Getting back to normal
After a very frustrating two years we are pleased to be able to say that we are now booking routine appointments, however, please do wait to be contacted by us to book these in. The only way we are able to see everybody is to see them in order of when they were last seen by us.
If you are a patient of the practice and have an emergency please call reception at 8.30am the morning you wish to be seen. If you are not a patient of the practice and have an emergency, please contact 111 for advice.
During this difficult time, please be aware that we may be experiencing staff shortages due to isolation so we ask for all general enquiries to be emailed to us at dentalcentre@bath.ac.uk
Thank you for being patient with us.
Changes to the practice
There are a lot of changes and the practice will be a little different from what you last saw.
Coming to your appointment
The Dental Centre now has a locked door policy and this will remain in place until further notice. This means that only those with an appointment will be able to enter the building by ringing our intercom and speaking to reception.
We are still social distancing within the practice so we ask that you only attend at the time of your appointment. If you’re early, we may ask you to wait outside or in your car.
A couple of minutes before your appointment, please press the orange sticker on our intercom (situated to the right hand side of our main door) the receptionist will be able to see you and speak to you to make sure you have no flu like symptoms.
We are no longer asking patients to wear a mask within the building, however, if you wish to continue to wear a mask then please do so.
New dental emergencies
If you’re a patient and have a dental emergency, please call us to discuss it on 01225 333931. If you need to call outside our opening hours, please call the NHS helpline on 111.
Please contact 111 if you’re not a member of the practice and require emergency dental care.
Appointment reminders
Due to the increasing costs of Royal Mail deliveries, we will no longer send reminders for check-ups by post.
We send reminders for appointments by email and SMS (text messages). We do have to remind patients that these are a courtesy and ask patients not to rely on these for attending appointments. We can also remind you that you are due for a check-up by email or SMS.
Please give us your feedback about this change to our service by emailing us at dentalcentre@bath.ac.uk.
Cancellations and missed appointments
If you’re unable to keep your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can use the time for another patient on our waiting list.
If you miss more than two appointments and give less than two working days’ notice, we may not be able to complete your treatment or offer you NHS care in the future.
If you miss an appointment, you have to pay the cost of the treatment band again when the appointment is rebooked.
Reminders and recalls
At the end of your course of treatment, your dentist will discuss with you when you need to see a dentist again.
We’ll continue to offer to either book your next appointment in advance or send you a reminder nearer the time.
NHS dentists now follow guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on how often patients need to see their dentist according to their oral health needs.
It is no longer the norm for NHS patients to have two NHS check-ups each year if you do not need them. The Department of Health wishes NHS resources to be allocated to those who need them most.
You can, of course, visit your dentist privately if you prefer to talk to your them more regularly about your oral health needs, have a regular hygiene visit, or would like reassurance that all is well.
Courses of treatment
We will close all courses of treatment which have more than two months between them. If you’re unable to return to the Dental Centre for treatment, you’ll need to pay the whole band charge when you return.
The two-month rule is set by the NHS and our practice has no control over this.