Introduction

Dental Practice Membership Plans offer numerous benefits for dentists and patients. There are many plan providers able to help dentists put together and manage their scheme, but how do you choose the right one? From administration to marketing, to deciding on what plans to offer and where to set the fees, there are multiple considerations to juggle, and the answer is not always straightforward.

Your choice will depend on many factors, from your priorities for your practice to your budget, clientele and the kind of services you offer. Picking the right practice plan provider can boost your surgery’s positioning and performance, future-proof your income and result in happier patients. Dentistry’s Guide to Dental Practice Membership Plans is here to help you make the correct choice.

Dental membership plans – benefits for practices

There are many reasons why dentists may want to set up a practice membership plan, but the idea of managing it themselves is a serious administrative burden. This is why numerous plan providers have emerged and grown over the past 20 years.

Some of these highly professional companies don’t just take care of administration, but also help with marketing and patient communications, as well as running events and training sessions for the practices they work with. Many of their employees have experience within the dentistry profession, giving them an understanding of the needs of modern dental practices. Others have worked on membership plans with multiple practices for many years and know what it takes to create a successful scheme.

The main benefits of starting a dental practice membership plan include:

Ensuring a regular income

A practice plan is a way to create a loyal customer base, and with that comes a regular monthly income from their fees. This not only reduces the financial pressure of running a business, but makes it easier to plan ahead for important and often expensive equipment purchases.

Boosting attendance and reducing no-shows

Membership plans encourage patients to attend routine appointments and help them spread the cost of routine dental care. As they are also paying in advance for their check-ups, they are far less likely to fail to turn up for an appointment, leaving dentists with less lost time during their day.

Building your brand

Some membership plan providers offer marketing assistance, but the extent of what is provided will vary. From leaflets, posters and banners to QR codes and e-mail newsletters, large amounts of marketing materials are available.

Some providers will work only from templates, while others can provide fully bespoke designs. Your branding will always feature clearly, but it is worth noting that some providers will also require their own logo to appear, while others will not demand this.

The option you choose will reflect your own feelings about your practice and its identity, as well as your budget. It is always worth remembering, however, that building your brand through your marketing and practice plan can be a highly effective way to increase the loyalty of your customer base to your practice and your own brand.

Securing training and support

Training days and special events with guest speakers are just some of the additional services that membership plan providers may offer. These may prove attractive to some dental practices, depending on their needs, while others may wish to forgo these extras to cut the costs of their plan.

Customer support is usually available over the phone, online and face-to-face. Some providers will assign a dedicated customer relationship manager to each practice, so this may be worth considering if you feel you may need more detailed business advice.

Many practice plan providers also offer support around regulatory and compliance issues. Others also offer help with more detailed financial planning, as well as help with HR matters and recruitment.

Dental membership plans – benefits for patients

Creating a successful dental membership plan depends upon being able to sell it to patients. These are some of the key attractions that may help convince patients to opt in:

Health benefits

The big benefit for patients of dental membership plans is that it makes it easier and more likely for them to have better oral health. This is because paying for dental care on a monthly basis gives them a clear motivation to attend practice more regularly than pay-as-you-go customers.

Statistics show this is the case, and for patients, this is going to mean that any dental problems are identified far earlier and treated more promptly, cutting treatment costs in the long term.

Help spread the cost of dental care

Membership plans also help dental patients spread the cost of their dental care, splitting it into monthly payments that can help them stick to budgets in all areas of their life. Depending on which plan they are on, the chances of them facing high one-off dental bills for hygiene or other work is also reduced.

Choice of fees and services

A range of membership plans are available with different monthly fees covering different dental services. From check-ups only to hygienist trips and X-rays, from family and children’s plans to more comprehensive options, patients can go with the plan that suits them, and change their plan if they wish to do so.

Dentists can often select which plans they wish to offer, the fees they wish to charge and services they wish to include. Some plan providers offer more bespoke options, so this may be worth considering when selecting which company to work with.

Plus, some membership plans offer patients access to Dental Emergency Assistance.

Other considerations when picking a dental practice plan provider

Help for dentists converting from NHS to private practice

Some practice plan providers are highly experienced in helping dentists set up membership schemes as they transition from NHS to private practice.

From one-to-one pre-conversion meetings to find out whether going private is right for you, to financial forecasting and business advice, support is available every step of the way.

If networking is important to you as you make the move to private practice, consider working with a provider that runs events and workshops.

If more comprehensive financial advice and assistance may be required, consider a company that has connections with a parent group that is able to offer such services.

