Contact Us
Join Us
Medical Education
265 235 005 | Mon–Fri 8:30am – 8:00pm | Sat 9:00am – 2:00pm
.png)
Patient Terms and Conditions
1. Appointment Scheduling, Confirmation, Attendance, and Urgent Care
Clínica Alegre sends a confirmation SMS on the day prior to the appointment.
-
To confirm attendance, the patient must reply “YES”.
-
To cancel the appointment, the patient must reply “NO”.
Note: This procedure is mandatory for validation of the appointment in the schedule.
-
The maximum tolerance period is 10 (ten) minutes. After this period, the professional reserves the right to refuse the appointment in order to avoid compromising the schedules of subsequent patients.
Appointments cancelled with less than 4 hours’ notice will be considered no-shows, due to the impossibility of reallocating the time slot.
-
Exception: Cases of sudden illness or force majeure, duly justified by a medical certificate or other valid official documentation.
-
-
Notice: After the second consecutive no-show, a warning SMS will be sent advising the patient to avoid a third consecutive absence.
-
Block: Upon the third consecutive no-show, the system will automatically deactivate the patient’s record.
-
Reactivation: To reactivate the record and allow new appointments, a reactivation fee of €15.00 (fifteen euros) will be charged.
-
-
Regime: Emergency care does not require prior appointment scheduling.
-
Criteria: A case is considered an emergency only when the patient presents with acute pain or frontal trauma.
-
Emergency Fee: Admission under this regime requires payment of a single emergency fee of €32.00 (valid until December 31, 2026).
-
Additional Costs: The emergency fee covers priority admission only. Any clinical treatment performed and complementary diagnostic exams (e.g., X-rays) are charged separately, in accordance with the current price list.
-
2. Admission, Documentation, and Insurance
For beneficiaries of agreements, insurance plans, or public/private health subsystems, it is mandatory to present the following on the day of the appointment:
-
Identification document (Citizen Card, Identity Card, Passport, or Residence Permit);
-
Insurance or health subsystem card, or an updated proof of eligibility.
-
All documents must be valid. Failure to present the required documentation will result in the cancellation of the appointment or the appointment being charged in accordance with the Private Fee Schedule.
It is the sole responsibility of the patient to provide accurate and truthful information regarding their health status. The Clinic shall not be held liable for any complications arising from the omission of relevant clinical information.
The Clinic operates in accordance with medical excellence protocols and not based on administrative limitations imposed by insurance providers.
-
Definition of Oral Cleaning: An Oral Hygiene appointment consists of two inseparable clinical procedures: Scaling (tartar removal) and Fluoride Prophylaxis.
-
Billing: If the patient’s insurance or health subsystem covers only the Scaling procedure, the fee corresponding to the Fluoride Prophylaxis will be charged to the patient under the private fee schedule, in order to ensure completion of the full clinical protocol.
-
The same principle applies to any other treatment in which the medical protocol requires complementary procedures that are not covered by the patient’s insurance policy.
-
3. Estimates, Payments, and Reservations
Issued estimates are valid for a period of 30 days. After this period, or in the event of changes in the patient’s oral health condition, a new clinical assessment will be required.
-
Clínica Alegre does not carry out cancellations or refunds for treatments paid through credit facilities or installment-based payment platforms (e.g., partner financial institutions or deferred payment systems).
-
By choosing this payment method, the patient enters into a contractual commitment with the financial entity responsible for the credit, which is independent from the Clinic’s clinical management and from any decision to discontinue treatment.
-
However, the Clinic undertakes to keep the amounts paid available for future use, for a period of up to 6 months, in compatible treatments recommended by the clinical team, should the original treatment plan be unable to be carried out for duly justified clinical reasons.
-
The price list is updated annually on January 1st, reflecting inflation and operational costs.
-
Ongoing Treatments (e.g., Orthodontics): Maintenance fees or phased treatment plans are subject to annual updates, regardless of the treatment start date.
-
Price Protection: The only way to guarantee the initial price throughout the entire treatment is through full advance payment of the treatment plan.
-
-
In the event of outstanding debt by the patient, Clínica Alegre will take all appropriate and necessary measures to recover the amounts due, including the use of extrajudicial or judicial means.
-
The debtor shall be responsible for all costs arising from the collection process, including, but not limited to: court fees and legal representation costs; the Clinic’s internal administrative expenses; postal and notification costs; and the full amount of the contracted or performed treatment, plus any applicable legal or late-payment charges.
-
Failure to settle the outstanding amount after formal notice may result in the suspension of future appointments at the Clinic until the debt is fully regularized.
-
-
A deposit is required for treatments of greater complexity and clinical rigor (e.g., Ear Reshaping, Bichectomy, Dental Implants, Fixed Prosthetics, Submental Liposuction, Wisdom Tooth Surgery).
-
In the event of a no-show or cancellation with less than 24 hours’ notice, the deposit will not be refunded.
-
To validate the scheduling of appointments conducted via video call/teleconsultation, advance payment is required for the following specialties:
-
Neurology;
-
Psychiatry;
-
Psychology;
-
Aesthetic Assessment Teleconsultation.
In the event of a no-show or cancellation with less than 24 hours’ notice, the amount paid will not be refunded.
-
4. Specific Clinical Provisions
-
The price list displayed at the Clinic indicates the fee per endodontic session. This fee applies exclusively to the endodontic procedure and does not include the final tooth restoration, which will be charged separately.
-
The number of sessions required depends on the clinical assessment of each case and may vary according to anatomical complexity, degree of infection, and the patient’s response to treatment.
-
-
In cases where a request is made to change the orthodontic dentist, it may be necessary to carry out a new orthodontic study and a new panoramic radiograph (orthopantomogram).
