If something goes wrong
Last updated 18 October 2026.
Tell me. Early, and in whatever words you like. A complaint is not a difficult conversation to be managed, it is information I need. Most things that go wrong in dentistry go wrong quietly, because the patient did not want to make a fuss, and by the time anyone finds out the fix is harder than it needed to be.
You will not be treated differently for raising something, and it will not affect your care.
How to raise it
Speak to me at your next appointment, telephone the practice, or email me at yourfuturesmiles@googlemail.com. If you would rather not come to me directly, ask to speak to the complaints manager at Pure Dentistry, 399 Luton Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 3NF. Either route is fine and neither is the wrong one.
If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, I will need their written consent before I can discuss their treatment, because their records are confidential to them.
What I will do, and when
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Within 3 working days | I acknowledge your complaint, in writing if you complained in writing, and tell you who is dealing with it and how long I expect to take. |
| Within 10 working days | I give you a full written response: what I found, what I think went wrong, and what I propose to do about it. If I need longer, for example because I have to take advice or someone is on leave, I will tell you why and give you a new date. |
| Throughout | I keep you updated rather than leaving you to chase, and I keep your complaint separate from your clinical record. |
If you are not satisfied with my answer
You can take it further, and I would rather you did that than let it sit.
For private treatment
The Dental Complaints Service is a free and independent service funded by the General Dental Council for private dental care. Telephone 020 8253 0800, or dcs.gdc-uk.org. They will normally ask you to have raised it with me first.
About my conduct or fitness to practise
The General Dental Council regulates dentists. My registration number is 75967. The GDC is at 37 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8DQ, telephone 020 7167 6000, gdc-uk.org. The GDC deals with concerns about a professional's conduct rather than with service complaints or refunds, which is why the Dental Complaints Service is usually the right first step.
About the standard of care at the practice
The Care Quality Commission regulates Pure Dentistry as the registered provider at 399 Luton Road. The CQC cannot resolve an individual complaint or award you anything, but it does want to know about concerns, and it uses them in its inspections. cqc.org.uk.
What I will not do
- Ask you to sign anything that stops you speaking about your treatment. Confidentiality clauses of that kind have no place in dentistry.
- Treat a complaint as a reason to discharge you from care.
- Charge you for making one, or for the time taken to investigate it.
I keep a record of complaints and what I did about them, so that I can see patterns rather than one off events. That record is held separately from your clinical notes and is not shared beyond the people who need it to resolve the matter.