Smile Concepts
According to our open methodology, this clinic scored 57.2/100 for transparency, reputation, service accessibility, and digital visibility.
Overall rank: #18 of 26 ranked clinics · Last checked: 17 September 2026
57.2/100
Positions by Rating Profile
- Overall Transparency & Trust#1857.2/100
- Best for Expats#2052.5/100
- Best for Dental Implants#1650.5/100
- Best for Emergency Dental Care#1454.8/100
- Best Price Transparency#1740/100
- Best English-speaking Clinics#2056.5/100
- Best for Families / Children#1658.5/100
- Sleep Dentistry (GA / deep sedation)not ranked
General Anaesthesia & Deep Sedation
Whether the clinic documents treatment under general anaesthesia or deep / twilight sedation — "sleep dentistry", where the patient is asleep and unaware (does not feel, see, or hear the procedure). Ordinary conscious sedation, where the patient stays awake and responsive, does not count here. This is informational and does not affect the transparency score.
- ? General anaesthesia / deep sedation (sleep dentistry) — Not verified
Summary
Umhlanga practice founded and led by Dr Tasha Pillay, focused on paediatric and cosmetic dentistry with interceptive orthodontics, contracted to major medical aids.
Strengths
- Information Transparency: 20 of 20 points.
- No red flags identified in public sources.
Weaknesses
- Price Transparency: 0 of 15 verifiable points (missing: prices or price ranges published; cleaning price listed; filling price listed; crown price listed; implant price listed; consultation price listed; x-ray / imaging price listed)
- AI & Search Visibility: 3.5 of 10 verifiable points (missing: mentioned for: English speaking dentist South Africa; mentioned for: dental implants South Africa; mentioned for: emergency dentist South Africa; mentioned for: South Africa dental clinic for expats; structured data on website)
Score Breakdown
Every criterion below is scored from public sources. ✓ verified yes · ✗ verified no / not found · ◐ partial · ? unverified (scores 0, not a negative finding).
Information Transparency
20 / 20
Whether basic facts about the clinic - its team, premises, services, and location - are publicly verifiable.
| ✓ | Has a working website [s1] | 4/4 |
| ✓ | Dentist names listed [s1] | 3/3 |
| ✓ | Dentist specializations listed Post-graduate diploma in interceptive orthodontics; pursuing a diploma in paediatrics; specializes in paediatric and cosmetic dentistry. [s1] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Real clinic photos [s1] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Service list published [s1] | 3/3 |
| ✓ | Clear contact details Phone and email (admin@smileconcepts.co.za) published. [s1] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | English website version [s1] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Address and map published [s1] | 2/2 |
Price Transparency
0 / 15
Whether patients can estimate costs before visiting. Published price ranges count; exact prices are not required.
| ✗ | Prices or price ranges published Site mentions "competitive cash patient rates" and medical-aid contracts but no concrete prices or ranges. [s1] | 0/3 |
| ✗ | Cleaning price listed Scaling and Root Planing page has no price [smile-concepts-deepen] | 0/2 |
| ✗ | Filling price listed Restorations page has no price [smile-concepts-deepen-2] | 0/2 |
| ✗ | Crown price listed Crown and Bridge page has no price [smile-concepts-deepen-7] | 0/2 |
| ✗ | Implant price listed Implants only discussed as an option on the surgical-extractions page, no price [smile-concepts-deepen-8] | 0/2 |
| ✗ | Consultation price listed No consultation price or free-consult statement anywhere [smile-concepts-deepen-9] | 0/2 |
| ✗ | X-ray / imaging price listed No X-ray/imaging price found; no imaging equipment described anywhere [smile-concepts-deepen-3] | 0/2 |
Reputation & Reviews
15 / 20
Public review signals. The Google rating is adjusted with a Bayesian prior (rating 4.0, weight 25) so a 5.0 from a handful of reviews does not outrank a 4.8 from hundreds.
