Terms and conditions of treatment

We are always pleased to assist our patients whenever we can. This document gives details of our terms and conditions of service. If, however, you have any queries or need clarification, please contact us and a member of staff will be happy to help you.

Please be aware that any information provided through any part of our website or social media is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. No professional advice can be given without a clinical consultation with a dentist. For professional dental advice, we strongly recommend that you see a dentist for a full consultation.

We do not hold an NHS contract and all treatments are provided on a private basis only.

Treatment plans and Estimates

Once your treatment plan has been agreed upon with the Dentist, we will provide an email or print details of your plan. If this plan changes due to radiographic or clinical findings, we will inform you and discuss this with you. Treatment plans and fees are valid for 60 days from the date the treatment was prescribed. If there are any points on your treatment plan that you wish to query, please do not hesitate to ask us before the appointments for actual treatments are made. If you do not understand your treatment or have any concerns, we ask that you contact the practice so that we can assist you further and provide care that meets your needs.

Consent forms

Certain treatments require the completion of a written consent form. This is to explain the treatment, aftercare, and any risk to you thoroughly before any of these treatments are carried out.

Consent for any treatment can be withdrawn at any point by the patient or dental professional.

Fees

Total fees for treatment are due on the day the treatment is provided. We do not operate an account in arrears facility, and we require fees to be settled at the appointment where treatment is provided. Some treatments require a 50% deposit, payable on appointment booking. Fees for certain treatments like Invisalign® are taken in staged payments at each visit. Non-payment of fees 21 days after treatment completion will be escalated to a debt collection agency.

In cases where treatment is paid for on finance through a Finance company, please be aware that the finance agreement must be accepted, signed, and paid out following a 14-day cooling off period prior to the start of that treatment. Please note that finance is only available on treatments over £1000, not including Emergency Dental Treatment, and that a minimum deposit may also be required.

If you have financed any of the costs of your treatment through the finance company and wish to cancel your treatment after signing the agreement forms, please be aware that a cancellation fee of up to 20% of the total finance amount will be charged. 

In some circumstances, we reserve the right to request payment in advance for certain treatments, for example, new patients to the practice, a history of a late settlement of accounts, or non-attendance.

We reserve the right to charge time-based deposits for booking future appointments. Deposits are deductible from the cost of treatment.

All clinicians are self-employed and are ultimately responsible for the fees and treatment provided. 

Payment methods accepted are:

•             Cash (only as part or full payment for treatment plan values of less than £1000)

•             Debit/Credit Card excluding American Express

We accept payments by cheque, this must be given to the practice at least seven days prior to your planned treatment to allow for funds to clear. Please note that unpaid accounts are routinely referred to a Debt Collection Agency or the Small Claims Court, and we reserve the right to recover all costs incurred in doing so.

We reserve the right to ask for payment in full before beginning any treatment plan.

We review our prices at least annually. The private fee list will be available on the practice website and upon request, plan membership fee changes will be notified in writing or via email.

Late cancellation or missed appointments:

Cancellations and Failed Appointments: We require a minimum of 24 business hours’ notice (Monday-Fridays) for cancellation of any arranged appointment. When we schedule an appointment for a patient, we are booking the surgery time off for that patient’s treatment. Failure to give the appropriate notice of cancellation will result in a Failed Appointment Fee being charged. This fee is proportionate to the length of the appointment failed and is to cover the cost of the surgery time lost, usually 50% of the treatment cost. Practice plan payments do not cover missed appointment fees, and will still be payable.

Failed Appointment fees must be settled before any other appointment is offered. Cancellations can be notified via email, coming into the practice, or by telephone/answer machine message.

Please note: it is also down to the Practice Managers’ discretion if further appointments can be booked for frequent late cancellations or missed appointments.

While we endeavour to provide patients with a courtesy reminder for their appointments via email, text, or phone call, it is ultimately the patient's responsibility to remember the appointment time. 

Late for appointments:

We understand that some patients travel long distances to get to the clinic, and in some cases being late for appointments can be unavoidable. If you are more than 10 minutes late, please be aware that you may be asked to reschedule your appointment. The application of a Failed Appointment Fee will be applied at the discretion of the treating dentist and/or the Practice Manager.

Personal Details:

It is very important that you give a full medical history and details of any medication you take. Should these change in any way, it is very important for you to tell your Dentist. It is the patient’s responsibility to inform the clinic of any changes in either personal details and/or their medical history.

Guarantee:

At the practice we offer a 12-month guarantee for fillings, and crown and bridgework, provided that the following conditions are met:

•             The patient has fully paid for the treatment and does not owe the practice any money for the treatment received.

•             The restorations have not been damaged because of an accident, trauma, or excessive grinding.

•             The patient has followed all post treatment maintenance recommendations made by our dentists.

•             The patient has attended for routine examinations as advised by the dentist

Some treatments may have a guarantee of less than 1 year, and in this case, you will be informed by your Dentist either verbally or in writing, or both.

Use of Images and X-rays:

We may use images and x-rays of your smile and teeth only, for marketing and educational purposes on the website, social media, and promotional and educational literature. Your name will never be published, and your identity will never be disclosed. We will always ask for your explicit consent to do so beforehand. 

Use of patient contact details:

At the practice the health of our patients is our highest priority, and we also like to keep our patients informed of various important changes at the clinic. We like to remind our patients of their appointments, when they are due for appointments, and other various important reminders. On this note, you may be periodically contacted by the clinic via phone, text, email or by letter in the post. If you DO NOT wish to be contacted by the clinic by any or all these means, please let us know.

Complaint’s policy:

At the practice we always take complaints about any aspects of our services very seriously, to ensure that every patient has only the very best experience at all times.

Complaints can be made in writing, by email, by telephone or in person to the Practice Manager. Please be aware that the Practice Manager may not be immediately available should you wish to complain in person or over the telephone; she will endeavour to contact you at your earliest convenience. 

Every complaint will receive written/email acknowledgment, and the Management will strive to resolve the complaint within a quick, reasonable period (usually about 2 weeks). For our full complaints procedure and policy, please ask a member of our reception team. If a complaint is about any aspect of clinical care or associated charges it will normally be acknowledged by the Manager, and then referred to the treating Dentist as they are ultimately accountable for treatment they provide as self-employed clinicians. Please note that in these cases, the practice accepts no liability on behalf of the treating Dentist and acts as a liaison between the patient and the treating Dentist only.

If you are unsatisfied with our internal handling of your complaint, you are free to forward your complaint to the Dental Complaints Service (www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk). If still unsatisfied, you may wish to forward your complaint to the General Dental Council.

No tolerance/Abuse policy:

We operate a zero-tolerance policy against abuse to our staff, aggressive or threatening behaviour, foul language, persistent missing and late cancellation of appointments (after multiple warnings), discrimination, or violence. In these situations, the practice reserves the right to refuse treatment and admission.

Data Protection Act:

We store all patient’s personal details on a secure computer system in accordance with the Data Protection Act & GDPR. All clinical notes, digital radiographs, digital photographs, etc remain the property of the practice. Copies of notes, radiographs, and photographs can be made available on request, and we reserve the right to charge an administration fee for these.