Practice Plan Regional Support Manager, Amy Hansford, answers the main questions patients want answered regarding a move to private dentistry.
For practice owners and their teams, the decision to move away from NHS dentistry is often something they have been working towards for months, sometimes years. There are so many things to consider: finances, systems and plans to put in place for the future.
However, for patients it’s a different matter. They are not concerned with UDA targets, rising costs or recruitment challenges. Their focus is on their next appointment and whether they’ll still see the same dentist. They’ll be worrying about the prospect of their treatment costing more and whether the practice they’ve trusted for years is about to change beyond recognition.
Understanding those concerns is important because the conversations patients have with the team when a practice announces a move to private dentistry can be just as important as any letter or email they receive.
“Can I still see my dentist?”
This is often the first question patients ask. The relationship a patient has built with a dentist is based on trust so there’s often considerable emotional investment involved. While there will always be concerns about cost, for many patients it’s retaining the relationships they’ve built with their dentist and the wider team that bother them most. They want reassurance that the people who know them, understand their dental history and have looked after their family for years will still be around.
For reception teams, treatment coordinators, nurses and clinicians, this is where confidence and consistency matter. Patients need to hear that although the practice is changing, the commitment to their care remains exactly the same. In many cases, that reassurance alone can help to significantly reduce anxiety.
“Why are you making this change?”
It’s a fair question, and one that deserves an honest answer. Most people outside dentistry, including patients, have little understanding of the pressures facing NHS dentistry. They’re unaware of the challenges around recruitment, funding or the limitations of the current NHS contract.
Their interest is in receiving quality care. A conversation about the shortcomings of NHS dentistry will seldom hit the spot with patients. Instead, it’s better to focus on what the practice is trying to achieve. Things such as more time with patients, greater emphasis on prevention, increased investment in facilities and technology to improve the patient experience.
When patients understand the reasons behind the change, they are often far more receptive than teams initially expect them to be.
“What will it cost me?”
Few team members are happy talking about increased costs. So, this is probably the question many team members worry about most. There will always be some patients for whom cost is the be all and end all, but that won’t be the case for everyone.
What patients want is clarity. They don’t want to feel they’re being sold to, and they don’t want any unpleasant surprises. This is where membership plans can make a real difference. Rather than focusing purely on price, conversations can centre on value, continuity of care and the benefits patients receive as part of their ongoing oral health journey.
Patients appreciate transparency. If they understand what’s included and why it matters, they’re in a much stronger position to make an informed decision.
“Will everything change?”
For many patients, the word “private” creates an image of something unfamiliar. However, in most cases, the majority of what they value most about the practice remains exactly the same. The receptionist who greets them by name will still be there. The dental nurse who puts them at their ease will still be chairside and they’ll have the same dentist and hygienist who has cared for their oral health for years.
What changes is often the freedom to deliver care differently. There’ll be more time for conversations and a greater focus on prevention. Without the constraints of an NHS contract, they’ll be able to offer a greater range of treatments and materials. Usually, things will still be recognisable for patients, but better.
Every member of the team has a role to play
Although the owner and practice manager may be behind the decision to transition from NHS to private dentistry, it’s important that the whole team is involved in communicating the change to the patients.
Patients may not speak directly to the owner of a practice. However, when they attend an appointment, they may have several interactions with other members of the team such as the front desk team member who greets them, the dental nurse who escorts them to the surgery, the associate or hygienist who performs the examination or delivers the treatment and so on. This is why every team member needs to understand and be able to explain the reasons for the change.
The practices that have the most successful transitions are the ones where every member of the team understands the vision and feels confident communicating it and responding to patient concerns with clarity and consistency.
At its heart, moving to private dentistry is about creating a sustainable future for the practice so that it can continue to deliver excellent patient care. There’s no need for patients to understand every detail behind the decision, but they do need to appreciate what it means for them. More often than not, what they are really looking for is simple reassurance that the people they trust are still there and will continue to look after them.