| ◐ | Google rating (Bayesian-adjusted) Star histogram read live on 2026-09-06: 28 five-star, 0 four-star, 0 three-star, 0 two-star, 2 one-star. The buckets sum to 30, matching the 30 in the place-page header exactly, and the weighted mean 4.733 reproduces the published 4.7. [gmp1] | 4/6 |
| ◐ | Google review volume Read live on 2026-09-06 from the place-page header; the star histogram sums to the same figure. [gmp1] | 1/3 |
| ✓ | Review recency Newest Google review is dated 2026-08-12 (listing read 2026-09-26). [smile-concepts-gbp-2026-09-26] | 3/3 |
| ✓ | Clinic responds to reviews The owner replied to all three visible reviews. Sample: the 3 reviews Google Maps renders on the place page, in its own relevance order; a newest-first list was not available. [gmp1] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | No recurring complaints No repeated complaint theme appears in the visible sample. Sample: the 3 reviews Google Maps renders on the place page, in its own relevance order; a newest-first list was not available. [gmp1] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | No suspicious review patterns Histogram shape, spread of wording and dates, and reviewer-account variety show no sign of manipulation. Sample: the 3 reviews Google Maps renders on the place page, in its own relevance order; a newest-first list was not available. [gmp1] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Active Facebook presence Facebook page linked from the homepage [smile-concepts-deepen-10] | 1/1 |
| ✗ | TripAdvisor presence No TripAdvisor listing; the clinic's own website has no TripAdvisor link [smile-concepts-deepen-12] [smile-concepts-deepen-13] | 0/0.5 |
| ✗ | Other review platforms Not among WhatClinic's Durban dentists; no TripAdvisor listing either [smile-concepts-deepen-14] [smile-concepts-deepen-15] [smile-concepts-deepen-16] | 0/0.5 |
Medical Infrastructure
9 / 15
The range of publicly documented equipment and services. This measures documented availability, not clinical quality.
| ? | On-site X-ray | 0/2 |
| ? | CBCT (3D imaging) | 0/2 |
| ✓ | Implantology Dental implants discussed as a tooth-replacement option on the clinic's own surgical-extractions page [smile-concepts-deepen-4] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Orthodontics Interceptive orthodontics. [s1] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Oral surgery Surgical extractions listed. [s1] | 2/2 |
| ✓ | Pediatric dentistry Core focus of the practice. [s1] | 1.5/1.5 |
| ✓ | Emergency care Dedicated emergency phone line published [smile-concepts-deepen-5] | 1.5/1.5 |
| ? | Works with international patients | 0/2 |
Communication & Service
4 / 10
How easy it is to contact the clinic, get answers, and book - especially for international patients.
| ✗ | WhatsApp / LINE available Contacts page lists only phone and email, no WhatsApp/LINE [smile-concepts-deepen-5] | 0/2 |
| ? | Response speed | 0/1.5 |
| ✓ | English spoken [s1] | 2.5/2.5 |
| ? | Pre-visit consultation possible | 0/1.5 |
| ? | Clear service explanations | 0/1 |
| ✓ | Convenient opening hours Saturday hours published on the Google Business Profile [smile-concepts-deepen-6] | 1.5/1.5 |
AI & Search Visibility
3.5 / 10
Whether the clinic is discoverable when patients search - including via AI assistants. Checked with fixed queries: "best dentist South Africa", "English speaking dentist South Africa", "dental implants South Africa", "emergency dentist South Africa", "South Africa dental clinic for expats".
| ✓ | Mentioned for: best dentist South Africa Page title includes a superlative dentist claim for Durban (not repeated verbatim here) and ranks for this query. [sqa] | 1/1 |
| ✗ | Mentioned for: English speaking dentist South Africa Not visible among top results for this canonical query, 2026-09-04. [sqb] | 0/1 |
| ✗ | Mentioned for: dental implants South Africa Not visible among top results for this canonical query, 2026-09-04. [sqc] | 0/1 |
| ✗ | Mentioned for: emergency dentist South Africa Not visible among top results for this canonical query, 2026-09-04. [sqd] | 0/1 |
| ✗ | Mentioned for: South Africa dental clinic for expats Not visible among top results for this canonical query, 2026-09-04. [sqe] | 0/1 |
| ✗ | Structured data on website Only a generic WebSite JSON-LD, not Dentist/MedicalClinic/LocalBusiness/Organization [smile-concepts-deepen-11] | 0/1.5 |
| ◐ | Google indexing quality smileconcepts.co.za homepage ranks 2nd, just behind an unrelated Solihull (UK) clinic of the same name on Facebook, but no deeper service pages surfaced; the common name is heavily diluted by unrelated same-named practices in Scottsdale AZ, Sydney and elsewhere (web search 2026-09-07) [giq1] | 1/2 |
| ✓ | Dedicated service pages Eight individual service pages with distinct content [s1] | 1.5/1.5 |
Licensing & Credentials
Whether the clinic publishes its operating licence and the dentists working there together with their professional licence numbers. A verified “not published” is recorded as a red flag; data we have not checked yet is shown as unverified and carries no penalty.
