Cancellation Policy, No Show and Deposit Policy
At Surbiton Smile Centre, we are dedicated to providing all our patients with timely and high-quality dental care. As demand for our services is high, missed appointments, or “Failures to Attend” (FTAs), and late cancellations have a significant impact. When an appointment is missed without sufficient notice, we are unable to offer that valuable time to another patient in need, leading to longer waiting times for everyone.
What Constitutes a Missed Appointment (FTA)?
A missed appointment, or FTA, is recorded in your patient file when any of the following occur:
- You do not attend a scheduled appointment.
- You contact the practice too late to cancel, making it impossible to reallocate the time to another patient.
Short Notice Cancellations (SNCs)
A Short Notice Cancellation (SNC) is recorded if you cancel a routine appointment with less than 48 hours’ notice.
How to Cancel or Reschedule Your Appointment
We appreciate as much notice as possible. If you need to cancel or change your appointment, please contact us using one of the following methods:
- By telephone, call 0208 3399333
- In person at the reception desk
- Via email at [email protected]
- Through our website enquiry form
It is your responsibility to ensure the practice has your up-to-date contact information.
Policy for Repeated Missed Appointments (FTA/SNC)
While we understand that genuine emergencies and unforeseen circumstances can occur, repeated failures to attend or late cancellations are disruptive to the practice and our patients. Our policy for managing repeated non-attendance is as follows:
Occurrence |
Action Taken |
|
First FTA/SNC (within a 6-month period) |
We will note the occurrence on your record and gently remind you of this policy when booking any future appointments. |
|
Second FTA/SNC (within a 12-month period) |
The Practice Manager will review your patient record. A written notification (letter or email) will be issued, advising that future appointments may be at risk. |
|
Third FTA/SNC (within a 12-month period) |
You may be respectfully asked to leave the practice list. Access to future services will be denied. |
Discretion: We recognise that life happens. We will consider any reasonable explanations for missed appointments on a case-by-case basis. However, this discretion cannot be extended to repeated offences. We cannot be held responsible for individual travel issues, such as traffic or transport delays.
Specific Policy for Hygiene Appointments
Due to the cost of materials and dedicated clinician time, we apply a specific fee for missed or late-cancelled Hygiene appointments:
A cancellation or non-attendance fee will be applied if you fail to provide at least 24 hours’ notice before a scheduled Hygiene appointment.
- For a 30-minute Hygiene appointment, the fee will be £30.
- For a 1-hour Hygiene appointment, the fee will be £50.
If you need to cancel on the day of your appointment due to illness or emergency, please contact us as soon as possible by phone or email to help us avoid applying this fee. If an appointment is cancelled within the same treatment session you are due to be seen, it will be considered a failure to attend.
Reducing Missed Appointments
We are committed to helping you attend your appointments:
- Confirmation: We provide written appointment confirmation upon booking, which includes our contact information.
- Reminders: If you provide your consent and mobile number, we aim to send a text message or email reminder prior to your appointment.
- Patient Responsibility: We encourage you to record your appointment details in a way that is easily accessible to you (e.g., in a diary or on your phone calendar).
By adhering to this policy, you are helping us ensure our appointment system runs as efficiently as possible, benefiting all our patients.
“I’ve been visiting the team at SSC for 9 months or so. My treatment included a front tooth implant plus upper and lower alignment. From start to finish the team were fantastic – especially good with appointment times, availability and patient communication. I’ve recently concluded my treatment and I couldn’t be happier with the results. I’d highly recommend to someone looking for first class cosmetic dental treatment. Thank you Simin, Theo, Claudia, Fernanda and Wendy.”
“Really happy with this practice – Dr Soltani is lovely and a very good dentist. Waiting times are close to none and the staff are professional and friendly. I did a teeth whitening treatment with the Enlighten method and worked amazingly.”
“She was brilliant. She explained exactly what she was doing. Reassured me thoroughly and I felt at ease. Considering it was Good Friday and in the evening, the price was very fair. If you are in need of a Dentist, then definitely call them.”
I had my Invisalign treatment here and am very pleased with the results. This was with the recommendation of Sure Smile aligners which have worked well. Special thanks to resident orthodontist Theo, Simin and the rest of the team as they are all very professional and friendly.
Dr Soltani and her team at Surbiton Smile Centre has given me exceptional service over the last 5 years. The whole team are highly experienced as well as very friendly. I have done an implant, a crown and braces – all treatments were of first-class. I will certainly continue to let them look after my dental health and strongly recommend Surbiton Smile Centre!
I have been going to Surbiton Smile Centre for nearly 20 years, that is surely testament to their service, friendliness, advice and overall experience. Fine fine work Simin and Wendy!
Dr Simin Soltani and the Surbiton Smile Centre team have been world class. The professionalism, quality of treatment, and customer experience have been exemplary.
I needed quite a bit of dental work so went to a few different surgeries to get their opinions. I chose Surbiton Smile Centre because Dr Soltani actually gave me options – all of which would work to varying degrees and, significantly, to varying costs. She took the time to try the most cost-effective option, but always with the possibility of shifting course if needed. Eventually, to get my teeth decently functional, I needed quite a few crowns – including on front teeth. She allowed me time to get used to the adjustments as the process went on, and always made sure each stage was both comfortable and looked good. I am very pleased with the result, again both aesthetically and functionally. Would most heartily recommend!
I recommend my dentist, Simin with the highest regard. Over the years, she has transformed my problematic mouth to a smile of stable, healthy teeth.
Simin has restored an old implant for me and also inserted a new one. She has helped me with crowns and also replaced old black fillings with natural looking white ones. Simin has always been very professional, kind and helpful.
Thank you Simin!
I have been going to Surbiton Smile Centre for approximately 5 years. The service, treatments and team are exceptional. Simin Soltani, the principal dentist is amazing, her work is to a very high standard, and she makes you feel at ease. My teeth have never been as healthy since I joined the practice. I would highly recommend Surbiton Smile Centre and Simin to anyone. The best Dentist in Surbiton!
Easily the most outstanding dental practice I have ever visited. Simin, Fernanda, Theo and Wendy provide personalised service and make you feel extremely welcome and well cared for. This team really cares about getting great results for their clients and go above and beyond. I have received dental, orthodontic and hygienist services and they have all been amazing. Would strongly recommend.
I would highly recommend to anyone to visit Surbiton Smile Centre, especially to people with dental complications in need of a cosmetic treatment to regain a confident smile. After a consultation with the knowledgeable team at Surbiton Smile Centre I was confident that having my treatment done as they also have a team that can translate make easy to understand. I had implant and cosmetic veneer treatment I have had dental work, check-ups and teeth cleaning done at Surbiton Smile Centre. I highly recommend Surbiton Smile Centre for their expert treatment, friendly staff, great service, and reasonable prices. All my friends and family have commented on my fantastic new teeth and my partner had treatment at Surbiton Smile Centre because I told her of my positive experience. I cannot thank Dr Simin and all team Surbiton Smile Centre
