Terms and Conditions

Orthodontist Direct

Information

• Patients will be required to follow all health and safety rules laid out by their chosen practice.
• All aspects of your treatment and information will be treated and protected and kept confidential in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 and once treatment is commenced this will be also subject to the chosen practice’s GDPR and Data Protection Policy
• Patients will be required to complete a medical history before arriving for their first appointment. It is the patients’ responsibility to inform us of any change to their medical history and contact details.
• The team at Orthodontist Direct will be professional and courteous when we look after you as will your chosen practice. Rudeness and abusive behaviour will not be tolerated. Any prospective patient showing aggression towards a member of the team will be terminated from our care with immediate effect.

Treatment Information

• Validity of written orthodontic treatment plans/reports and quotes are valid subject to the individual practice’s Terms and Conditions
• It is important that you comply with the Orthodontic Practice’s requests in order to improve and maintain your dental health, otherwise this may compromise your treatment outcome or they may have to discontinue your treatment.
• Prior to any orthodontic treatment commencing an orthodontic consent form to treatment needs completing. The orthodontist will explain the risks and benefits of treatment and give you the opportunity to ask any questions.
• It is important to continue seeing your dentist on a regular basis for your general oral health, whilst having orthodontic treatment with your chosen Orthodontic Practice.

Finance

• Individual Orthodontic Practices may have payment plans available, including monthly payments, please contact the practice before or during your consultation to discuss these options further.
• With the monthly finance option there is a legal requirement for a 14 day cooling off period. This gives you the opportunity during this time to cancel your finance agreement without a penalty.
• If part way through treatment either the patient or orthodontist cannot complete the agreed orthodontic treatment, a refund may apply after consultation. Please contact your chosen practice for more details
• Where required by law, loans will be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

General Treatment Terms

•  Each Orthodontic practice may differ but the general retention is once your appliances have been removed, the Orthodontic Practice may maintain the result for 1 year from when the date they were removed (if retainers are cared for as advised). This length of time may differ from practice to practice and some may offer no retention after appliances are removed.
• Fixed and Removable retainers are usually guaranteed for 12 months following the completion of active treatment. The guarantee does not include failure to use advised cleaning products, manhandling appliances, breakage due to trauma, the placement of new fillings, nail-biting, exposed edges of restorative work or receding gums. Each practice may have different guarantees in place or none at all.
• Your chosen orthodontic specialist holds clinical responsibility for your treatment plan and has the responsibility of duty of care whilst you are a registered patient of the orthodontic practice. Orthodontist Direct holds no liability over the treatment provided by the Orthodontic Specialist in charge of your care and once treatment has commenced the relationship between prospective patient and Orthodontist Direct ends as and when the relationship between active patient and chosen Orthodontic Specialist begins.
• Once orthodontic treatment has been completed and teeth have been aligned, Orthodontist Direct gives no guarantee that teeth will not move back, as teeth and soft tissues have a memory and may move back. Retainer wear is necessary for a lifetime, as the body is continually changing and maturing. Changes in the position of lower front teeth are particularly common if the retainers are not continually worn on a part-time basis to prevent this (this is called relapse). If relapse has occurred and further treatment is required this will incur an additional fee.
• Any retainers lost or damaged beyond repair, will incur a fee, which is payable when booking the appointment. Fees for replacement retainer may vary according to chosen Orthodontic Practice.

Cancellations and Refunds

• As per our cancellation policy we require 48 hours’ notice for any cancellation of appointments, otherwise a charge will be applied. However, we understand that sometimes you need to cancel your treatment and appointments. You may be entitled to a refund of the cancellation fee or for your deposit amount paid if:
• You have given 48hours notice when cancelling.
  • Emergency medical situations.
  • Treatment has not been started already.
  • There are no associated fees (for instance laboratory work).

All refund requests must be made in writing to the chosen Orthodontic Practice for approval. Please email them as soon as possible. A senior member of the chosen Practice team will be in touch to discuss and if appropriate, process a refund usually within 7 working days, this timescale may vary from practice to practice/

Compliments and Complaints

• We encourage feedback, positive and negative from prospective patients, this allows us to continually review and improve our service quality. You can leave feedback with a member of our team verbally, via email, via our practice website, google reviews or Friends and Family submissions.
  • If you have a complaint, please inform us as soon as possible or email us at hello@orthodontistdirect.co.uk so we can discuss and address any concerns. A copy of our Complaints Policy is available on request or found at the footer of the website.

The team at Orthodontist Direct is delighted you have chosen to have treatment with Practices within our group and we are looking forward to working with you to achieve that beautiful smile.