Not upholding prescribed treatment
Whilst the dentists themselves are great, they offer a service they cannot commit to or manage properly.
This dental practice offers a Saturday service for children, which originally worked really well and meant children didn’t have to take time off school for continuous treatments.
They now cannot manage the staff sufficiently to keep Saturday appointments going and I have had several appointments cancelled and the only alternatives available are taking my child out of school.
My son has a flouride deficiency and is supposed to be treated every 3 months and this has not been happening, therefore having a detrimental effect on his teeth.
There is zero accountability from the dental practice for not upholding the 3 monthly treatment that they advised was needed.
When I complained about the fact my son was not getting the treatment that they prescribed excuses were made and then they went straight for the “if your not happy with us, here is a link for you to find another dentist” and “we have given you ample notice” not even acknowledging that they are failing to keep up with their own prescribed timescales for patients requiring regular treatment.
No plans to fix the flawed Saturday system by perhaps not allowing so many of their staff to constantly take holidays, which happens a lot.
They know just how difficult it is to find an NHS dentist and that is why they can treat you however they want.
Reply from Iconic Smiles
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We are sorry that you have felt disappointed with your recent experience.
To provide clarity for others reading, when an appointment has to be cancelled because a dentist is unexpectedly away, we always give as much notice as possible and arrange the earliest suitable alternative. In this instance, although a future Saturday appointment could not go ahead, we brought your childs appointment forward and ensured the treatment was completed earlier than planned. There was no delay to the recommended interval of care.
As you mentioned, NHS dental appointments are extremely difficult to secure nationally at the moment. This same nationwide shortage of NHS dentists means that weekend NHS clinics are particularly challenging for all practices to staff consistently.
Our clinical team, like all workers in the UK, are entitled to annual leave under employment law, and we always plan our schedules around this. However, planned leave combined with occasional unforeseen absences can mean that very rarely a session has to be rearranged. We understand how frustrating this can be and work hard to keep any disruption to a minimum.
We also encourage patients to attend the appointments they book. Missed or unattended appointments can also disrupt treatment pathways, so it is important that both the practice and families work together to help keep preventive care on track for children.
Our aim is always to minimise disruption, communicate promptly, and provide safe and reliable care. We remain committed to supporting your child's preventive dental needs.