Advice on regulatory updates

As a busy dentist and business owner, you may find it hard to find time to keep on top of all the potential regulatory changes in the dental industry. Practice plan providers often offer assistance with this, whether in the form of phone calls or e-mails from your account manager, or podcasts and blogs.

With regulatory changes potentially impacting areas such as insurance and financial matters, having clear foresight on any upcoming amendments can be a huge helping hand, helping keep you well ahead of the curve.

Switching plan providers

Bear in mind that at some point, you may want to switch plan provider. As well as finding out the potential costs and timeframes around leaving one provider, it’s also worth looking at the switching process the new provider offers.

Many offer to take on most of the administrative burden when picking up a scheme from another provider. This includes taking care of patient communications and direct debits.

Providers of dental practice membership plans

The number of dental practice plan providers in the UK is not extensive, but the difference between what they offer can be significant. Some produce higher-end marketing materials, some offer events and workshops, while others pare back on this side and focus more on keeping administrative costs down for dentists.

The option each practice picks will depend on its budget, the level of competition it is up against locally, and the amount of business support it feels it requires, as well as various other factors.

Finding the best provider requires research and discussions, both with other dentists and the plan providers themselves. Our guide to dental practice plan providers can help you begin making what will be one of the most important choices for your business.

Practice Plan

What does Practice Plan do?

Practice Plan is the UK’s leading provider of practice-branded dental membership plans. Their team of experts will work closely with you to create tailored dental plans that suit your practice’s needs. 

These customised dental plans allow your patients to manage the cost of their routine dental care over the year, while you benefit from a steady and predictable monthly membership income.

You will benefit from a dedicated field-based Regional Support Manager (RSM), who will guide you through the successful launch of your dental membership plan. 

We offer a range of different plans, which can be tailored to the specific needs of your practice and your patients. These plans can range from a basic membership-only option or general maintenance through to child plans and full care/capitation.

The support doesn’t end there, as Practice Plan offers far more than just administration services for practice plans, with extra services that include:

• Workshops across the UK and Northern Ireland
• Regional events 
• Full team plan training 
• Consultancy services
• Practice Manager events
• Exclusive webinars
• Bespoke design and marketing support.

And much more…

Why should I use Practice Plan to run my dental membership scheme?

Practice Plan are the UK’s number one provider of practice-branded dental membership plans. They have been supporting practices since 1995 and have got the administration side of a dental plan down to a fine art.

It’s safe to say they are experts in helping practices to convert from the NHS, switch plan provider, set up a squat practice or introduce a plan. 

Thinking of making a full or partial move away from the NHS? 

There are a number of reasons why NHS dentists feel apprehensive about making the move to private practice. It’s a big decision and one that needs careful consideration. However, with the right guidance and expertise, those concerns can transform into confidence and excitement for what lies ahead.

Practice Plan, established in 1995, has a long-standing team of NHS conversion experts. They have helped hundreds of dentists to make life-changing full or partial moves from NHS dentistry to private practice, making them experts in NHS to private conversions.

They pride themselves on being more than just a plan provider and can be your dedicated partner for the NHS conversion journey and beyond.

With decades of proven experience, Practice Plan has developed a five-stage process to help successfully guide hundreds of dentists through the transition. Check it out:

In short, Practice Plan will:

1. Understand that you and your dental practice are unique, working closely with you to assess whether the move is right for you
2. Get under the skin of your financials to ensure that your practice will be profitable and sustainable with the introduction of a patient membership plan
3. Offer advice and guidance when it comes down to communicating the change to your patients
4. Ensure that you and your whole team are trained, prepared and confident ahead of the move. Practice Plan provides bespoke literature to help communicate the benefits of joining your practice-branded membership plan to your patients
5. Provide continual and dedicated support from your regional support manager and office-based relationship support advisor to focus on your future goals.

Quite simply, Practice Plan is the natural partner when considering the move, but don’t just take their word for it, you can check out their testimonials.

Click here to watch their on demand webinar.

Switching plan provider

Practice Plan says there are 10 reasons dentists should consider switching to its membership plans:

1. Big savings

Practice Plan says it can save dentists tens of thousands of pounds over five years compared with some other dental membership plan providers. The costs for its services fall as the number of patients on the plan increases. Practice Plan also takes care of communicating with patients about annual fee reviews, doing so in a sensitive and timely manner designed to ensure patient retention.

