At Ringwood Dental, our dedicated team is committed to providing high-quality dental care in a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment.

To ensure the safety, well-being, and dignity of our staff and patients, we operate a strict Zero Tolerance Policy regarding any form of abusive, aggressive, or violent behavior.

Our team members come to work to care for you. They have the absolute right to do their jobs without fear of intimidation, harassment, or abuse.

What Constitutes Unacceptable Behaviour?

This policy applies to face-to-face interactions within the practice, telephone conversations, emails, and social media communications. Unacceptable behavior includes, but is not limited to:

• Verbal Abuse: Shouting, swearing, insults, or using offensive, derogatory, or discriminatory language (including racism, sexism, homophobia, or ageism).
• Physical Aggression: Any form of physical assault, intentional damage to practice property, or threatening gestures.
• Intimidation & Harassment: Persistent aggressive demands, bullying, or threatening behavior designed to intimidate staff members.
• Impairment: Arriving at the practice for an appointment under the severe influence of drugs or alcohol.

Actions We Will Take

If a patient or visitor breaches this policy, the practice will take immediate and decisive action:

• First Instance (Minor Infraction): The individual will be calmly and firmly asked to stop the behavior. They will be advised that if the behavior continues, they will be asked to leave the premises.
• Serious or Persistent Abuse: If the behavior continues, or if the initial incident is deemed severe, the practice manager or senior clinician will instruct the individual to leave the practice immediately.
• De-registration: Ringwood Dental reserves the right to immediately remove any patient from our practice register who violates this policy. If you are de-registered, any active treatment will be terminated, and you will need to find an alternative dental provider.
• Police Involvement: In cases of physical violence, direct threats of violence, or intentional damage to our premises, the police will be called immediately, and the practice will fully support any subsequent criminal prosecution.

Mutual Respect

We understand that dental visits can sometimes be stressful or cause anxiety, and we always aim to handle patient concerns with empathy and professionalism. However, stress or anxiety does not justify abusive behavior toward our team.

We thank all of our patients for helping us maintain a safe, polite, and supportive environment for everyone at Ringwood Dental.