Dental practice membership plan

Choosing the right dental membership plan provider is one of the most important business decisions a dental practice can make. Whether you are considering a full or partial move from NHS to private practice, looking to introduce a membership plan for the first time, or thinking about switching provider, the right dental membership plan provider can make a significant difference to your income, your patient retention and the long-term stability of your business.

The number of dental membership plan providers in the UK is not extensive, but the difference between what they offer can be significant. 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 dental membership plan provider can boost your practice’s positioning and performance, future-proof your income and result in happier patients.

Dentistry’s guide to dental membership plan providers is here to help you make the right 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 one independently is a serious administrative burden. This is why numerous dental membership plan providers have emerged and grown over the past 20 years.

Some of these highly professional companies do not just take care of administration, they 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 dental profession, giving them a genuine understanding of the needs of modern dental practices.

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

Ensuring a regular income with membership plans

A practice plan is a way to create a loyal patient base, and with that comes a regular monthly income from membership 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 their dental care. As they are paying in advance for their check-ups, they are far less likely to fail to attend, leaving dentists with less lost time during the working day.

Building your brand

Some dental membership plan providers offer marketing assistance, though the extent of what is provided will vary. From leaflets, posters and banners to QR codes and email newsletters, a wide range of marketing materials is available.

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

The option you choose will reflect your own feelings about your practice and its identity, as well as your budget. Building your brand through your marketing and membership plan can be a highly effective way to increase the loyalty of your patient base.

Securing training and support

Training days and special events with guest speakers are among the additional services that membership plan providers may offer. Customer support is usually available over the phone, online and face-to-face, and some providers will assign a dedicated customer relationship manager to each practice.

Many practice plan providers also offer support around regulatory and compliance issues, more detailed financial planning, and 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.

Spreading the cost of dental care

Membership plans help patients spread the cost of their dental care into manageable monthly payments. Depending on which plan they are on, the likelihood of facing high one-off bills for hygiene or other treatment is also reduced.

Choice of fees and services

A range of membership plans is available with different monthly fees covering different services. From check-ups only to hygienist appointments and x-rays, with family and children’s plans also available. Patients can choose the plan that suits them and change it if their needs change.

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

Some membership plans also offer patients access to dental emergency assistance, a valuable additional benefit that can help with patient sign-ups.

Other considerations when picking a dental membership 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 make the move from NHS to private practice.

From one-to-one pre-conversion meetings to establish 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, consider working with a provider that runs events and workshops.

If more comprehensive financial advice may be required, consider a company with connections to a wider group able to offer those services.

Advice on regulatory updates

As a busy dentist and business owner, keeping on top of regulatory changes can be difficult. Practice plan providers often offer assistance with this, whether through your account manager, or via podcasts and blogs.

With regulatory changes potentially affecting insurance and financial matters, having clear foresight on upcoming amendments can be a significant advantage.

Switching plan providers

Bear in mind that at some point you may want to switch dental plan provider. As well as understanding the potential costs and timeframes around leaving your current provider, it is worth looking closely at the switching process any new provider offers.

Many will take on the bulk of the administrative burden, including patient communications and direct debits, making the transition as smooth as possible.

Dental membership plan providers

The number of dental membership plan providers in the UK is not large, but the difference between what they offer can be significant. Some produce higher-end marketing materials, some offer events and workshops, while others focus primarily on keeping administrative costs down.

Finding the best provider requires research and conversations, 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

Practice Plan has been helping dental practices offer membership plans since 1995, and its team of regional support managers includes experienced dental nurses and practice managers who, between them, have over 300 years of experience in the dental industry.

Practice Plan specialises in helping dentists who are moving from the NHS to private practice, switching plan provider or setting up a squat practice, and offers a range of additional business support services.

What does Practice Plan do?

Its team of experts works closely with each practice to create tailored dental plans that suit its specific needs.

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

Every practice benefits from a dedicated field-based regional support manager (RSM), who guides you through the successful launch of your dental membership plan.

Practice Plan offers a range of plans that can be tailored to the specific needs of your practice and your patients. These range from a basic membership-only option or general maintenance plan through to child plans and full care and capitation.