Clinic operating licence: not checked against public sources yet — unverified, no penalty
Dentists & professional licences
| Dentist | Specialization | Licence No. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasha Pillay [s1] [reg1] [smile-concepts-hpcsa-dp0106313] | Founder/Lead Dentist; paediatric and cosmetic dentistry; post-graduate diploma in interceptive orthodontics | DP 0106313 | Registration number with the HPCSA, South Africa’s statutory council for health professions; registration active on its public iRegister (checked 30 September 2026). |
Red Flags
No red flags identified in the public sources we reviewed.
Data We Could Not Verify
- Medical Infrastructure: On-site X-ray
- Medical Infrastructure: CBCT (3D imaging)
- Medical Infrastructure: Works with international patients
- Communication & Service: Response speed
- Communication & Service: Pre-visit consultation possible
- Communication & Service: Clear service explanations
Unverified items score 0 points but are not treated as negative findings. If you can document any of them, please send a correction.
Contact Information
| Website | https://smileconcepts.co.za/ |
|---|---|
| Phone | 031 316 5199 |
| Google Maps | Map listing |
| Address | Suite 06, Medigate Centre 2, Medigate Road, Umhlanga, 4319, South Africa |
Contact details are provided for identification only and may change; verify with the clinic directly.
Sources
| ID | Source | What it supports | Accessed |
|---|---|---|---|
| s1 | https://smileconcepts.co.za/ | Navigation links to /root-canal-treatment/, /crown-and-bridge/, /restorations/, /dental-scaling-and-root-planing-durban/, /surgical-extractions-and-prosthetics/, /pediatric-dentistry/, /full-mouth-rehabilitation/, /teeth-whitening/ | 2026-09-17 |
| sqa | search:best dentist Durban | AI/search visibility scout — "best dentist Durban" | 2026-09-04 |
| reg1 | https://hpcsaonline.custhelp.com/app/iregister_details/reg_number/D… | HPCSA iRegister entry for Tasha Pillay, Durban 4405, ACTIVE | 2026-09-04 |
| gmp1 | https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dr+Tasha+Pillay+Dental/@-29.72697… | Live Google Maps place page: rating, review count, star histogram, review dates, owner replies, pin coordinates | 2026-09-06 |
| sqb | search:English speaking dentist Durban | AI/search visibility scout — canonical query run 2026-09-04, not visible | 2026-09-04 |
| sqc | search:dental implants Durban | AI/search visibility scout — canonical query run 2026-09-04, not visible | 2026-09-04 |
| sqd | search:emergency dentist Durban | AI/search visibility scout — canonical query run 2026-09-04, not visible | 2026-09-04 |
| sqe | search:Durban dental clinic for expats | AI/search visibility scout — canonical query run 2026-09-04, not visible | 2026-09-04 |
| giq1 | search:"Smile Concepts" Durban dental | smileconcepts.co.za homepage ranks 2nd, just behind an unrelated Solihull (UK) clinic of the same name on Facebook, but no deeper service pages surfaced; the common name is heavily diluted by unrelated same-named practices in Scottsdale AZ, Sydney and elsewhere | 2026-09-07 |
| smile-concepts-deepen | https://smileconcepts.co.za/dental-scaling-and-root-planing-durban/ | Dedicated scaling/root-planing page describes the procedure with no price figures | 2026-09-17 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-2 | https://smileconcepts.co.za/restorations/ | Dedicated Restorations page describes fillings/restorative work with no price figures | 2026-09-17 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-3 | https://smileconcepts.co.za/crown-and-bridge/ | Crown and Bridge and Restorations pages read; neither mentions X-ray/imaging pricing or equipment | 2026-09-17 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-4 | https://smileconcepts.co.za/surgical-extractions-and-prosthetics/ | 'The main alternatives are a fixed bridge or a dental implant...[we] will help you decide which is the best way of replacing missing teeth' | 2026-09-17 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-5 | https://smileconcepts.co.za/contacts/ | Contacts page: 'admin@smileconcepts.co.za, 031 316 5199, 083 780 2649 (Emergencies)' — no wa.me link or WhatsApp number | 2026-09-17 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-6 | https://www.google.com/maps?cid=12728324269777482768&hl=en | Google Business Profile hours: Saturday 8 AM-1 PM (Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM, Sunday closed); the site itself does not publish hours | 2026-09-17 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-7 | https://smileconcepts.co.za/crown-and-bridge/ | Dedicated Crown and Bridge page describes the procedures with no price figures | 2026-09-17 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-8 | https://smileconcepts.co.za/surgical-extractions-and-prosthetics/ | Page compares bridges vs. 