In the UK it is a legal requirement that all patients having an X-ray examination are referred by a suitably qualified practitioner. This may be a dentist or doctor. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept any patients without a referral. We are happy to accept referral letters on headed paper which can be emailed or posted to us.

Your practitioner may already have sent us your details via an electronic referral. You may receive a call from us to arrange your appointment or a text message and/or email with a link to our booking calendar.

Your practitioner may have given you one of our referral forms or a letter. You can contact us by telephone on 020 7590 2020 or email us at info@dental-scan.co.uk to arrange your appointment, or you can scan the QR code on the back of the referral form which will take you to our booking calendar.

We also offer a walk-in service (hours to be added) which may be more convenient for you. Please tell us as soon as possible if you cannot make your appointment by contacting us by telephone on 0207 590 2020 or emailing us at info@dental-scan.co.uk. There are no additional charges for rebooking or cancelling your appointment.

Before you arrive at one of our imaging centres, please make sure you tell us if you have any special
requirements, for example:

• Are disabled/have mobility problems
• Use special equipment, such as a wheelchair
• Have any hidden disabilities
• Prefer to have written information in large print
• Want us to arrange for an interpreter to translate into a different language
• Want us to provide information through Braille
  If you wish to have a chaperone during your examination
• Any questions you may have

We do not provide any patient transport services. Our staff will be happy to help arrange a taxi for you after your appointment.

Please tell us as soon as possible if you cannot make your appointment by contacting us by telephone on 0207 590 2020 or emailing us at info@dental-scan.co.uk.

In London our imaging centre is on the 3rd floor, with our scanners easily accessible for wheelchairs with step free access from street level.

In Manchester our imaging centre is on the ground floor, with our scanners easily accessible for wheelchair users.

Please arrive in good time for your appointment, and don’t worry if you are early or a few minutes late. Our staff will still be able to accommodate you. If you are going to be very delayed, please contact us by telephone on 020 7590 2020 or emailing us at info@dental.co.uk and we will let you know if we need to reschedule your appointment.

Please bring with you any paperwork and special templates to wear during your X-ray examination given to you by your dentist.

You can eat and drink normally before and after your appointment.

You will be asked to remove any outer clothing (coats, scarves, hats etc.).

You will be asked to remove glasses, hair clips and ties and any jewellery worn around the head and neck and in your mouth (ear piercings, necklaces and chains, tongue piercings etc.).

You will be asked to remove any dentures or orthodontic appliances.

You can expect to be with us for up to 20-30 minutes.

Covid-19 is still around and as a healthcare provider it is important we protect our patients, and our staff. To reduce infection, we all have a responsibility to continue handwashing, and mask-wearing in some settings.

Mask wearing is optional for patients and visitors. Patients will be asked to remove masks during imaging procedures. Mask wearing is required within the clinical areas in our centres for our staff. Infection control is important to us and our staff clean the clinical areas after every patient. Please be reassured that you can ask them to clean the X-ray equipment in your presence and this will not affect the care you receive.

If you test positive for coronavirus or develop coronavirus symptoms, please do not attend our premises and contact us by telephone on 020 7590 2020 or emailing us at info@dental.co.uk

We are committed to treating each patient who attends Dental Scan with dignity and respect and always put the patient first.

If you wish to have your X-ray examination carried out by a member of staff of the same gender as you, please talk to our receptionist on arrival. We will try to take full account of your needs.

Dental Scan is committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where patients and staff can be confident that best practice is being followed at all times and the privacy, dignity and safety of everyone is of paramount importance.

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for their dental imaging. The chaperone may be a family member or friend, but on occasions a formal chaperone may be preferred. This will be a member of our staff specially trained to chaperone. There may be times when the chaperone is asked to leave an area for example, during an X-ray exposure, but our staff will explain this to you.

Wherever possible we would ask you to make the request for a formal chaperone at the time of booking your appointment so that arrangements can be made and your appointment is not delayed in any way.

We are happy to answer any questions you might have about chaperones and your dental imaging.

Every healthcare professional must be open and honest with patients when something that goes wrong with their treatment or care causes, or has the potential to cause harm or distress. This is known as ‘Duty of Candour’.

Our staff have a responsibility to:

• Recognise when an incident occurs that causes harm
• Tell the patient when something has gone wrong
• Apologise to the patient
• Offer an appropriate remedy or support to put matters right (if possible)
• Explain fully to the patient the short- and long-term effects of what has happened

We aim to send all X-ray results back to your dentist within two working days of the examination having taken place. If you have an appointment with your dentist on the same day as your appointment with us, we can fast-track the results.

