"Overall, an extremely positive experience and very..."

Thank you very much for your positive comments posted on NHS Choices regarding the treatment you have received at the Dental Hospital from one of the dental students.

With regard to your concerns about the language in our appointment letters, specifically the use of the term ‘conservation’. Conservation refers to the role and aim of treatment in this department to ‘conserve’ the teeth rather than remove them. We apologise that you feel the letters contain jargon. We do have to relay a lot of information within these letters - to inform patients about their appointment details, any preparation that is needed and where to go on arrival. The letters follow a standard template across all of our hospitals in order to provide consistent advice. Please be assured that we will ensure your comments are considered when the template is reviewed.

We would also like to apologise that the clinician involved in your care came over as patronising. It is difficult to identify which member of staff was involved in your care without further details. We will certainly raise this comment at the directorate senior staff meeting to ensure that all staff are aware of the manner in which information is to be communicated with patients. If you would like us to investigate further, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Tim Baker, Directorate Manager Dental Hospital or Mr Paul Anderson, Patient Relations Manager on 0191 233 6161.