A change of dental membership plan provider has helped two practice owners feel like part of a family again, providing support and encouragement.
When owners and principal dentists of Twickel Dental in Much Wenlock, Roxana and Mihail Drug Ionescu, bought the practice in 2018, they had no idea of the extent of the task before them, but they embarked on the journey with optimism and the desire to gain the freedom to do what they do best. They were keen to maintain the NHS component of the practice but recognised the potential to grow the private element.
Their main focus was always on providing excellent quality dentistry and set about creating an environment that would be conducive to this. Their goal was to achieve a stimulating workplace with all the tools needed for the entire team to be at their best, things they deemed essential for both the quality of patient care and staff satisfaction. While some of the original team stayed when they took over the practice, they quickly began updating the practice and recruiting new staff. On the advice of a business consultant, they introduced a dental membership plan.
Great start
They completed the conversion to private dentistry, and all appeared to be going to plan until March 2020 and the COVID lockdown. The enforced closures and reduced appointments meant they lost around 40% of their revenue during that time.
Post pandemic the wider economic, social and political environment has had a significant impact on the attitudes, perceptions and real-world experiences of dental practice owners. Mihail and Roxana reflected on the unexpected challenges and valuable lessons they had encountered and realised that the key to growth lies in recognising and learning from these experiences.
Their plan provider at that time was too slow for their ambition and the practice support was lacking. They needed a change to help them fulfil their vision. They appreciated that growth isn’t just about numbers, but about building a practice where patients, teams and leaders thrive and where customer experience is top priority.
Instant hit
At Dentistry Show Birmingham in spring 2024 they approached a number of the plan providers exhibiting there and knew they had found the right ‘experience’ for them when they visited the Practice Plan stand.
‘It was the vibe, the culture, and the spirit that attracted us,’ he says. ‘The Practice Plan stand was an explosion of optimism, and positivity.’
Roxana agrees: ‘We stopped and talked to a lovely lady and that was enough for us to say, “yes, this is it”. I’d also seen people leave happy testimonials, and I felt, this is it. Yeah, this is right.’
‘We asked impossible questions, and the answers were there in a split second,’ Mihail continues. ‘Our questions were strategic to see if Practice Plan would fit with our practice and our plans and the answers showed Practice Plan was very well prepared. I looked at Roxy. Roxy looked at me, and we knew we had found our new provider.’
After only three months with Practice Plan, Mihail and Roxana chose to bring their whole team to an exclusive Workshop Tour event. The Workshop Tour is an annual roadshow open to Practice Plan customers. Held in 14 different cities across the country, the Workshop Tour is an opportunity for teams to get away from the practice to learn something new together and to meet other dental teams as well.
Culture and creativity
The theme for 2024/2025 was ‘Culture and Creativity’ presented by dental business coach Lucie Simic and Practice Plan creative director, Les Jones. The whole team enjoyed the day, according to Roxana. ‘I loved the workshop,’ she says. ‘Lucie is amazing. She’s absolutely inspirational. I love the way she delivers the message. I can’t wait for the next one.’
‘It was brilliant for us to have our team alongside,’ she continues. ‘Because over the past years they’ve been stuck in the surgery and done nothing else but dentistry with the occasional webinars and courses online. The fact that it’s hands-on and they can get out of the practice, meet people, and see what’s going on in dentistry in real time is a major benefit.’
They have no regrets about closing the practice to enable the whole team to attend. ‘We need to speak the same language,’ she adds. ‘It’s pointless just the two of us going to the workshop as our team wouldn’t have a clue about what we’re trying to implement after the event. It will be a must from now on to attend regularly.’
Mihail is equally as enthusiastic about the Workshop Tour. ‘I would describe it in three words,’ he says. ‘Captivating, inspirational, and motivating. We all participated, which was great. It felt a bit like family therapy bringing us all together into the right mindset to make things work.’
‘The support they craved’
In their regional support manager Josie Hutchings, Roxana and Mihail have found the support they craved. ‘She’s absolutely amazing. I love her,’ Roxana enthuses. ‘I felt from the beginning that we could work together. We just clicked.’
‘She’s so available and accessible. She’s priceless,’ Mihail says. ‘A few weeks ago, I rang Josie with regards to the fee increase. I was having trouble getting my head around how to figure it out. Within 15 minutes she had talked me through it and helped me to figure out the price increase.’
Roxana and Mihail now feel confident they will receive the support they need to help their practice progress. ‘With Practice Plan we feel like we’re being taken on a journey, and we like it, it fits our vision perfectly,’ Mihail says. ‘Practice Plan is an amazing family, and we are so proud to be part of it.’
This year, Practice Plan celebrates 30 years of welcoming practices into the family, helping them to grow profitable and sustainable businesses through the introduction of practice-branded membership plans.
If you’re considering your options away from the NHS and are looking for a plan provider who will hold your hand through the process at a pace that’s right for you, you can start the conversation with Practice Plan today by calling 01691 684165 or to book your one-to-one NHS to private conversation at a date and time that suits you, just visit practiceplan.co.uk/nhsvirtual.
If you’d like to find out more about introducing a plan, and how we can help you, visit practiceplan.co.uk/nhs.
This article is sponsored by Practice Plan.