If your dentist has requested a radiology report with your scan this can take a little longer. We aim to return these within 5 working days.

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The cost of your dental imaging will be determined by your treatment plan. Your dentist may provide you with a cost before attending your appointment. Alternatively, you can contact us by telephone on 0207 590 2020 or emailing us at info@dental-scan.co.uk or email to ask.

You may be asked to pay us directly on the day of your appointment or you may be asked to pay your dentist directly, either before or after your appointment with us. If you are paying us, you can do so with any debit or credit card, including American Express, ApplePay and GooglePay. We also accept cash.

Although we do not have any links with insurance companies, we can provide you with an electronic or printed invoice to forward on to your insurance provider.

We are committed at Dental Scan to ensuring our X-ray imaging is of the highest quality, whilst keeping radiation dose to patients to a minimum.

The radiation dose you will receive will vary depending on the type of X-ray you are having taken, and ranges between 0.001 and 0.26 mSv. This is equivalent to between a few hours and 1 month of background radiation, which we all receive in our daily lives from natural sources.

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When you attend your appointment, you will see different members of our team at Dental Scan. Name badges form part of our uniform, helping patients and visitors to identify who is who among staff. If you cannot see the badge, our staff will not be offended if you ask them to identify themselves.

Receptionists – Our receptionists will greet you upon arrival. They will ask for your name and may also ask for other details and information. You can also ask them any questions you may have about your appointment and they will do their very best to assist you.

Radiographers / Dental Nurses – A HCPC registered Diagnostic Radiographer or GDC registered Dental Nurse will be taking your X-ray examination. They will confirm your identity by asking you your full name, date of birth and first line of your address. They will explain the procedure to you and be able to answer any concerns or questions you might have.

Dental Scan is committed to staff improving their clinical skills. There may be times when the radiographer or dental nurse may be accompanied by a more experienced member of staff in a supervisory capacity. Please be reassured that you can say no and this will not affect the care you receive.

We may ask you to agree to be seen by a new starter who is being trained. Please be reassured that you can say no and this will not affect the care you receive.

Company Directors – Our senior leadership team ensure that you receive high-quality care and manage the day-to-day running of the service. They do this by regularly working in patient facing roles.

Our website can be translated into over 100 languages.

If you have communication needs when you attend for your appointment, please let us know so that we can arrange an appropriate interpreter.

Some disabilities don’t have physical signs so we cannot always tell is someone has one. Hidden disabilities include autism, acquired/traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, partial sight and hearing loss, mental health, epilepsy, dementia and sensory processing.

Dental Scan is proudly participating in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard scheme. This means that those with a hidden disability can wear a sunflower lanyard to make their disability visible to those around them. Our staff will help you with any support or adjustments you may need.

All our staff, whether clinical or non-clinical, will have autism, learning difficulties and dementia
awareness training so they can:

• Support you with your appointment and X-ray examination
• Make sure you feel safe and supported
• Make sure that adjustments are made so that you get the care that you need
• Talk to people that know you best to make sure that all the important information is heard about you (e.g. your family, carers and dentist)

We welcome your feedback at Dental Scan to learn what we are doing well, and what we are doing not so well, to help improve our service and make positive changes.

How to say thank you and offer a compliment

Dental Scan is proud of the service we provide and the care of our staff. In order to continue providing excellent care, we want to recognise the things our staff do well. We’d love to hear from you and we’ll make sure our staff receive your comments.

How to raise a concern or complaint

You may not wish to raise a complaint but would like us to be aware of an issue and try to make it right.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received and you would like this to be formally investigated and responded to, you have the right to make a complaint.

If you have a concern or would like to make a complaint about the service you have received at Dental Scan please ask to speak to, or write to:

Mr Alexander Woodham
Dental Scan
Suite 17
75 Harley Street
London
W1G 8QL

Telephone: 07398 743302 / 020 7590 2020
Email: alex@dental-scan.co.uk

We take all concerns and complaints seriously and will try to resolve the matter as soon as possible but within 28 days.

If you are not happy with how we have handled your complaint or the outcome and you are a private patient, you can contact the:

Dental Complaints Service
37 Wimpole Street
London
W1G 8DQ

Telephone: 020 8253 0800
Website: https://dcs.gdc-uk.org/

If you are an NHS patient, please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at the hospital you are being treated at.

Whether a private or NHS patient you can also contact the Care Quality Commission (CQC).