The premises on Paseo Pamplona opened to find the clinic closed, with no information displayed outside. However, several notices have been attached to the glass doors stating that some consultations would be held “temporarily” this summer at the Calle María Zambrano premises to “continue offering the best care.” “This summer we will continue looking after you where you need it most,” the notices read. Meanwhile, the Vivanta Dental website remains active and still offers the option of booking appointments online at both locations.
According to HERALDO, the notice sent to staff states that Vivanta is undergoing insolvency proceedings, although the company says patients’ treatments will continue to be provided. The same document says that employees included in the business unit transferred to the buyer will be automatically taken on once judicial authorization has been granted, while retaining their current employment conditions. For the rest of the workforce, the company announced the implementation of a temporary layoff scheme.
Vivanta Dental confirmed to ARAGÓN DIGITAL that “the continuation and completion of 100% of ongoing treatments is guaranteed, both for those that have been financed and those paid for directly by patients,” seeking to convey a message of “reassurance” to all its patients. In this regard, the company says those affected “will be able to continue and complete their treatment” through Vitaldent “without having to pay again for what they have already contracted.” The company says it is currently informing patients about the clinic where they will be able to “continue their treatment.” “No patient with an ongoing treatment will be left without a solution to complete it,” it says.
It also clarified that “the closure of some of the clinics is taking place in the context of a process to sell a business unit to another dental group, Donte.”
THE SPANISH GENERAL COUNCIL OF DENTISTS DENOUNCES THE “SERIOUSNESS” OF THE SITUATION
According to the Spanish General Council of Dentists, the closure has affected numerous premises across the country. “It is regrettable that, once again, patients with scheduled appointments and ongoing dental treatments have found clinics closed and insufficient information about how, when and by whom the care they had contracted will continue,” it said.
The Council also warned of the “seriousness of the situation,” since, it said, Vivanta benefited in 2022 “from temporary public support of 40 million euros from the Fund for the Support of Solvency of Strategic Companies, managed by SEPI: 20.4 million euros through a participating loan and 19.6 million euros through an ordinary loan.” The organization itself had already publicly called for “the objective criteria used to justify this support to be made known, as well as the reasons for subsequently extending its repayment schedule.”
The president of the Spanish General Council of Dentists, Dr. Óscar Castro Reino, said that “it is difficult to understand how a company that has received public backing on this scale can reach a situation in which numerous patients discover from one day to the next that the center where they were being treated has suspended its activities. The priority must be to guarantee their health, continuity of care and economic rights.”
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS
The Spanish General Council of Dentists has advised patients affected by the closure of Vivanta clinics to keep all documentation related to their treatments, including estimates, contracts and invoices, as well as proof of payment, financing, appointments and communications received. It also recommends requesting written information about the continuation of care and asking for a complete copy of their medical records, including X-rays and diagnostic tests.
In cases where treatment was financed through a linked loan, the organization advises filing a claim both with the clinic and the financial institution, since consumer credit regulations allow, in certain circumstances, borrowers to exercise against the lender the rights arising from a supplier’s breach of contract. For patients who have paid for treatments that have not yet been carried out, it recommends keeping proof of payment and submitting the corresponding claim.
In addition, if interrupting treatment could affect health or requires urgent action, the Council advises visiting another dentist to assess the clinical situation and request a report on the work completed and still pending. Those affected can also contact health and consumer authorities and the relevant Official College of Dentists. They are also advised to exercise extreme caution regarding offers from other clinics, intermediaries or law firms before signing new agreements.
