Practice Plan publish a Code of Practice that meets the practical needs of dentists promoting dental plans and addresses the concerns that the OFT flagged in a UK Dentistry Market report in 2012.

Making the difficult decision to convert to private practice is no small matter. It’s a move that, for some, can seem daunting when trying to decide which direction they want to take their practice. As the elements that will go to make up the new NHS contract are still being piloted, there is a pot of intrigue and unanswered questions about its final shape that is adding even more uncertainty about how best to prepare for the future. Here John Whittaker recalls his conversion, his fears and what helped to over come them.

It's not so easy starting your own practice...particularly when you're setting up a new business as a private practice in the middle of a double-dip recession with no pre-existing patient base. But that's exactly what dentists Daniel and Sam Smith from Ecladent have done. We took a closer look...

As the new NHS contract comes over the horizon, many NHS dentists are starting to thinking about the benefits of converting to private practice. However, its a decision that shouldn't be taken lightly. Nigel Jones provides an overview of the key decision points to consider and how best to approach a move away from the NHS.

Many practices offer a dental membership plan to their patients, but not all have the right approach to communicating the benefits of it and, as a result, signing patients up on a consistent basis. White House Dental in Hertfordshire have, without a doubt, found the right formula for success. Les Jones popped along to meet the team and discover their secrets.

Dentists often comment that they would like to recruit more patients onto their practice dental membership plans but are uncertain about how to set about achieving this. There are ways of optimising dental membership plan uptake, all of which can start by deciding on an objective and clear action plan.

More and more dentists are converting to a dental membership plan-based practice. Laura Byrne puts the case as to the benefits a membership plan can provide.

It's clearly a challenging time for many practitioners, whether you see patients largely on a private basis or through the NHS. Nigel Jones discusses the challenges dentists are facing and the options to consider.

It's a challenging future for many dentists as the economy continues to bump along the bottom. It will take creativity and hard work to retain existing patients and attract new ones, but it can be done. Amarjit Gill gives us twelve things to think about that might make the journey a little easier.