Dentist appointment

Running Bing

I had a dentist appointment last week and I could not go becuase I had exams in college. I called the following day and apologised and rescheduled for today.


Anyway I have a lot of stuff going on and I completely forgot about it. Now first of all I admit missing two appointments without calling in advance is rude, insensitive and lazy of me and I am disapointed in myself, but that is not the issue here.


I got a call from the dentist asking where I was, anyway after some conversation the dentist informs me that she will be charging me for my missed appointment. My question is, is she allowed to do this?

TheDriver

Has she a right to - probably not but I think she is right to charge you for 1 missed appointment as she is professional and its your fault you didn't cancel twice. Remember she is making no money and paying rent/staff waiting for you to turn up........twice. You could just change dentists to avoid it which she may be glad of also.

Noelie

Don't the appointment card normally say you'll be charge if you don't cancel atleast 24 hrs in advance?

And I'd say she is right to charge, after all it's your fault you missed both appointments

Randomswinger

Most professional service providers will charge for missed apointments or cancellations

If you don't pay it will cost them a hell of a lot more to persue it through legal channels

Change dentist avoid the heartache

MOH

TheDriver wrote:

Has she a right to - probably not but I think she is right to charge you for 1 missed appointment as she is professional and its your fault you didn't cancel twice. Remember she is making no money and paying rent/staff waiting for you to turn up........twice. You could just change dentists to avoid it which she may be glad of also.

I've often gone to dentists with an appointment and been left waiting for 20 or 30 mins - can I charge them for lost time at work?

BC

A lot of places are doing this now. Were you told when you made the appointment that there was a charge if you didn't turn up? If not then i would guess they can't legally enforce the charge.

Oral Slang

Totally agree with this charge tbh. My mam has a playschool which charges by the week & for years didn't charge if kids didn't show up, so she was always out of pocket. Its only a small business & doesn't make much of a profit, so some weeks she wasn't even making a wage.
I know dentists probably earn a lot, but still she could have filled both of these slots if you had given enough notice. I've had to go to the dentist numerous times as an emergency case for broken teeth, missing fillings etc. & they always fit you in as a cancellation. I think as others say, its usually 24 cancellation notice or something like that!

BostonB

MOH wrote:

I've often gone to dentists with an appointment and been left waiting for 20 or 30 mins - can I charge them for lost time at work?

I think if they did that all the time, you'd have to pull them up over it.

davo10

from a legal point of view making the appointment may be considered a verbal contract by which you may expect to be seen and the dentist expects you to attend. The dept of social welfare advises people qualified for optical/dental etc benefits when written approval is sought that the optician/dentist etc is entitled to charge you for failing to attend an appointment. While this is unlikely for a short appointment, say you missed a 2hr appointment twice, expect to be billed for wasted time. Often demands for non attendence fees are a simple way of telling a patient to get lost and don,t waste any more of their time. This is also used in other professions