Terms & Conditions

At Square Mile Dental Centre we have been providing excellent care and have established a wonderful reputation since 2000. We believe that a successful journey with our patient firmly relies on mutual respect and trust. The team at Square Mile understands that advanced top quality dental treatment can involve a significant financial cost to our patient, and can also involve a tremendous amount of planning by our dentists. The practice ethos is to ensure both parties are happy in order to create a long term professional relationship with your continued dental care. As clinical director, my goal for my team is that you finish your treatment feeling confident with your dental health and smile. To ensure both parties are clear in our journey, we have set certain clauses to outline the financial and clinical responsibilities of our patients and our dentists.

We advise that you read these terms carefully and would be more than happy to discuss any aspects in detail.

We look forward to starting your journey towards a healthy smile.

Kind Regards
Dr Sanjay Sethi BDS
Clinical director at Square Mile Dental Centre

Any questions or queries regarding the terms listed should be directed to the business director Dr Nikhil Sethi or the clinical director Dr Sanjay Sethi at info@squaremiledentalcentre.co.uk

Please note that these terms and conditions apply to any appointments booked at our practice.

1. All new patient consultations are payable in full in advance when the appointment is booked. This will include up to four radiographs, which is usually enough for most clinical If further radiographs are required, then these will be charged at £15 each.

2. All patients attending Square Mile Dental Centre for an examination may require necessary radiographs and photographs and occasionally videos even if you have your own radiographs taken by another dental This is to ensure we provide the most up to date information before forming a diagnosis and treatment plan.

3. IMPORTANT: All new patients attending the practice will be required to fill out our comprehensive medical history form in addition to the Pre-Appointment Pack (PAP) which is sent in This covers COVID-19 screening and also your general health which we take very seriously to ensure the best level of care. This questionnaire will be updated at each examination and at each course of subsequent treatment to ensure that we always have your most up -to-date details. Your medical condition may adversely affect or be affected by dental and facial aesthetics treatment and it is important that the questionnaire is completed in full. This allows the clinician looking after you to study your medical and dental history and individual concerns and requirements in advance of your consultation to optimise your care.

4. Patients attending as an emergency (pain, swelling, infection) will have their emergency treatment prioritised and be encouraged to return for a full Such appointments will be payable at normal hourly rate. An additional call out fee may be applicable on public holidays and weekends unless you are midway through an ongoing treatment plan, or if the emergency is related to recent work we have completed. Please be aware that our priority is to get you out of pain at this visit and you may require further visits to complete definitive treatment during normal clinical hours.

5. As part of the GDC standards we will ensure to behave in a professional manner at all times to give you confidence in us and the If you feel you need to make a complaint then please email info@squaremiledentalcentre.co.uk and we will make every effort to rapidly resolve any issues. We also expect courtesy from our patients and have a zero tolerance policy on abusive behaviour, language and actions towards our team. We reserve the right to withdraw our services to any patients breaching this code.

6. After your consultation we will send you a treatment plan. For simple cases this treatment plan will outline the exact costs of treatment and the time required. However if your case is complex then we will provide you with a summary report and a range of costs and if this is agreed with you then we may require a further visit for photos and records in order to then provide an accurate cost and time frame.

7. Due to the complexity of some courses of treatment, it may not be possible to give an accurate estimate of fees at the start of treatment until some investigative procedures are carried out first and the response to initial treatment evaluated. Such estimates will then necessarily need to be staged or phased. You will be informed in writing as soon as possible if the treatment costs are likely to exceed or fall below the estimate(s). An estimate of further investigations required will be made in your preliminary dental report.

8. Occasionally a plan has to change mid treatment despite our comprehensive planning, for example if a deep filling ends up requiring a root canal treatment. If this is to happen then your clinician will quote you before doing anything different to the plan and only if you verbally agree would we continue.

9. When you receive your plan, the costs remain valid for 3 months, even if the practice reviews its fees during this time. Examination, hygiene and emergency visits are all payable in advance in full. For treatment visits we will take a deposit of 50% of the planned cost on your treatment plan for that appointment.

10. Due to the complexity of some courses of treatment, it may not be possible to give an accurate estimate of fees at the start of treatment until some investigative procedures are carried out first and the response to initial treatment evaluated. Such estimates will then necessarily need to be staged or phased. You will be informed in writing as soon as possible if the treatment costs are likely to exceed or fall below the estimate(s). An estimate of further investigations required will be made in your preliminary dental report.

