Terms and Conditions
Terms of Service
We will always provide the best service that we can to our patients. The following sections provide further clarity on our terms and conditions of service. If you have any queries, please email us on reception@wessexhousedental.com
Website
We do not guarantee that our site, or any content on it, will be free from errors or omissions and may be out-of-date at any given time including personnel and practice changes or information. We will not be liable to you if for any reason our website is unavailable at any time or for any period.
Please be aware that any information provided through any part of our website is provided for interest purposes only and does not constitute personalised professional advice. For personal professional dental advice, we strongly recommend that you see a dentist for consultation.
Treatment Plans
After a treatment plan has been agreed, we will typically provide a printed estimate or treatment plan, which we will ask that you read through thoroughly, and sign only once you have fully read and understood the care plan.
If there are any points on your treatment plan that you wish to query this should be done before any appointments for treatment are scheduled as on confirming the treatment plan, you are agreeing that you have had the opportunity to ask any questions, review your treatment options, alternatives, understand the intended plan, along with their individual risks, benefits and the associated fees.
If the clinical plan needs to be changed due to x-ray or clinical findings, we will inform you and discuss this with you fully prior to proceeding.
Treatment plans are valid for 14 days from the date the treatment was prescribed, and plans started after this point may need review and additional re-planning at further fee prior to delivery.
Consent
Certain dental and medical treatments will require us to complete a written consent form.
We work to strict governing guidelines in order to ensure that the patient and/or legal guardian is fully aware of the treatment, aftercare and any risk before any treatment is carried out.
Fees
We sometimes require pre-payment and deposits to secure booking of appointments; however, this does not apply to NHS appointments or practice plan appointments.
We do not operate a credit system and we require fees to be settled at the appointment where treatment is provided. Where treatment incurs laboratory fees, up to 75% of the fee will be required at the impression stage of the appointment. If a refund is required we reserve the right to deduct any transactional fees which may apply.
Wessex House does offer finance agreements on treatments over £300 in association through a third party for patients depending on the clinical case. In cases where treatment is paid for by finance through a finance company, the finance agreement must be accepted and signed prior to the start of that treatment, including waiting for the period that the cooling offer period may apply.
Patients registered to us with DPAS must see their terms and conditions for treatments under contract. All corporate and external insurance holders must pay for their treatment at the time of treatment, then claim for reimbursement from their provider.
Wessex House does not accept any payments by cheque.
Late cancellations or failure to attend
Late cancellations (defined as cancellation without 2 working days’ notice) and failure to attend appointments have a negative impact to our service and regular patients. For a deposit or pre-payment to be refunded, Wessex House requires at least 2 working days (48 hours) notice.
If an appointment is missed without cancellation, a failure to attend fee may be charged and will need to be paid before any future appointments are booked. If you fail more than 2 appointments, you may be at risk of deregistration.
Cancellations made outside of this time frame, or failures to attend, are not subject to a refund. Under the NHS, failure to attend multiple appointments or attending late for appointments may result in de-registration.
Lateness for appointments
Please let us know if you are running late for any booked appointments. In the event that you may be more than 10 minutes late you may be asked to reschedule your appointment.
Please note that we would aim to complete as much work as possible at an appointment that you are late to attend but may have to finish on time as a courtesy to our booked patients that day and our clinicians.
If you arrive more than 15 minutes late without our prior agreement, we may consider that you have failed to attend, in which case you will not be eligible for a refund.
Guarantee
At Wessex House our ceramic veneers, crowns, implants and permanent fillings are guaranteed for a period of twelve months following placement, provided that the following conditions are met:
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The patient has fully paid for the treatment and does not owe the practice any money for the treatment received
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The veneers, crowns, implants have not been damaged as a result of neglect, an accident, trauma or excessive grinding
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The patient has followed all maintenance and hygiene recommendations made by our dentists.
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No treatment is guaranteed for more than 1 year. This is not because we expect the treatment to last only one year but if there was a fault in the componentry or materials this would be manifest within a shorter period of time and be rectified as required.
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Some treatments may have a guarantee of less than 1 year and where this is the case, the treating clinician will inform you.
Personal Details
It is important that you provide a full and accurate medical history with details of any medications that you may be taking. It is also a requirement that we have your correct contact details on the system.
Should these change it is very important for you to tell your dentist and the reception team.
Whilst we will ask and try to keep all information updated on each visit, it is the patient’s responsibility to inform the practice of any changes in either personal details and/or their medical history.
All records are kept in accordance with strict Data Protection guidelines.
Use of Images & X-rays
Wessex House may use images and x-rays of your smile and teeth only for educational purposes, for our website, promotional and educational literature. Your name will never be published and your identity will never be disclosed.
We ensure we receive permission prior to using any media, however if you do not wish for us to use your images and x-rays in this way please inform us.
Data Protection Act
All patient details are stored on a secure computer system in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
All clinical notes, radiographs (x-rays), photographs are the property of Wessex House Dental Practice.
Copies of notes, radiographs (x-rays) and 3D Scans (CBCT) can be made available on written request and we reserve the right to charge an administration fee for these.
All staff undergo Data Protection training and understand the importance of information handling.
Contact
We like to keep you updated about pending appointments so we will send reminders, via email. If you would prefer that we did not contact you by our reminder system please ensure you inform reception during your next visit. We do this to minimise your late cancellations and failure to attend, which has a direct impact on the use of our service and on-going registration.
Rest assured we do not use your details for anything else and will not pass on your information to third parties.
Feedback & Complaints
At Wessex House our aim is to ensure all of our patients are happy with their experience with us, and we welcome feedback to improve the service.
Any service compliant is always taken sincerely as we want to ensure that every patient has a great experience with us.
Feedback or complaints can be sent to us via email.
Every complaint will receive acknowledgment within 5 working days, and the management will strive to resolve the complaint within a quick, reasonable period of time.
For our full complaints policy, please see the bottom of this page or ask a member of our reception team.
Zero Tolerance/ Abuse policy
We operate a zero-tolerance policy to abuse of the dental team, drunken or disorderly behaviour, persistent missing and late cancellation of appointments (3 appointments in any period).
In such situations Wessex House reserves the right to refuse treatment and admission to the practice.
Applicable law
These terms and conditions, its subject matter, its formation and the content of this website are governed by English law whose Courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.
Contact us
To contact us, please e-mail: reception@wessexhousedental.com