Frequently asked questions

At your first appointment we’ll carry out a full orthodontic examination and take some records. The examination involves looking at the soft tissue of your face and your profile, as well as looking into your mouth at the alignment of your teeth and jaw. We’ll take impressions of your teeth and may also take some X-rays and photographs. The X-rays show the roots of your teeth, their quality and position. They’ll also show us pictures of your jaw and any teeth that haven’t come through, or that are buried in the gums.

If you require orthodontic treatment, your orthodontist will put together a custom plan for you, and you can book your next appointment to start treatment.

You’ll be in the dental chair for approximately 15-30 mins.

If you’re under 18 and a UK or European Community resident, or you’re under 19 and in full-time education, you’re entitled to free NHS treatment. If you’re not eligible for free NHS treatment, the cost will depend on your treatment. Visit our Costs page to find out more about pricing schedule and our 0% interest finace plans.

You can contact us at any time to change it. Please note that if you miss your appointment, you’ll need to contact us to make a new one. If we don’t hear from you, we’ll assume you don’t want to go ahead with orthodontic treatment and close your file.

Yes. You need to bring a parent or a guardian with you to give consent before we move forward with braces or another treatment programme.

Most likely. We are proud providers of Invisalign® clear aligners and Incognito invisible braces - and have experience creating custom plans for children, teens and adults. They’re a great alternative to metal braces when you want a discreet option.

Invisalign® straightens your teeth without wires and brackets, using a series of clear, customised, removable appliances called aligners. Invisalign® aligners are designed to move your teeth in small steps to the desired final position using a sequence of custom-made aligners. Each aligner is worn for about two weeks and are only taken out to eat, brush and floss.

If you are not completely happy with our service, we would like to hear about it, so that we can do something to put it right.

We do everything we can to make sure our customers get the best products and service possible, however occasionally we may not get things right. If this happens, please let us know.

We will:

• Make it easy for you to tell us what went wrong
• We will give your complaint the attention that it needs
• We will work to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible
• We will provide a resolution which is appropriate for the complaint

How & where do you complain:

If you are not satisfied with your treatment, you can tell us in the following ways:

• In person: Come into the practice and speak with the Practice Manager. The details for all the practices have been provided in the CONTACT US page.
• In writing: Write to the practice manager, at the address provided in the CONTACT US page.
• By telephone: You can call into the practice and request to speak to Practice Manager
• By Email: You can directly contact the Practice Manager/ Receptionist at the email address for the practice you attend. All the email addresses are provided on the contacts us page.

How long will it take for us to process your complaint?

We will always aim to resolve the concern in a timely manner and to the satisfaction of all concerned. We endeavour to resolve the complaint through thorough investigation.

The timeframes are outlined below:

• If we can resolve the issue within 5 working days, we will issue you with a letter which outlines the resolution. We will also provide you with the details of your right to refer the complaint to the GDC.
• If we cannot resolve the matter within the 5 days, we will acknowledge your complaint, and inform you of the investigation which we are undertaking to help enable the resolution.
• We will keep you in the loop as we work on resolving the issue, as an investigation can take up to one month.
• If after 4 weeks, we are still not able to resolve the complaint, then we will send you a holding letter, advising you as to why we have not reached a resolution.
• We work to resolving the matter along with an investigation within 8 weeks.
• If we cannot resolve the complaint, then we will remind you that you can contact the GDC.
• If we cannot resolve the matter, we will send a letter with an explanation of our final response.
• If you are dissatisfied with our response, then you can contact the GDC. We have provided you with the details.

GENERAL DENTAL COUNCIL

https://dcs.gdc-uk.org/

If you have a complaint about the private dental care you’ve received in the UK , then you can contact the GDC:

Please note: the GDC will respond within 4 working days.

Telephone:

0208 253 0800 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm).

Online:

Contact us through our enquiry form

Write to:

Dental Complaints Service
37 Wimpole Street
London
W1G 8DQ

OTHER AGENCIES

SCOTTISH PUBLIC SERVICES OMBUDSMAN https://www.spso.org.uk/

PATIENT ADVICE AND SUPPORT SERVICE SCOTLAND https://pass-scotland.org.uk/

NHS INFORM- SCOTLAND https://www.nhsinform.scot/

Our financial loans complaints procedure.

If you are not completely happy with our service, we would like to hear about it, so that we can do something to put it right.

We do everything we can to make sure our customers get the best products and service possible, however occasionally we may not get things right. If this happens, please let us know.

We will:

• Make it easy for you to tell us what went wrong
• We will give your complaint the attention that it needs
• We will work to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible
• We will provide a resolution which is appropriate for the complaint

How & where do you complain:

If you are not satisfied with your treatment and have a finance loan, you can tell us in the following ways:

• In person: Come into the practice and speak with the Practice Manager. The details for all the practices have been provided in the CONTACT US page.
• In writing: Write to the practice manager, at the address provided in the CONTACT US page.
• By telephone: You can call into the practice and request to speak to Practice Manager
• By Email: You can directly contact the Practice Manager/ Receptionist at the email address for the practice you attend. All the email addresses are provided on the contacts us page.

How long will it take for us to process your complaint?

We will always aim to resolve the concern in a timely manner and to the satisfaction of all concerned. We endeavour to resolve the complaint through thorough investigation.

The timeframes are outlined below:

• If we can resolve the issue within 5 working days, we will issue you with a letter which outlines the resolution. We will also provide you with the details of your right to refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
• If we cannot resolve the matter within the 5 days, we will acknowledge your complaint, and inform you of the investigation which we are undertaking to help enable the resolution.
• We will keep you in the loop as we work on resolving the issue, as an investigation can take up to one month.
• If after 4 weeks, we are still not able to resolve the complaint, then we will send you a holding letter, advising you as to why we have not reached a resolution.
• We work to resolving the matter along with an investigation within 8 weeks.
• If we cannot resolve the complaint, then we will remind you that you can contact the financial ombudsman service.
• If we cannot resolve the matter, we will send a letter with an explanation of our final response.
• If you are dissatisfied with our response and your agreement is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, you have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge, but you must do so within six months of the date of the final response or 8 week holding letter. Further information and contact details can be found on www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

FINANCIAL OMBUDSMAN SERVICE DETAILS

https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Financial Ombudsman Service: Call the helpline on 0800 023 4567

GENERAL DENTAL COUNCIL

https://dcs.gdc-uk.org/

If you have a complaint about the private dental care you’ve received in the UK , then you can contact the GDC:

Please note: the GDC will respond within 4 working days.

Telephone:

0208 253 0800 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm).

Online:

Contact us through our enquiry form

Write to:

Dental Complaints Service
37 Wimpole Street
London
W1G 8DQ

If you have applied for a finance loan, you have a 14-day period to change your mind, as this has been done online.

The 14-day cooling off period is also known as the cancellation period, which applies to any services which have been purchased online, over the phone or via mail order. You do not need to give a reason for changing your mind.

You must inform the Treatment co-ordinator within the 14 days to cancel.