The support does not end there. Practice Plan offers far more than just administration services, with additional services including:

• Workshops across the UK
• 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 is the UK’s number one provider of practice-branded dental membership plans. It has been supporting practices since 1995 and has the administration side of a dental plan down to a fine art.

It is safe to say they are experts in helping practices set up plans to convert from the NHS, switch plan provider, set up a squat practice or introduce a plan for the first time.

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 is a big decision and one that requires careful consideration. However, with the right guidance and expertise, those concerns can be transformed into confidence and excitement for what lies ahead.

Practice Plan, established in 1995, has a long-standing team of NHS conversion experts. It has helped hundreds of dentists make life-changing full or partial moves from NHS dentistry to private practice, making it one of the most experienced companies in the country when it comes to NHS-to-private conversions.

Practice Plan prides itself on being more than just a plan provider, it 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 offers ten reasons why 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. Costs fall as the number of patients on the plan increases, and Practice Plan takes care of annual fee review communications with patients – doing so in a sensitive and timely manner designed to support patient retention.

2. Help to build your brand

Bespoke branded literature in each practice’s own choice of colours is part of the Practice Plan offer. Its in-house team of creative designers can also help dentists wanting to build a brand from scratch or rethink their existing identity, positioning them to stand out from the competition.

3. Dedicated support

Practice Plan’s specialist relationship support advisers and regional support managers have extensive knowledge of the dental profession, with many having worked in the sector directly. Together they bring more than 300 years of experience in supporting dental practices, and they share that knowledge freely with the practices they work with.

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 exactly that. They feature renowned guest speakers including Chris Barrow, Ashley Latter, Sarah Buxton and Michael Bentley, focusing on strategies to improve your brand and your bottom line.

5. Marketing support

Marketing is key to securing sign-ups for a membership plan. Practice Plan’s team can help with everything from newsletters and referral cards to posters and banners. Designing and producing all materials and creating QR codes and bespoke web addresses for use in printed and online communications.

6. Easy-to-use online portal

Practice Plan’s Supportal is a simple online system that centralises all your patients’ details in one place. It generates monthly payment statements to help you manage your finances, as well as detailed reporting to show you which sign-up channels are working best for your membership plan.

7. Consultancy services

Challenges always arise when running a dental practice, and Practice Plan is on hand to help through its consultancy services. It works with many of the most respected consultants in dentistry, covering areas from business strategy and team development to compliance and marketing. Dentists using Practice Plan receive a set number of consultancy hours depending on their patient numbers.

8. Learning resources

As well as telephone and online support, Practice Plan works with some of the biggest names in dental business to share expertise through podcasts, articles and videos. Its Resources and Learning Hub is regularly updated with content and training modules, and the in-house team is always happy to handle queries 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 can also 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 simply for day-to-day financial decisions.

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 can also provide free advice on what plans could look like, based on its experience of what works best.

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.

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 and hygienist appointments? What about family or children’s plans? Some providers allow you to design your own offering entirely, while others require you to work within a pre-existing framework. Whatever you decide, avoid offering too many options, too much choice can make it harder for patients to commit.

Pricing for patients

Membership plans should offer patients a clear discount to encourage sign-ups. It does not need to be excessive, as the health benefits are another key selling point. Some providers recommend offering an additional discount of 10–20% on extra services that fall outside the scope of membership. It is also worth making sure you can increase your fees annually, or hold them unchanged if you prefer.

Fees for dentists

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

Marketing materials

The leaflets and in-practice materials you use to promote your membership plan are a key part of your identity. Some providers offer bespoke, higher-end design services suited to practices with a larger budget or a particular patient base. Others offer simpler template-based materials. Consider whether you want QR codes or specific web addresses created to support sign-ups.

Business support

If you are an NHS dentist making the switch to private practice, you may want more support around business strategy and financial planning than someone who has been running their own surgery for years. If so, look for a plan provider that offers these services alongside workshops and events that provide business insight 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 and mixed-practice dentists to secure a regular patient base and a predictable monthly income. They also offer clear advantages for patients in terms of oral health outcomes and spreading the cost of their dental care.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to selecting the right dental membership plan provider. The right choice will depend on your budget, your patients, your business plans, your income goals and a range of other factors.

This guide is a starting point. The most important next step is to speak directly with providers, ask the questions that matter to your practice, and make your decision based on your own circumstances.