Understanding our approach to cancellations

Here at Smiles Dental Care, we understand that these are uncertain times due to the Covid-19 outbreak. People everywhere are facing changes to their lives and new challenges and we are conscious of how this affects you. We are working extremely hard to ensure that you, our patients, can return to our practices to receive the care you deserve as soon as it is safely possible.

First and foremost, we want to reassure you that although our practice is closed, we are still here at the end of the phone to discuss any concerns you may have, provide advice or help secure emergency care. As we continue our efforts, we have made the reluctant decision to cancel upcoming appointments until at least the end of May, whilst we work through our reopening plan. We understand that appointment cancellations will be frustrating, but we want to reassure you that we have made this decision with the safety of you, our colleagues and our clinicians as our priority.

You may be affected if you are…

• A patient who has already had an appointment cancelled
• A patient who has an appointment coming soon
• A patient who is approaching the time of their regular visit

Our cancellation process so far and what we are changing

Until now, in the majority of cases we have cancelled appointments and re-booked them. Unfortunately, this has meant that some of you may have seen your appointment cancelled for a second time due to the ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19, which we can only apologise for; however, this was this was a necessary step to ensure your ongoing safety.

The current situation is that appointments are now being cancelled and you will then be placed in our ‘patient standby’, until we have finalised our appointment plan for safe reopening post Covid-19. As things currently stand, we believe that this will be in place until the end of May at least, but may be subject to change, depending on any amendments to the Government’s position. We will of course keep you informed as and when anything does change.

When it comes to rebooking, we will be taking a priority-based approach whereby we prioritise those with immediate care need, such as emergency patients, followed by those who are mid treatment until we are able to see anyone who is due for their routine check-up. These patients will be invited to attend in order of which month their appointment was due where possible.

Why we are taking this approach

Once we can assure a safe return to practice, we will be in touch to re-arrange the appointments that we have had to cancel. As with everything we do, you – our patients – are our priority. This includes your safety and is the reason we decided to take the measures that we have. This extends into the future of our appointments, procedures and our practices. We are all living in a world of uncertainty at the moment, but what you can be certain of is that we will be keeping you informed of all the changes and new ways of operating once we are in a position to see you again.

Once again, we want to reiterate that whilst our practices are closed, we understand that you may have concerns and worries about dental problems, but we want to reassure you that your local practice team are still here to support you. We also understand that you will have questions during this time, so we have been busy putting together advice on a variety of topics, starting with maintaining good oral hygiene and tips for brushing your teeth without visiting the dentist. We’ve also worked hard to ensure that all the supplies you need are as accessible as possible, so we have partnered with one of our key suppliers, CTS Dental Supplies, to offer you the ability to order your own dental supplies direct to your home using the CTS system.

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding. We are working tirelessly to make our practices safe for reopening in the very near future and look forward to welcoming you back soon.