dental check-ups
General information only, not tax, legal or dental advice. Fees, hours and rules were checked in October 2026 and can change; confirm with each practice and take professional advice for your own business.