11. If your treatment involves lab work, then the full cost of the procedure/lab fee will be taken before sending the scan or impressions.

12. We support most insurance companies. If you have dental insurance, we will still take payment directly from you at the time of treatment and it is then your responsibility to submit your claim with them for reimbursement.

13. Our practice offers interest free finance options for care plans over £1000. Should you wish to find out more on this, our reception team can provide you with the details and the contact of the third party provider for in depth details. If you have taken a finance option then treatment will commence only after the 14 day cooling off period has completed.

14. All written estimates paid in full in advance of treatment commencing are subject to a 7.5% discount on treatment plans of £4,000 and above only. Please note that no discount is applicable on courses of treatment paid for by third party financing arrangements.

15. If the treatment has been paid for in advance but the treatment cannot be completed by either party, any credit remaining shall be refunded within 1 calendar month of such notice being given in writing. Any discount previously applied for a greater sum will be recalculated based on treatment already invoiced. No interest will be payable on this refunded sum.

16. We reserve the right to postpone further on-going treatment if due invoices are not settled by due dates and can take no responsibility for any disruption to treatment, inconvenience or further costs that are incurred in the event this decision is made. We are sympathetic to changes in personal circumstances that may preclude further treatment or cause difficulties in making payments. In the event that settlement of fees is not possible due to a change in personal circumstances, please write to the Practice Manager at info@squaremiledentalcentre.co.uk no later than 2 working weeks from the date of the invoice so that we can make suitable arrangements. We cannot extend credit beyond this in order to keep a sustainable cash flow for the practice.

17. If a balance is not cleared within 4 weeks then we may need to pass the matter onto a debt collection agency. We will send a monthly statement to your last known e-mail address (or postal address if you do not have e-mail). Should your e-mail or home address or contact numbers change during treatment, or if you will be away from your address for an extended period, it is your responsibility to inform us by e-mail at info@sqauremiledentalcentre.co.uk for the attention of the Practice Manager. Further fees may be applied at our discretion (to a value of no greater than 10% of the final balance of the account) if extensive administrative time is spent dealing with recovery of monies owed on your account.

18. Square Mile Dental Centre has a policy of pursuing all unpaid accounts through appropriate legal channels including all time and legal costs incurred in the pursuit and recovery of due fees. Please note that this may greatly increase the total fees payable over and above the outstanding invoice amount. If you are genuinely unable to pay due to a change in circumstances, please do let us know in writing a timely fashion so that we may make mutually acceptable arrangements.

19. The above terms are in accordance with the default late payment penalties as set out in the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 F15A as amended and supplemented by the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2002 (amended 16th March 2013).

20. Appointments not kept or cancelled without the notice period outlined in the table below are chargeable at our discretion up to the current full hourly rate of the clinician/service involved which is up to £300 per hour for general dentistry and up to £500 per hour for surgical or implant appointments.

< 2h Appointments – 2 full working days
2 – 3.5h Appointments – 3 full working days
> 3.5h Appointments – 5 full working days

Our full working day notice period is as follows:

Full working days mean 9.00am until 5.30pm Monday to Friday where the practice is open.

Please note that Square Mile Dental Centre is closed between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day inclusive so any cancellations for early January appointments should be made before Christmas with the appropriate notice.

We will always try to be compassionate and fair, and we hope you understand that a cancellation policy is vital to protect the business and allow us to help other patients if we have adequate notice.

21. For cancellations or rescheduling of appointments made according to our notice required, then there will be no cancellation charge and any deposit can be 100% refunded if a further appointment is not arranged.

22. Where 1⁄4 or more of the appointment time has been lost due to lateness of attendance, we reserve the right to re-schedule appointments and charge up to full hourly clinician rate for the appointment time lost at our discretion. This is to have to avoid rushing work and the knock-on effect throughout the day on other scheduled appointments.

23. In the event of erratic or unreliable attendance or if there are 3 or more late cancellations or late attendances in any 12-month period, we reserve the right to temporarily or permanently withdraw services at the discretion of the clinician in charge of your care and the Clinical Director without further obligation or acceptance of responsibility for direct or indirect consequences of postponing treatment. We provide world class care and rely on completing your treatment according to certain time frames, based on healing, aesthetics and your comfort and therefore delaying treatment could negatively impact the outcome.

24. We understand your time is precious and we will always try to make sure we avoid inconvenience with late rescheduling or running late. However as passionate healthcare providers wanting to give the best service, sometimes we may have situations which result in us running late or having to reschedule. Whilst we do not reduce the cost of treatment in these rare circumstances, we will do everything we can to resolve your concerns.

