Finding a dentist
Looking for a dentist in Port of Spain
Short answer: Smile Works DentaSpa is a dental practice at Unit 6, 2nd Floor, 31 Mucurapo Road, St. James, Port of Spain — open from 7:00am on weekdays, with parking on site and step-free access. An examination starts at TT$280 and a cleaning at TT$650 — the full price list is published, which is rare here. Free second opinions on any dentist's treatment plan, and a preferred provider with Guardian Life, Sagicor, Pan-American Life, Cardea and others.
There are a lot of dentists in Port of Spain, and from the outside most of them look the same. Here is what is actually different about this one, in a form you can check rather than take on trust.
Five things you can verify before you call
Every practice says it is caring and professional. None of that is checkable, so none of it should move you. These are:
- The prices are published. Very few practices in Trinidad publish any. Ours are on one page, with the date they were last confirmed.
- The second opinion is genuinely free. On any dentist's treatment plan, with no conditions and no limit on how often. Including what we charge for and what we do not.
- The dentist is registered, and you can look her up. Dr. Alida D. Jagdeo is registered with the Dental Council of Trinidad and Tobago, number J06A. The Council publishes its register.
- The insurance claim happens before you pay. With a Guardian Life easiClaim card you swipe at reception and see your own out-of-pocket cost before treatment starts. How that works.
- The family history has a document behind it. Dr. Jagdeo is the third generation. Her grandfather is named in the 1950 yearbook of the College of Physicians and Surgeons in San Francisco, and the plate is on the About page.
Where we are, and why that matters in this city
We are at Unit 6, 2nd Floor, 31 Mucurapo Road, upstairs at Mucurapo Plaza in St. James — not in the downtown core.
That is a deliberate advantage rather than an apology. Most of the practices people find first are on Frederick Street, New Street or around Frederick Court, in the part of Port of Spain where parking is a genuine problem and a dental appointment costs you an hour of circling. That is a real trade-off rather than a boast — downtown is the better choice if you work on Independence Square and can walk.
Here there is parking on site, and step-free access from the basement lift for anyone who needs it. Full directions, including the stairwell sign, and what the practice looks like inside.
Open at 7:00am, which is the point
Weekdays from 7:00am, and selected Saturdays. That is earlier than most practices in Port of Spain open, and it exists so that seeing a dentist does not have to cost you a morning of work.
If you work in the city, an appointment before the day starts is the difference between going and not going — which, for the problems dentistry deals with, is usually the difference between a filling and a root canal. Early appointments.
Monday – Friday 7:00am – 4:00pm. Closed Sunday.
What it costs
| Treatment | Price |
|---|---|
| Examination | from TT$280 |
| Digital x-ray | from TT$85 |
| Basic cleaning — adult | from TT$650 |
| Basic cleaning — under 16 | from TT$450 |
| In-office whitening (4 sessions) | TT$2,800 |
| Root canal treatment | from TT$3,000 |
Starting prices. What you pay depends on what you actually need, and you get an itemised quotation before any treatment begins. Prices confirmed 2026-08-23.
Starting prices in TT$, and you get an itemised quotation before anything begins. The full list, and why implants and crowns are not on it.
If money is the reason you have been putting this off, say so rather than staying away. There is no free dental clinic in Port of Spain in the sense people hope for, and pretending otherwise helps nobody — but a second opinion here costs nothing, larger plans can usually be staged so the urgent part happens first, and an examination is the cheapest appointment in dentistry precisely because it is the one that stops the expensive ones.
If you carry cover, we check your entitlement before treatment rather than after. Preferred provider for over 15 years with Guardian Life, Sagicor, Pan-American Life, Cardea and others, plus a TTARP discount. And if you have no cover at all.
What we treat
General and preventive dentistry — examinations, cleanings, fillings — plus the work most people come looking for by name:
- Emergency and same-day care, when something has happened today
- Root canal treatment, completed in a single visit
- Implants, crowns and bridges, dentures
- Braces, ceramic braces and Invisalign
- Gum disease treatment, including laser
- Whitening and facial aesthetics
- Sedation, for anyone who finds this difficult
Everything we do. Children are seen from age 3.
How to choose between us and anyone else
The short version. Check the registration number against the Council's register. Ask what the treatment costs before agreeing to it, and ask for it itemised. Ask whether pre-authorisation is needed if you carry insurance. And if a plan feels larger than the problem, get a second opinion — from us or from anyone.
A practice that is comfortable with those questions is usually a practice worth using.
Common questions
Where is Smile Works DentaSpa in Port of Spain?
31 Mucurapo Road, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago — upstairs at Mucurapo Plaza in St. James, above Papa John’s, with parking on site and step-free access from the basement lift.
What time does the dentist open in Port of Spain?
Smile Works DentaSpa opens at 7:00am on weekdays, which is earlier than most practices locally, and on selected Saturdays from 8:00am. Closed Sunday.
How do I choose a dentist in Trinidad?
Check the dentist is registered with the Dental Council of Trinidad and Tobago — the register is public. Ask for an itemised price before agreeing to treatment, ask whether your insurance needs pre-authorisation, and get a second opinion on any plan that feels larger than the problem.
Is there a dentist in Port of Spain with parking?
Yes. Smile Works DentaSpa on Mucurapo Road has parking on site, which is the main practical advantage of being in St. James rather than the downtown core.
Which dentists in Port of Spain take insurance?
Smile Works DentaSpa has been a preferred provider for over 15 years with Guardian Life, Sagicor, Pan-American Life, Cardea and others, and is listed in Guardian’s public provider directory. Guardian easiClaim cards can be swiped at reception.
Is there a free or affordable dental clinic in Port of Spain?
There is no free dental clinic in Port of Spain in the sense most people mean. What we can offer is published prices so you can plan, a second opinion that costs nothing on another dentist’s treatment plan, and treatment that can usually be staged so the urgent part is done first.
Can I get a same-day dental appointment in Port of Spain?
For genuine emergencies — pain, swelling, a broken tooth — call or message and we will fit you in as soon as we can. Weekdays start at 7:00am, which often means the same day is possible when other practices are already full.
How much does a dentist cost in Port of Spain?
Prices are published in full. An examination starts at TT$280 and a digital x-ray from TT$85, with an itemised quotation before treatment begins.