We always endeavour to provide the highest quality service that we can. This section provides further details to our terms and conditions of service. This outlines what you can expect from us over the course of your treatment and what we expect from you to provide you with the best possible service.

Please be aware that any information provided through any part of our digital consultation process is provided for interest purposes only and does not constitute personal professional advice. No professional advice can be provided without a clinical consultation with a dentist. For professional dental advice we strongly recommend that you see a dentist for consultation.

Treatment planning

Once your treatment plan has been agreed with the dentist, we will provide printed details of your plan which we ask that you read through and sign that document. By signing this document you are agreeing that the treatment has been fully explained to you and that you understand all of the benefits and risks associated with that treatment. If this plan changes due to radiographic or clinical findings, we will inform you and discuss this with you.

Treatment plans are valid for 90 days from the date the plan was sent. 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.

Consent

Certain medical treatments require completion of 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 treatment is carried out. We cannot commence treatment until all the relevant consent forms have been signed. To avoid any unnecessary delays to your treatment you must ensure that consent forms sent to you are digitally signed as soon as you receive them. Should you have any difficulty accessing the online system please let reception know and they will make hard copies available to you. If any of the consent forms contain words or phrases you are unsure of please ask reception for written explanations.

Fees

For treatment plans over £1000 we require payment before your treatment begins. Reception will supply all of the relevant information regarding the timescales for payment and any discounts that you will be entitled to.

For treatments less than £1000 we require prompt payment on receipt of the invoice, should 30 days or more elapse and payment has still not been received our late payments policy will be enacted, please see here.

We do not offer finance options, although in some circumstances we can offer a ‘Staged Payment Agreement’. The terms of the ‘SPA’ vary from treatment to treatment. Union Quay Dental reserves the right to decide which patient and which treatment this can be made available for. For more information please ask reception.

All corporate and external insurance holders must pay for their treatment at the time of treatment, then claim for reimbursement from their provider, please see our section on Insurance for further details.

Payments can be made by cash, debit card, credit card, bank transfer or by the links sent to you. We do not accept payments made by cheque.

Booking appointments

It is the patients responsibility to book routine appointments, our team do not automatically book these for you. If you are on a Dental Plan or Treatment Plan and are aware you need an appointment in the future, please ensure you contact Reception to book this in. Failure to do so may lead to delays in treatment.

Late cancellations or failure to attend

Late cancellations and failure to attend appointments have a negative impact on our services and regular patients. Union Quay Dental requires at least 24 hours notice of cancellation. Cancellations made within this time frame, may result in a loss of that appointment for plan patients, or for repeat offenders a deposit must be paid to the practice of £100 before rebooking the cancelled appointment, this will be refunded on completion of that appointment. Each cancellation will be reviewed by the practice manager. Please find our full late cancellation policy here.

Should we need to reschedule your appointment due to illness or lab work being delayed we will inform you immediately via text message and then contact you by phone later to reschedule your appointment at a time convenient to you.

Being late for appointments

Sometimes being late for appointments is unavoidable. Please let us know if you are going to be late but please also be aware that if you are going to be more than 10 minutes late you may be asked to reschedule your appointment. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late without our prior agreement we may consider that you have failed to attend, in cases where a patient is consistently late for their appointments a £100 returnable deposit will be asked for on making their next appointment and will be refunded when they arrive on time for their next appointment.

Whilst we try to run on time for every appointment there may be instances where a clinician is called on to see an emergency patient. If your clinician is running late for your appointment where possible we will contact you by phone to make you aware of the delay and ask if it is possible for you to come in slightly later. If your appointment was directly affected by the delay we will try our best to get you seen by another clinician or if this is not possible we will work with you to reschedule your appointment at a time to suit you.

If you don’t hear from us, please make sure you contact reception to ensure your appointment is rescheduled.

Guarantee

At Union Quay Dental our Ceramic Veneers, Ceramic crowns, Implant crowns and permanent fillings are guaranteed for a period of twelve months following placement, 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 Veneers, Crowns & Implant crowns have not been damaged as a result of an accident, trauma or excessive grinding
The patient has followed all post treatment maintenance recommendations made by our dentists.
Fillings are guaranteed for 2 years.
Veneers, crowns and implant crowns are guaranteed for 1 year.
Root Canal Treatments are not guaranteed. (Please ask your clinician for more details.)

Personal Details

It is important that you provide a full medical history and details of any medications that you take. It is also a requirement that we have your correct contact details on file. Should these change it is very important for you to tell your dentist. Whilst we try to keep all information updated on each routine visit, It is the patient’s responsibility to inform the clinic of any changes in either personal details and/or their medical history. All records are kept in accordance with strict Data Protection guidelines.

Data Protection

All patient details are stored on a secure computer system in accordance with the Data Protection Act. All clinical notes, digital radiographs, digital photographs, etc. remain the property of Union Quay Dental. Copies of notes, radiographs and photographs can be made available on written request. All staff undergo Data Protection training and understand the importance of information handling. Our privacy notice is available on the website or at reception or can be requested by email.

Use of Images and X-rays

We will always ask for consent beforehand, however to help us with Marketing and Patient Education, we like to use images and x-rays of your smile and teeth only for our website, promotional and educational literature. Your name will never be published and your identity will never be disclosed. If you do not wish for us to use your images and x-rays in this way please inform us.

Contact

We like to use all tools available to provide you with a convenient reminder of impending appointments or routine check up appointment reminders, via email or SMS. If you would prefer that we did not contact you please ensure you inform reception during your next visit to opt out. We do not use your details for anything else and will not pass on your information to third parties.

Marketing Consent

You will automatically be opted in to our marketing communications based on legitimate interest unless you state otherwise, you can contact our Reception Team to opt out.

Complaints

It is our aim to always have satisfied patients, to meet your expectations of care and service and to resolve any complaints as efficiently, effectively and politely as possible. We take complaints very seriously, we investigate them in a full and fair way and take great care to protect your confidentiality. We encourage our patients to inform us of any complaints so that we can continually improve our care and service. We will never discriminate against patients who have made a complaint.

If you are not entirely satisfied with any aspect of our care or service please let us know as soon as possible to allow us to address your concerns promptly. We would welcome you calling the practice on 01912596506 and asking to speak to The Practice Manager, or emailing the practice, reception@unionquaydental.co.uk to explain why you are unsatisfied or to book an appointment to talk it through. Lastly, please feel free to write to us to explain why you are unsatisfied – The Practice Manager, Union Quay Dental, Union Road, North Shields, NE30 1HB.

The Practice Manager is the Complaints Manager and will be your personal contact to assist you with any complaints. If your verbal complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction within 48 hours or if you complain in writing, the Complaints Manager will acknowledge it in writing within 5 working days and will aim to provide a full response in writing as soon as practical.

Our full complaints procedure is available on the practice website, at reception or can be requested by email.

Terms & Conditions