Last updated: 16 June 2026
1. Our commitment
At Epsom Smiles we aim to provide the highest standard of dental and facial aesthetics care. We take any concerns seriously, treat them as a learning opportunity, and aim to resolve them quickly, fairly and confidentially.
Raising a complaint will never affect your future care with us.
2. How to raise a concern
You can raise a concern in several ways:
- Talk to us directly — many issues are resolved by a quick conversation with the team member involved or with our practice manager
- Email enquiries@epsomsmiles.co.uk
- Phone the practice and ask to speak to our Complaints Lead
- Write to: Complaints Lead, Epsom Smiles, 1 High Street, Epsom, Surrey KT19 8DA
Where possible please include your full name, the dates of any appointments concerned, the names of any team members involved, and a clear description of your concern.
3. Our internal complaints procedure
- Acknowledgement within 3 working days. We'll confirm we've received your complaint and tell you who will be handling it.
- Investigation. Our Complaints Lead will review your records, speak with relevant team members, and where appropriate seek an independent clinical view.
- Full written response within 10 working days (or, if the investigation needs longer, an update at 10 working days and a full response within 30 working days).
- Resolution conversation. Where helpful, we'll offer a meeting or phone call to discuss the outcome, explain what happened, and agree any next steps.
- Learning. Every complaint informs our practice processes — outcomes are reviewed at our team meetings to prevent recurrence.
4. If you're not satisfied with our response
If you remain unhappy after our internal response, you can escalate to one of the following depending on the nature of your concern:
For private dental treatment
Dental Complaints Service (DCS) — a free, impartial service for resolving complaints about private dental care.
- Website: dcs.gdc-uk.org
- Phone: 020 8253 0800
- Email: info@dentalcomplaints.org.uk
For concerns about a clinician's fitness to practise
General Dental Council (GDC) — regulates all UK dental professionals.
- Website: gdc-uk.org
- Phone: 020 7167 6000
For concerns about practice standards
Care Quality Commission (CQC) — regulates and inspects health and social care providers in England.
- Website: cqc.org.uk
- Phone: 03000 616161
For data-protection complaints
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) — UK regulator for data protection.
- Website: ico.org.uk
- Phone: 0303 123 1113
See also our Privacy Policy for full information on how we handle your data.
5. Confidentiality
All complaints are handled in the strictest confidence. We only share details on a need-to-know basis with team members directly involved in the resolution, and where appropriate with our professional indemnity provider. Your clinical records remain confidential at all times.
6. If you complain on someone else's behalf
Where you raise a concern on behalf of a friend, family member or person you care for, we may need their explicit consent before discussing clinical details with you. We'll explain this when you contact us.
7. Records and review
We keep a complaints log to identify patterns and improve our service. The log is reviewed by our Clinical Director and discussed at our regular team meetings. Records are retained for at least 10 years.
8. Our promise
We will:
- Listen carefully and without judgment
- Investigate fairly and thoroughly
- Be honest about what happened, even when it's difficult
- Apologise where we've fallen short
- Explain what we'll change to prevent it happening again
- Never let raising a concern affect your future care
9. Contact
To raise a concern, contact our Complaints Lead at enquiries@epsomsmiles.co.uk or by phone via our main practice number.