2. Help to build your brand

Bespoke branded literature with each practice’s own choice of colours is part of the Practice Plan offer. It also has an in-house team of creative designers who can help dentists wanting to create a brand from scratch or rethink their current branding, positioning them to stand out from the crowd.

3. Dedicated support

Practice Plan’s specialist relationship support advisors and regional support managers have extensive knowledge of the dentistry profession, with experience of working in the sector in many cases. Together, they have more than 300 years of experience in supporting dental practices, and they readily share that knowledge and experience with their clients.

4. Informative events

Building skills as a business owner is a key part of running a private dental practice, and Practice Plan’s regular events are designed to do this. They feature renowned guest speakers such as Chris Barrow, Ashley Latter, Sarah Buxton and Michael Bentley, and focus on strategies to improve your brand and your bottom line.

5. Marketing support

Marketing is key to spreading the word and securing sign-ups for a membership plan. The Practice Plan team can help with everything from newsletters and referral cards to posters and banners. It can design as well as produce all of these materials, and can create QR codes and bespoke web addresses to appear on any printed or online materials.

6. Easy-to-use online portal

Practice Plan’s Supportal is a simple-to-use online system that puts all your patients’ details into one centralised hub. It can generate monthly payment statements to help you manage your finances, as well as more detailed reporting to show you which sign-up channels are working best for your membership plan.

7. Consultancy services

Challenges always arise in running a dental surgery, and Practice Plan is on hand to help through its consultancy services. It works with many of the most respected consultants in dentistry, offering advice spanning areas from business strategy and team development to compliance and marketing. Dentists who use Practice Plan receive a set number of consultancy hours, depending on how many patients are signed up to their plan.

8. Learning resources

As well as providing telephone and online support services, Practice Plan works with some of the dentistry business’s biggest names to share regular expertise through podcasts, articles and videos. Its Resources & Learning Hub is regularly updated with content and training modules. The in-house team is also happy to handle queries that are specific to your situation.

9. Specialist financial advice

Practice Plan’s position as part of the Wesleyan Group means that dentists using its membership schemes are able to access a wider range of financial planning services, for both professional and personal matters. The specialist team at Wesleyan Financial Services can help dentists plan for business and life milestones, or just for day-to-day events.

10. Dedicated customer service representatives

Practice Plan prides itself on its culture, and aims to extend that beyond its employees to its clients. This means always providing friendly and helpful customer service, and being prepared to go the extra mile. Dedicated Relationship Support Advisors and Regional Support Managers create a relationship with the dentists they work with by reaching out on a regular basis, helping them build a genuine understanding of the practices they partner with.

Switching to Practice Plan

Switching to Practice Plan is easier than ever with Easy Switch.

This allows the seamless bulk transfer of your patients with minimum fuss, in just four simple steps.

1. Create a switch plan – realistic timelines are put in place and, if needed, a practice brand reflective of your practice is created.

2. Agree a switch date – your current provider will be informed of the switch date, with Practice Plan providing full plan training for you and your team.

3. Inform your patients – you can then change your membership plans to Practice Plan, with absolutely no action needed from your patients.

4. Start enjoying the Practice Plan benefits.

Practice Plan takes care of all the details, so you can focus on your dentistry and what you do best.

Fully personalised plans

Practice Plan offers fully bespoke membership plans, unlike some other providers. Dentists are able to set both the fees and the services provided, although Practice Plan is also able to provide free advice about what plans could look like, based on its experience in seeing which are the most successful.

Sliding fees for dentists

There is a sliding scale of monthly administration fees for Practice Plan membership schemes, with the charges dropping depending on the number of patients enrolled. Its initial set-up fee of £500 is also waived for dentists moving over from the NHS or for practices switching from other plan providers.

24/7 assistance for patients

When a patient joins a dental plan administered by Practice Plan, they are eligible to request assistance from the Worldwide Dental Emergency Assistance Scheme*. This service is open 24/7, 365 days a year, and is a great extra enticement for potential patients, offering them peace of mind and support even while on holiday in the UK or overseas.

*For full details of the Scheme benefits, limitations, and exclusions, you can visit scheme.wdeas.co.uk.

Testimonials

Some people in the industry comment that Practice Plan is like a large family, and if their testimonials are anything to go by, it sounds like this could well and truly be the case. See for yourself what people are saying about Practice Plan.

Denplan

Denplan offers five different dental membership plans to suit different patients. Dentists can set the fees for each plan at whichever level they wish, helping them to meet their annual income targets and plan for investments. 

Denplan’s dental practice membership plans

Denplan’s most comprehensive offering is the Denplan Care package, which includes all preventive and restorative dental treatments, from regular check-ups to X-rays, fillings and bridgework. Dentists can customise the fees depending on a patient’s existing dental health.

The Denplan Essentials membership plan provides check-ups, hygiene visits and X-rays. A more streamlined package is available through the Denplan Hygiene plan which, as the name suggests, covers only hygiene appointments. Dentists are free to determine how many appointments are included.

There’s also Denplan for Children, which covers check-ups and X-rays but not more complex dental work such as orthodontics and implants, or hygienist treatments.

Marketing assistance

Denplan provides marketing materials and related services through a free online platform called Simply Select. This hub offers a broad array of templates for posters and leaflets that can be personalised with your practice logo. There are also frameworks for social media posts, as well as detailed documentation designed to guide dentists through what makes an effective marketing process.

On top of this, £2,500 worth of patient profiling is provided for free. This gives dentists in-depth information about their patients and other people living near their practice, helping them to think about how to direct future marketing drives.

Business support

Denplan provides practices with access to an easy-to-use online dashboard that puts everything they need to manage their membership plan in one place.

Dentists are also allocated a dedicated consultant to handle more complex questions. In addition, they have access to all of Denplan’s customer advisers if assistance in day-to-day management of the plan or platform is needed.

The Denplan dashboard generates monthly reports showing practice owners how many patients are joining and leaving the membership plan. The report also details the different levels of fees being paid, income totals and reasons for any cancellations, helping surgeries develop strategies to improve client retention and revenue.

Denplan’s forecasting tool shows current revenue and provides projections for the number of likely sign-ups in the month ahead. This can help flag potential opportunities, and well as possible risks.

Access to experts and exclusive events

Denplan’s clinical services team works with practising dentists to keep on top of the ever-evolving regulatory and legislative environment. It is in regular contact with its member dentists to help them keep abreast of these changes, and to advise on potential future amendments.

In addition, the Denplan Expert Network provides access to a range of specialist advisers on financial and legal matters. As well as one-to-one conversations, there’s a host of webinars, white papers and blogs to guide dentists through all the elements of running a practice.

Denplan also hosts regular events to share advice and create chances to connect with other dentists. Events such as the annual Denplan Summit count towards CPD requirements.

Emergency phone line for patients

Denplan provides a 24/7 emergency helpline for patients, with UK and worldwide numbers available, in case the patient is on holiday when a problem arises.

Patient Plan Direct

One of Patient Plan Direct’s central selling points is the value of its offering. It says it can offer significant savings for dental practices switching to its membership plans, as well as a simple six-step process for the switchover, including bulk transfer of patients’ direct debits. Its fees start at £1.36 per patient per month including VAT (as of July 2024), and fall on a sliding scale as patient numbers increase.

Patient Plan Direct’s dental practice membership plans

The practice plans offered by Patient Plan Direct fall into five broad categories. First is its most popular Maintenance and Membership Plans, which usually include dental care such as a certain number of examinations and hygiene appointments each year. More advanced treatments are not covered, but are part of the Full Care Plan or Capitation Plans. These more comprehensive options include restorative and preventive oral care.

Other options include the Hygiene Plan, which gives members an agreed number of hygienist visits every year. This offers a chance to upsell patients onto other plans covering preventive dentistry.

Patient Plan Direct also has a Children’s Plan and a Family Discount Plan to reward families where all members regularly attend practice. Schemes such as this that cover more than one person can be particularly effective for building up client loyalty and boosting dentists’ monthly income.

Help for dentists leaving the NHS

Patient Plan Direct has designed a five-step plan to help dentists shifting from NHS to private practice, and it starts with a viability analysis to discover whether the move will make sense financially and for your lifestyle.

Once this has been confirmed, Patient Plan Direct will handle all aspects of communicating the change to patients. It will also produce marketing materials to help make people aware of the changeover and their options.

When the switch from NHS to private is complete, Patient Plan Direct offers continuing support over the phone and in-practice, covering everything from minor, day-to-day questions to larger considerations about practice planning and strategy.

Help for those switching from other dental membership plan providers

For non-NHS dentists looking to switch their membership plan provider, Patient Plan Direct has a tried and tested six-stage process to help make the change as seamless as possible. They take care of dealing with your current plan provider, informing patients and transferring all direct debits.

Training on new systems is provided for all practice staff, along with ongoing support that may prove useful for any staff members who are less comfortable with technology.

Clear fee structure

Patient Plan Direct’s emphasis on offering value extends to its transparent fee structuring, with no hidden charges or add-ons for telephone queries or assistance with compliance issues. It keeps costs low by streamlining its in-house practices to reduce administration fees. As a smaller, private company with just over 20 staff, it also has lower overheads than some rival providers.

Costs are also reduced by reining in marketing budgets and spending on events compared with other providers.

---

What to consider when selecting a dental membership plan provider

Range of plans

What sort of membership plans do you want to offer your patients? Should they cover regular check-ups, X-rays, fillings, hygienist appointments? What about offering family or children’s plans? Some providers will allow you to design your own offering, while others might require you to fit into a pre-existing framework. Whatever you do, be sure not to offer too many options, as this may make it too hard for patients to choose.

Pricing for patients

Membership plans should offer a discount of some kind for patients, to encourage them to sign up. It doesn’t need to be excessive, as the health benefits are another key selling point. Some providers recommend offering additional discounts of 10-20% for extra services that fall outside the scope of membership, to help entice sign-ups. It also might be worth making sure you can easily increase your fees every year – or even have the option to hold them unchanged, if you wish.

Fees for dentists

Most membership plan providers charge administration fees on a per-patient basis, with the charge sliding as patient numbers pass certain key thresholds, such as 500 or 2,000. The size of your practice and your expected membership numbers could be a decisive factor in which practice plan provider you choose.

Marketing materials

The leaflets and in-practice posters you use to advertise your membership plan will be a key part of your identity. Some practice plan providers offer bespoke, higher-end marketing and design services that may suit surgeries with a higher budget or particular client base. Others may be happier with simpler marketing materials built using templates. Consider whether you want QR codes or specific website addresses created to help encourage sign-ups.

Business support

If you are an NHS dentist making the switch to private practice, you may want more advice around business strategy and financial planning than someone who has been running their own surgery for several years. If this is the case, think about selecting a practice plan provider that can offer these services, as well as perhaps workshops and events that could provide valuable business insights and networking opportunities.

Dos and don’ts when selecting a dental membership plan provider

• DO take advantage of free consultations Don’t simply look online or read this guide when making your decision. This is just a starting point. Speak to various plan providers. Many offer free discovery sessions over the phone or in person to help you understand their offering in more detail.
• DO read testimonials and speak to other dentists What plan providers do other dentists use? Have they ever switched provider? What are the main pros and cons from their experience? Is their practice similar to yours, or do you have other considerations that mean you need to make a different choice?
• DO look at what rivals are doing As well as researching your local rivals, a few quick Google searches can give you the chance to look at the kinds of practice plans other dentists offer. Which ones look attractive to you, both in terms of their content and the way they are presented? Can you use these as inspiration, or do you want to do something different, to stand out from the crowd?
• DO ask about training and events These extras can be a great motivator for practice staff and way to help them and you keep up with CPD. They also offer networking opportunities and chances to learn about the best business practices.
• DON’T forget to think about what your patients want Your membership scheme is only going to be successful if it appeals to what your patients want. This means everything from the plans you offer, fees you charge and marketing materials you use need to be attractive to your target audience.
• DON’T overlook the plan provider’s staff Will you have a dedicated account manager looking after your practice? This can offer advantages, particularly for dentists newer to private practice who may want more business support and advice. It’s also worth asking about how much experience staff have in their field, and whether they have worked in the dental industry itself.
• DON’T just stop at a membership plan What additional learning and support are provided when you sign up? Are there white papers, blogs, podcasts, updates on regulatory changes? These can all be useful for you and your staff, and some membership schemes have far more extensive offerings in this area.
• DON’T forget to ask about other fees If you ever want to switch provider, will this incur a penalty charge or create huge logistical issues. It’s worth exploring this before signing on the dotted line. Some providers may also charge add-on fees for marketing, mailing or consulting services, so it’s worth asking if this is the case.

Frequently asked questions

Summary

Dental practice membership plans are a key way for private or mixed practice dentists to help secure a regular client base and predictable monthly income. They also offer clear advantages for patients in terms of oral health, and for spreading and reducing their dental costs.

This guide offers an overview of some of the leading providers of dental practice membership plans in the UK, and the main considerations dentists need to make before choosing a plan for their surgery.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer when selecting the right plan for your practice. It will depend on your budget, your patients, your business plans, your income goals and a range of other factors. We hope this guide is the first step on your journey towards finding the best plan for your dental practice.