25. A 50% deposit is required to secure treatment appointments and is deducted from your treatment on the day.
Deposits are non-refundable if: An appointment is missed or changes are made without the required notice and no appointment is attended within 6 months of payment.

26. Square Mile Dental Centre and the dental technicians with whom we work guarantee our work against technical failure for 5 years for ceramic and implant work and 2 years for composite restorations. This guarantee commences from the End of Treatment. Our guarantee is only valid if you agree to the following terms:

1. A dental examination at our practice at least once in a 12 month period.
2. To see the hygienist every 6 months or more regular visits at shorter interval periods depending on your gum health. This recall period is determined by your hygienist who will note this on the records.

27. The guarantee does not cover:

1. Minor wear, chipping or cracking from normal usage where the core material or tooth has not been visibly exposed.
2. Where a guarantee has not been given in the treatment planning letter for a specific reason or for a specific item or items of treatment.
3. Where there has been a lack of proper cleaning and home care, lapse in recommended examination and hygienist programme visits, breakage due to trauma, inappropriate use or deliberate damage, delay in the provision of definitive protective restorations beyond a period of 2 months from when recommended, new decay, gum recession exposing edges of crowns or implants, periodontal (gum) infection or sudden tooth or root fracture under an intact restoration.
4. Subjective aesthetic “failure” or subjective unacceptability from the viewpoint of the patient or third party including their partner or spouse if work is technically correct and the patient has accepted cementation or fitting at the time of the fit appointment.

28. Work is guaranteed as follows:

Failure < 2 years – Composite, ceramic and implant restorations
Repaired or replaced free of charge, or fee paid for failed work will be deducted from further work whichever is applicable. Refunds will not be made.

Failure 2-3 years – Ceramic and implant restorations
Repaired or replaced at 20% of current cost, or 80% of fee paid for failed work will be deducted from further work whichever is applicable. Refunds will not be made.

Failure 3-4 years – Ceramic and implant restorations
Repaired or replaced at 40% of current cost, or 60% of fee paid for failed work will be deducted from further work whichever is applicable. Refunds will not be made.

Failure 4-5 years – Ceramic and implant restorations
Repaired or replaced at 80% of current cost, or 20% of fee paid for failed work will be deducted from further work whichever is applicable. Refunds will not be made.

Failure > 5 years
Full fee applicable or deduction in current fee will be applied at our discretion.

29. The guarantee also covers the following biological failures:

1. Complete failure of bone grafts or soft tissue grafts or dental implants in non-smokers, patients not taking bisphosphonate or other bone metabolism-influencing medication or any disease process influencing bone or soft tissue healing including but not limited to high LDL cholesterol and low vitamin D levels only. We may require you to have blood tests via your GP or The Doctors Laboratory in Wimpole Street if we suspect a systemic cause to any failures.
2. Failure of root canal treatment by persistent infection but not including breakage or root fracture under a crown. However if we have recommended a crown or onlay after root canal treatment and this is not booked and completed within 4 months then the guarantee is not applicable. Or due to a delay in protective crowning or on laying for protection when recommended.

30. “Technical failure” will be diagnosed and photographically documented by the dental surgeon and the information shared with the dental technician responsible for any laboratory work fitted. It will cover the following:

1. Breakage of definitive restorations (not core restorations prescribed for crowning).
2. Definitively fitted laboratory work (apart from the acrylic or composite resin veneering on metal framework).

31. Any areas of dispute may be referred for independent arbitration with the professional indemnity society of the clinician concerned. Details of the clinician’s professional indemnity society can be requested from the Practice Manager by emailing info@squaremiledentalcentre.co.uk

32. Unless you can provide evidence of a Power of Attorney or are a parent of a minor, we cannot discuss a record or treatment with anyone else apart from the patient concerned. This also includes any refund which can only be given to the patient or someone with the correct Power of Attorney.

33. In order to maintain excellent clinical records and have long term monitoring of your work, our clinicians regularly take clinical photographs and occasional videos which are securely stored on our servers. Unless you sign a consent form, these will not be used for marketing purposes. High resolution copies of all photographs and X-rays and CT scan screenshots are included as part of a full dental report and estimate. Copies may be provided for a time-based administrative fee if the patient requires duplicates and does not wish to proceed to a full dental report.

34. All original material and digital dental records, laboratory work, photographs, video or patient data recorded on any medium may be used anonymously and within the constraints of the current Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulation.