How can I pay for the services at Old Courthouse Dental Practice?
- Payments are acceptable by Switch (Maestro), Credit card, personal cheque, cash or direct debit.
- Payment is appreciated at the end of each visit (before leaving) for the care provided that day. If you are unsure whether there is a charge, please ask at reception before going into the surgery.
- Usually a written estimate can be produced within moments for a series of visits including invoices and receipts for any payments made.
- Payment by invoice can be arranged with your dentist’s prior consent, once you are an established credit worthy patient of the practice.
- Payment of such invoices is due within 10 days please.
What is your emergency criteria?
Generally during working hours, emergency patients will be seen by a dentist the same day. Provision is made in the appointment books for emergency appointments daily. The old courthouse dental practice receptionist ascertains as to legitimacy of any emergency, based on - severe pain not responding to painkillers, bleeding, swelling, sharp edge cutting tongue/cheek or a missing front tooth.
The out of hours emergency service is only open to registered patients of the practice, their family or a visiting relative or close friend. Anyone phoning the service would be vetted on the phone before the dentist agrees to come out to the practice to treat them depending on the urgency based on the criteria as above. In other circumstances the dentist reserves the right to request treatment is provided during normal working hours.
Do you have a cancellation or failure to attend policy?
To keep our prices to a reasonable level it is necessary for the fixed running cost of the practice to be met. This requires the dental surgeons and their surgeries running to maximum efficiency. For these reasons we have in place a non-attendance policy and a short notice cancellations policy.
This is for patients who fail to attend, or cancel their appointment with the dentist without giving 24 hours notice.
We now request patients give 48 hours notice to change a Dental Hygienist appointment to allow us time to offer the appointment to another patient. We view hygienist work as very important in the prevention of dental disease.
As with both the dentists and Hygienists all efforts will be made to fill the appointment time with another patient so the cancellation fee can be waived.
This cannot however be guaranteed or relied on. We therefore reserve the right to charge £20.00 for every 15 minutes of unfilled appointment time.
All charges will be made on instruction from and at the discretion of your dentist.