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. These terms and conditions may change at anytime.
Treatment estimates
Once your treatment plan has been agreed with the dentist, we will provide printed details of your plan. If this plan changes due to radiographic or clinical findings, we will inform you and discuss this with you.
Consent forms
All treatments require completion of a consent form. We will explain the treatment, aftercare and any risk to you thoroughly and ask that you sign the consent form prior to any treatment being carried out.
Emergency appointments
Should you need to see a dentist urgently, please contact us as early as possible. Our phones are answered from 9.00 am and we will respond to a message left on our answerphone as soon as possible; please ensure contact details are clear.
Late cancellation or missed appointments
Stable Court Dental Surgery reserves the right to charge up to 50% of the full fee due in the event of a missed appointment or an appointment cancelled with less than 48 hours notice.
Personal Details
It is very important that you give a full medical history and details of any medication you take. Should these change in anyway it is important you tell the dentist and give current information.
Data Protection Act
We store all patient personal details on a computer system in accordance with the Data Protection Act. All clinical notes, digital radiographs, digital photographs etc remain the property of Stable Court Dental Surgery. Copies of notes, radiographs and photographs can be made available on request.
Warranty
Fillings are covered by a twelve-month warranty providing you attend routine check-ups and maintenance (this usually means every six months). The warranty allows replacements free of charge if the filling itself has failed i.e. the material has broken down. The warranty does not cover failure of the tooth either due to stress or impact fracture or due to the secondary dental decay or the onset of root infection. Crowns are automatically covered for two years and for five years if you choose a premium quality crown. You may be asked to pay a supplement if a new design or more durable material is chosen for the replacement crown. Failure of the tooth underneath the crown or onset of root infection is not covered by the warranty. Root fillings and non-standard treatments are not covered.
Fees
Fees for treatment are due on the day the treatment is provided. We do not operate an account in arrears facility. In some circumstances, we reserve the right to request payment in advance for certain treatments. Payment methods accepted are:
Cash
Debit/Credit Card including American express
BACS payment by arrangement
Stable Court Dental Surgery does not accept any payments by cheque.
Please note that unpaid accounts are referred to a Debt Collection Agency or the Small Claims Court, and we reserve the right to recover all costs incurred in doing so.
Cancellations and Failed Appointments:
We require a minimum of 24 hours notice 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 wasted.
Failed Appointment fees must be settled before any other appointment is offered. Please note that we cannot accept notice of cancellation by e-mail, text message, or answer phone message, as these are not screened daily.
Continuity of Care
It is our policy for each patient to see the same dentist on a continuing basis, to provide continuity of care. Patients may choose which dentist they would prefer to see routinely. If, for any reason, a patient’s dentist is not available when required, then arrangements will be made for the patient to see someone else within the practice for that time. Changing dentist within the Practice on a permanent basis can be arranged upon written request.
Comments and Feedback
We continue to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided and we value your feedback. We invite you to use our confidential comment box available in reception.
Other Information
You can express a preference about which Dentist you see. We will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the request is met but this may not always be possible. Should you wish to express a preference of practitioner, please state who you would like to be seen by when booking your appointment.
While we would like to be able to see all of our patients with ease, unfortunately, due to the nature of the building, not all of our treatment rooms are accessible by wheelchairs. If you have any disability that you think we need to know about, please call the practice before your appointment and we will endeavour to make suitable arrangements to meet your needs.
Missing appointments wastes time and resources which are needed for other patients. Charges apply to private patients cancelling with less than 24 hours notice and failing to attend appointments.
Patients who are violent or abusive to practice personnel, to other patients or anyone else on the practice premises will be refused treatment and reported to the appropriate authorities.
Diagnosis
Check-ups include full mouth examination and periodontal (gum) charting plus oral cancer screening. All clinical staff are registered with the General Dental Council and are therefore compliant with regular training requirements according to the GDC’s Continued Professional Development scheme.
Personal Detail
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.
Complaint’s policy
Complaints can be made in writing by filling out a simple complaints form available from reception, or via email through our online website contact form, by the patient or by an authorised person on the patient’s behalf. Every complaint will receive immediate written/email acknowledgment, and the Management will strive to resolve the complaint within a quick, reasonable period of time (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 Management team and then referred to the treating Dentist
No tolerance to abuse policy
We operate a zero tolerance policy to abuse to our Dentists and staff, loud/disorderly/drunken behavior, persistent missing and late cancellation of appointments (after multiple warnings). In these situations, Stable Court Dental Surgery reserves the right to refuse treatment and admission.