If you are planning on starting your own dental practice, this is the guide for you. Follow this and you’ll be able to have the foundation laid down and ready to operate in a moment’s time. It may be a challenge to do at first, but it’s important to have a plan in place.
That’s why you’ll want to consider the following items in the list below. You don’t want to skip these or the launch of your dental practice will be chaotic rather than smooth and seamless. It’s a multi-phase process that you will need to go through.
But at the end of the day, it’s worth trusting the process. You will need to find the best hand pieces for dentistry, the right staff, and more. With that said, let’s take a look now at what you need to do before starting a dental practice.
Have the budget set
The budget will be one of the most important things to consider whilst planning to start your own practice. In the UK, you can have it set to £200,000 to £400,000. This will depend on several factors including the location, people you’re hiring for specific job roles, and so on.
If your budget is small, it may be due to the fact you’re starting out small and intend on growing. Decide which amount is best for you starting out.
Location, location, location
Indeed, the location of your practice will be important. What you need to understand is that it has to be easily accessible for patients. It can be in a city center or wherever most of your target patients reside (based on demographics and psychographics).
There will be quite a bit of data that will help you find out a prime place for where you can set up your practice. Follow it and decide whether or not the area or neighbourhood is a suitable place to set up a dental practice.
Don’t forget to purchase equipment
No dental practice can function properly without the necessary equipment. This includes the things you need to enhance the patient experience and even the office itself. Make sure that all the equipment you purchase is in the best quality possible regardless of what your budget is.
There are plenty of things to purchase that are in good quality but at reasonable prices. Some equipment will be expensive, but others will be affordable even when bought in bulk. It’s important to plan on what you’re going to buy based on your budget.
Make plans for hiring staff
A successful practice will be staffed by competent employees for their role. You’ll be hiring dental hygienists and assistants, even office staff. You’ll want to carefully screen each applicant and determine if they are a good fit.
At the same time, you also want to make plans on what you can give them for benefits. This also includes a time off policy, insurance, and other perks for being an employee.
NHS or private practice?
In the United Kingdom, you have the option of joining the NHS network or private practice. One of the major differences is the way you’re being paid. If your practice is under the NHS network, you will be providing general dental services for patients.
There are guidelines to operate based on where in the United Kingdom you are operating in. If in England or Wales, you will be paid based on Units of Dental Activity (UDA). If your practice is in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you can be paid based on either of three ways: allowances, continuing care payments and capitation, or item of service fees.
Private practice patients will pay you at the conclusion of their treatment. They can also be paid to you by a private capitation scheme. If this were the case, it would be done on a monthly basis depending on the kind of plan set up by the patient.
Final Thoughts
If you are considering the idea of starting your own dental practice, the information above should be a good start. It’s important to consider your options for a lot of things including who to hire, what equipment to get, whether you should operate as an NHS or private practice, and more.
This is a process that can take some time. As long as you use your budget and execute your plan from start to finish, you should be golden. Good luck to you in your dental adventures.