-
This procedure is mandatory because the new orthodontist must initiate the case documentation under their own professional responsibility. There may be clinical changes not identified in previous panoramic radiographs or estimates, and each clinician follows their own therapeutic approach, which may differ from that adopted by the previous professional.
-
The associated costs shall be borne by the patient.
-
The patient will be notified as soon as the prosthesis/device is technically completed.
-
Collection Period (30 Days): The patient has 30 days to collect and try in the prosthesis. Delays beyond this period may compromise proper adaptation due to physiological changes in the oral cavity (bone or gingival remodeling). Any costs related to adjustments or remakes resulting from delayed collection shall be borne by the patient.
-
Abandonment (60 Days): If the prosthesis is not collected within 60 days, the treatment shall be deemed abandoned. The full value of the work becomes judicially enforceable, and the Clinic will cease responsibility for storing the device, which will be discarded for biosafety reasons.
-
-
Operation and Scheduling: The sample collection and delivery service for clinical analyses operates exclusively on Mondays and Tuesdays. Prior appointment scheduling is mandatory, and the service is available exclusively at the Setúbal unit.
-
Technical Responsibility: This service results from a partnership between Clínica Alegre and Laboratório Joaquim Chaves Saúde. The Clinic acts strictly as a collection point. All processing, technical analysis, validation of results, and turnaround times are the sole and exclusive responsibility of the partner laboratory.
-
Pricing and Billing (Disclaimer of Responsibility):
-
Autonomy: Clínica Alegre has no involvement in the definition of the price list, which is managed exclusively by Laboratório Joaquim Chaves Saúde and may be updated at any time without prior notice to the Clinic.
-
Duty to Inform: It is the patient’s responsibility to request confirmation of the exact cost of the analyses at reception prior to sample collection.
-
Acceptance: By proceeding with the sample collection, the patient accepts the prices in force according to the partner laboratory’s price list. The Clinic does not accept complaints nor assume responsibility for price discrepancies if the patient has not requested prior cost verification or if their insurer/health subsystem does not fully cover the amount set by the laboratory.
-
-
-
Conditional Nature of the Offer: In campaigns, screenings, or “vouchers” that advertise the performance of an orthopantomogram (panoramic X-ray) at no cost or at a reduced price, the patient acknowledges that this offer constitutes a conditional commercial benefit, granted exclusively to enable diagnosis and treatment planning to be carried out at Clínica Alegre.
-
Revocation of Free-of-Charge Status: If the patient requests the release of the examination (in digital or physical format) for external use without proceeding with the treatment plan at the Clinic, the condition of the promotion shall be deemed not to have been fulfilled. In such cases, the patient shall be required to pay the standard fee applicable to the medical imaging procedure performed.
-
Legal Framework: This provision is governed by the Principle of Freedom of Contract (Article 405 of the Portuguese Civil Code). The patient is duly informed, prior to the performance of the examination, that the exemption from payment constitutes a benefit conditional upon the continuation of clinical treatment at the Clinic. The amount due refers to the provision of the medical imaging service and not to the delivery of the data itself, thereby ensuring compliance with the GDPR and safeguarding the patient’s right of access to their health information.
-
5. Guarantees, Conduct, and Safety
The durability of treatments depends on the maintenance of proper oral hygiene. The Clinic shall not be held responsible for treatment failures (e.g., implant loss, fractures) resulting from poor hygiene, smoking, accidents, or failure to attend recommended hygiene and follow-up appointments (at least semiannually).
Clínica Alegre adopts a zero-tolerance policy toward abusive behavior.
-
Refusal of Care: We reserve the right to refuse treatment and deny entry to patients who present themselves under the influence of alcohol or narcotic substances, or who display aggressive (verbal or physical), threatening, or disrespectful behavior toward the staff.
-
Consequences: Such conduct will result in the immediate suspension of treatment, the definitive termination of the doctor–patient relationship, and the involvement of law enforcement authorities and any applicable legal measures to protect the safety and integrity of the professionals and the Clinic.
-
For the protection of privacy and in compliance with Medical Confidentiality and the GDPR:
-
Adult Patients: Clinical information must be requested by the patient themselves through completion of a formal request (available HERE). If the request is made by a third party, a specific power of attorney for this purpose is required, duly signed by the patient and accompanied by valid identification documents.
-
Minor Patients: The request must be submitted by one of the parents or the legal guardian (available HERE). Requests made by third parties (including close relatives) will only be accepted upon presentation of a specific power of attorney signed by the minor’s legal representatives or an equivalent legal document.
-
The right to be accompanied is not absolute:
-
Capable Patients: For adult patients without cognitive or physical limitations, the presence of an accompanying person inside the treatment room depends exclusively on the authorization of the Dentist, in the exercise of their technical autonomy.
-
Grounds for Refusal: The dentist may refuse the presence of third parties whenever it is deemed to compromise safety conditions, ergonomics, concentration, or freedom of movement required for the medical act, or when the physical characteristics of the space do not allow it (in accordance with the exceptions provided for in Law No. 15/2014).
-
Designated Area and Safety: Even when authorized, the Dentist may require the accompanying person to remain in a designated area (e.g., near the treatment room door). This measure is intended to ensure clinical autonomy and the safety of all parties, given the handling of rotary instruments and equipment capable of causing physical harm.
-
-
Personal Belongings: Clínica Alegre shall not be held responsible for any loss, theft, or damage to personal belongings occurring within its premises.
-
GDPR: Personal and health data are processed exclusively for the purposes of providing healthcare services, clinical management, and billing, and are subject to professional confidentiality. The full Privacy Policy is available HERE.
-