'a dental implant' as tooth-replacement options with no price figures anywhere | 2026-09-17 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-9 | https://smileconcepts.co.za/contacts/ | Contacts page (address, phone, email, contact form) has no consultation fee or free-consultation wording | 2026-09-17 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-10 | https://smileconcepts.co.za/ | Homepage links to https://www.facebook.com/Smile-Concepts-Durban-623771408065108/ | 2026-09-17 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-11 | https://smileconcepts.co.za/ | Homepage JSON-LD is limited to @type 'WebSite' with a SearchAction; no business/medical entity markup | 2026-09-17 |
| smile-concepts-gbp-2026-09-26 | https://www.google.com/maps?cid=12728324269777482768&hl=en | Google listing read on 2026-09-26: rating 4.7 from 30 reviews; star histogram 1★ 2 / 2★ 0 / 3★ 0 / 4★ 0 / 5★ 28; newest review dated 2026-08-12; 5 of the 5 newest reviews carry an owner reply, latest dated 2026-08-22. | 2026-09-26 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-12 | https://www.tripadvisor.com/TypeAheadJson?action=API&query=Smile%20… | TripAdvisor autocomplete for the clinic's name: 12 results, none a Durban dental practice | 2026-09-29 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-13 | https://smileconcepts.co.za/ | Clinic's homepage, read 2026-09-29 (122 KB), has no link to a TripAdvisor page | 2026-09-29 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-14 | https://www.whatclinic.com/dentists/south-africa/durban | WhatClinic's Durban directory (2 pages, 17 listings), read 2026-09-29: this clinic is not among them | 2026-09-29 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-15 | https://www.tripadvisor.com/TypeAheadJson?action=API&query=Smile%20… | TripAdvisor autocomplete returns no matching Durban dental listing | 2026-09-29 |
| smile-concepts-deepen-16 | https://www.whatclinic.com/sitemap.xml | WhatClinic's index of all its clinic profiles, read 2026-09-29: none of its 193 dentist profiles in South Africa carries this clinic's name; the Durban profiles missing from the directory pages were opened and none is at this clinic's address | 2026-09-29 |
| smile-concepts-hpcsa-dp0106313 | https://hpcsaonline.custhelp.com/app/iregister_details/reg_number/D… | HPCSA iRegister record for registration number DP 0106313: Tasha Pillay, Durban 4405; registration status ACTIVE; current practice category: independent practice general practitioner. | 2026-09-30 |
Change History
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 2026-09-29 | Checked TripAdvisor's own search and WhatClinic's Durban directory: no listing on either platform. The clinic's website carries no TripAdvisor link. |
| 2026-09-29 | Corrected 2026-09-29: review recency within 3 months (newest review dated 2026-08-12). |
| 2026-09-17 | Re-read on 2026-09-17: the clinic's website (surgical-extractions, crown-and-bridge, restorations and contacts pages) and its Google listing. Recorded: a Facebook page, implants discussed as a tooth-replacement option, a dedicated emergency phone line, no WhatsApp contact, Saturday Google Business Profile hours, eight dedicated treatment pages, and only generic WebSite structured data (not a business/medical type). Cleaning, filling, crown, implant, consultation and X-ray prices are not published. Still unverified: TripAdvisor and other-platform presence, on-site imaging equipment, work with international patients, and whether the generic enquiry form counts as a pre-visit consultation channel. |
| 2026-09-06 | Checked by hand in a browser: Google Maps place page read live for rating, review count, star histogram, review recency, owner replies, complaint and manipulation reading and pin coordinates; clinic Facebook pages opened where needed; the five canonical visibility queries re-run as browser SERPs. |
| 2026-09-04 | Initial data collection for the South Africa Dental Transparency & Trust Index (Durban): verified via smileconcepts.co.za and the HPCSA iRegister. Google Maps fields not available — left for a manual browser check. |
A question or a correction?
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