Dealing with private dentist - question

[severeme]

Hi, all. I am doing full mouth restoration in a private dental clinic. It has been several months, and work is coming to an end. In fact, on 27th is my last appointment. 

It's quite an expensive treatment, apparently guaranteed for 5 years, and I mentioned to the administrator that I would like to have this guarantee in writing. She said that A. (my dentist) would do the guarantee work anyway, but yes, it's possible. It was a couple of weeks ago, but no written guarantee was done. Today I received an e-mail with final bill, which I need to settle before or on the day of my last appointment. I replied that I'd like to have this 5-year guarantee on dental work in writing first, but never received a reply.

My question is: is it normal in the UK (I was born in another country) to have a verbal guarantee on dental works, especially major ones or should I insist on putting it in writing? The thing is this dentist may leave the clinic or may retire/get ill/be hit by a car, etc. Will another dentist in the clinic do any work under guarantee? And if they don't how can I enforce it? Just don't know how it works in the UK. It's a big (for me) sum of money and I'm a bit worried. (I am based in the UK and am a UK citizen, but I don't think it matters because it's a private treatment, all paid by myself)

What should I do? Thank you for your advice.

[1956glyn]

Before the dental work was started did you sign any contract?   

Is the dentist self employed or employed directly by the dental clinic do you know?

To be honest you should contact a Solicitor for proper legal advice immediately in relation to this matter.  Take any paperwork with you when you seek proper legal advice.

Personally and others may disagree.....I would insist that they finish the dental work, hand me the 5 year guarantee and only then would i settle the bill.

[severeme]

You know, I'm in half mind to call them tomorrow and insist on this guarantee and cancel an appointment day after tomorrow (27th) if they can't promise that it would be done. So, I am with you here. I just don't want to stir it and look inadequate, especially because I have been using this clinic for years and have nothing but praise about their work. I don't want to fall out with them, either.

My dentist is a business owner together with her husband (this dental clinic), so she's not employed by anyone, she employs other dentists and other stuff and works part-time as a dentist herself.

[1956glyn]

We have a private family dentist with his own practice.

They do the work and only after the work has been completed to our satisfaction do they give us a bill to settle.

[severeme]

Do they give a guarantee on their work? Do they put it in writing or you rely on their decency to keep their word?

[1956glyn]

To be honest its only ever been minor dental work and not really expensive work so we have not asked them to put any guarantee in writing.

My son did have a problem a month after work on just one tooth which they did correct free of charge.

We have all been going to the same practice for many years and never really had a problem with any work they have carried out apart from the above.

[severeme]

Yes, that is my problem, too. I've been with them for years and am happy with the work they did. Everything was excellent. That's why I don't want to brew a storm in a tea cup or fall out with them. But I want to stay safe. Just don't know what to do in this delicate situation.

[baybizz]

@ noopowders: You say "It's quite an expensive treatment, apparently guaranteed for five years.  If a guarantee was important to you, the time to get this contract in writing was before the treatment started.

You say that you have been using this practice for some years, and have been satisfied with their service. You have apparently received most of this latest treatment already - and they have trusted you to pay the bill at the end of treatment. If they were the sort of people who would be likely to not honour a guarantee, I don't think they would have let you out of the door after the first appointment without paying some money, and then would have insisted on staged payments as the treatment progressed. My gut feeling from what you say is that you can trust this dental practice. If this was your first experience of this practice, however, I would probably say don't pay the money (or at least not all of the money) until you get something satisfactory in writing.  

Remember that dentists have to be registered with their controlling professional body,  the Dental Council, who would investigate any subsequent complaint on your behalf - see their website here:

https://www.gdc-uk.org/

I hope that helps. I wish you good luck with your treatment.

Which reminds me, I must make an appointment to see my dentist...

[severeme]

"You have apparently received most of this latest treatment already - and they have trusted you to pay the bill at the end of treatment. If they were the sort of people who would be likely to not honour a guarantee, I don't think they would have let you out of the door after the first appointment without paying some money, and then would have insisted on staged payments as the treatment progressed."

They didn't trust me to pay the bill at the end of treatment. They insisted on staged payments as the treatment progressed. Now the last instalment of 6K+ is left to pay.

I will try to insist on this written guarantee. And you are right - I should have done it at the very beginning. I just thought they would do it themselves. It's pretty automatic in our country, I never thought I'd have to chase them.

Thanks for your input.

[1956glyn]

May i ask how much in total the treatment is costing?   My gut feeling was that it was substantial (about 20k...veneers ?)  hence my replies.

Going by what you have just said......my opinion is still  to get the 5 year guarantee before you pay the last instalment.

[cee-dee]

After seeing what you've got left to pay,   I wondered what was the total amount?

Also, it seems to me that whoever you're going to has the idea that if you've got it, they might as well have a good slice of it?

[severeme]

I got the written guarantee. Thanks to everybody who tried to help.

[1956glyn]

Well done x

And hopefully teeth you are happy with 🙂

[**bustysinclaire**]

If I had the money I would have all my teeth replaced with the dental inplants, costs around a £1,000 per tooth but I reckon it would be well worth it.

[randalbond]

No, it costs £3000+ per tooth.

[**bustysinclaire**]

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@randalbond wrote:
No, it costs £3000+ per tooth.

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No, I googled costs are going down 

[randalbond]

I don't know what google says. But I certainly know how much I paid.

[**bustysinclaire**]

Well, I couldn't afford either 

so I'll have to stick with me gaps hehe.

[**bustysinclaire**]

I see no one has offered to pay for me