A good number of our patients live out towards Frankton - and in Remarkables Park, Quail Rise, Lake Hayes Estate and Shotover Country. It's one of the fastest-growing parts of the district, and it's a short trip into central Queenstown to come and see us.
If you're weighing up where to go for your dental care, here's the practical side of it: the drive, the parking, what we can do in a visit, and how ACC works if you've had a knock.
The trip in is easier than its reputation
Frankton has grown quickly, and the roads have a reputation to match. In practice, the drive into town is genuinely easier than people expect once you're past the roundabout - about ten minutes outside the busy stretches. We're at 12 Lake Esplanade, right in the centre, with Lake Wakatipu out the window.
The bigger win is what's waiting at the other end: free off-street parking at the door. Anyone who's tried to park in central Queenstown knows that isn't a small thing. You pull up, you come in, and you're not feeding a meter or circling the block first.
Match the trip to what you need
For a routine check-up or a hygiene visit, booking a week or two ahead lets you pick the time that suits - first thing before work, or the end of the afternoon on your way home.
For anything urgent, we keep space in the day for emergencies and can often see you the same afternoon. You don't need to be an existing patient to be seen. If you're in pain, ring us and tell us - it changes how we fit you in.
If you've had an accident
Frankton sits between the airport, the Remarkables road and the bike trails, so a fair few of the chipped and knocked-out teeth we see come from that direction. If it happened in an accident, ACC usually covers part of the treatment, and we complete the claim for you as part of the appointment - there's nothing you need to lodge first.
For a knocked-out adult tooth, don't wait: pick it up by the crown, keep it in milk, and ring us straight away. The first hour matters more than anything that comes after it.
Bringing the kids in
Basic dental care is free up to a child's 18th birthday under the School Dental Scheme, and we're happy to see Frankton families for it. There's a kids' area in the waiting room, and coming in as a family often means fewer separate trips into town.
If the dentist makes you anxious
This is worth the trip on its own. Dr Adrian Paul has been practising in Queenstown for nearly 25 years, and the thing he's best known for is a near-painless injection technique built over that time. Treatment gets explained in plain language before anything happens, and there are sedation options for anyone who needs a bit of extra help getting comfortable.
If you've been putting the dentist off for years, that's a conversation he's had many times and won't make you feel awkward about.
Booking from Frankton
We're at 12 Lake Esplanade in central Queenstown, with free off-street parking right out front. Ring us on 03 441 8248 or send a message online to arrange a time. New patients, families, visitors and dental emergencies are all welcome.
General information, not a diagnosis. Written and reviewed by Dr Adrian Paul, BDS (Otago), principal dentist at Lakeside Dental Practice, Queenstown. If something is worrying you, see a dentist.
