Attendance And Cancellation Policy:
Local Dental is committed to providing our patients with reliable, timely, and high-quality dental care. To maintain an efficient and sustainable service for all our patients, attendance at Local Dental is subject to the following terms and conditions.
1. CONFIRMING YOUR APPOINTMENT
Your appointment time is reserved exclusively for you
At Local Dental, each appointment is carefully scheduled to ensure we can provide you with the best possible care. Because appointment times are in high demand, your timely confirmation allows us to manage our schedule effectively and offer care to other patients who may need urgent attention.
Appointment confirmation process
We will aim to send an SMS two business days prior to your appointment. Please review your reminder carefully and confirm your attendance by replying to the SMS or contacting our team on (03) 5881 3468.
Important note about reminders
SMS, email, and phone reminders are offered as a courtesy only. Not receiving a reminder will not excuse a missed appointment. If we are unable to reach you and your appointment remains unconfirmed, your booking may be released to another patient requiring urgent treatment.
Patients who repeatedly fail to confirm or attend scheduled appointments may be required to pay a deposit to secure future bookings.
2. CANCELLATION AND MISSED APPOINTMENT FEES
How to cancel your appointment
If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please contact our reception team on (03) 5881 3468 during business hours. If you reach our voicemail, you may leave a detailed message and we will return your call as soon as possible.
Please note that cancellations cannot be accepted via email.
Notice period and fees
We respectfully request at least 24 hours notice (or one business day, if your appointment falls on a Monday or Friday) for all appointment changes. This allows us to offer the appointment to another patient in need.
Cancellations, reschedules, or missed appointments with less than 24 hours notice may incur a non-refundable fee of $100. In such cases, a pre-payment deposit may also be required for any future bookings.
If repeated late cancellations or missed appointments occur, Local Dental may require full prepayment of treatment costs prior to scheduling further appointments.
Please note that separate terms apply to appointments requiring deposits. See Section 4: Booking Deposits for details.
3. LATE ARRIVAL
To provide fair and timely care for all patients, we ask that you arrive on time for your scheduled appointment.
If you are visiting us for the first time, please arrive at least 10 minutes early to complete new patient forms.
Arriving late reduces your available treatment time and may limit the procedures we can safely or effectively perform. While we understand that unforeseen delays can occur, please call us on (03) 5881 3468 if you believe you will be late. Our team will advise whether we can still proceed or if rescheduling is required.
If your late arrival prevents your treatment from being completed, a missed appointment fee of $100 may apply.
Please note that, on occasion, emergency cases or unexpected events may cause brief delays in our schedule. We appreciate your understanding in these situations and will always notify you if your appointment is affected.
4. BOOKING DEPOSITS
To secure your appointment time, Local Dental may require a booking deposit. This deposit will be credited toward your treatment at the time of your appointment. Once your time has been reserved, it is held exclusively for you and not offered to other patients.
Deposit requirements
- Appointments over 60 minutes (excluding Zoom whitening): A deposit of $100 per hour may be required.
- Zoom Whitening appointments: A 50% deposit is required at the time of booking.
- Appointments over 120 minutes: A deposit amount will be confirmed based on the duration and complexity of your treatment plan.
Deposits for patients with previous late cancellations or missed appointments If you have previously cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice or failed to attend a scheduled appointment, we may require a minimum deposit of 50% of the estimated treatment cost to secure future appointments.
Cancelling an appointment with a deposit
If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment for which a deposit has been paid, the following conditions apply:
- Cancellations made at least 24 hours (one business day) before the appointment will retain 100% of the deposit for the rescheduled appointment or receive a full refund or transfer of the deposit to a future booking.
- Cancellations made less than 24 hours (one business day) before the appointment will forfeit the deposit.
In some cases, costs already incurred (such as laboratory fees) may be deducted from any refund. An itemised invoice will be provided upon request.
5. ELIGIBILITY FOR CONTINUED ATTENDANCE
At Local Dental, we are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and professional environment for our patients and team. We believe that effective dental care relies on a relationship built on trust, courtesy, and cooperation.
Behaviour expectations
Local Dental reserves the right to discontinue care if a patient’s behaviour compromises the safety, wellbeing, or comfort of others. Examples include (but are not limited to):
- Abusive, aggressive, or threatening behaviour toward staff or other patients
- Rudeness, harassment, or disruptive conduct
- Theft, damage to property, or misappropriation of clinic resources
- Actions that compromise staff safety or professional integrity
- Repeated failure to follow prescribed treatment or clinical advice
- Behaviour that, in the professional judgment of Local Dental or its practitioners, could lead to harm or poor clinical outcomes
- Tampering with prescriptions or misusing medication
- Providing false or misleading medical information
- Refusal to pay for treatment or accumulation of unpaid debt
- Fraudulent representation or criminal activity within the practice
If such behaviour occurs, Local Dental may terminate the patient–provider relationship. Any decision to discontinue care will be reviewed by the Clinical Director or Managing Director.
Patients will be informed in writing of this decision and, where appropriate, assistance will be provided to transfer their care to another dental provider. Upon request, a copy of their dental records will be sent to the new practitioner.
