I spend a lot time talking with dental students and young dentists. Working in private practice is a common goal that I hear over and over again.
I’ve worked both in admin and clinical roles, both on the NHS and privately. I have seen the differences between the two environments over the past 11 year. This is true in both a hospital and general practice setting.
Working as a private dentist has its perks. You should know some things if you are considering switching to private treatment.
I believe that the best thing about working privately is not having to set goals. This gives you some peace of mind, and clinical freedom.
In private practice, I am able to offer all options to my patients regardless of their price. The decision is up to the patient whether or not they decide to pursue treatment. You don’t need to worry about the ‘band’ you’ll be treated under, what your compensation will be for treatment and whether you’re able to claim fair compensation for the work that you did.
The accepted practice in private dentistry is to charge time. Also, charges can be made for materials and lab costs. Additional work, such as wax ups, articulation of models, complex planning, multiple appointments, and temporisations, will incur additional costs.
I believe this increases the likelihood that the patient will receive the best treatment possible. While it’s not all about money, it’s simply not feasible for dentists and NHS staff to fund treatment courses for their patients.
Patient rapport
Being able to spend more time with patients makes it easier for you to develop a trusting relationship. It is easier to explain treatment options clearly and allow the dentist time to answer questions.
As miscommunications are the root cause of many complaints, it is important that I take the time to ensure that you understand everything.
There is nothing that says an NHS dentist cannot spend more time with their patients than they do with private practice. However, it would be difficult for UDA targets of 20-minute consultations and 60 minute restorations each time. In private practice, you can set the prices as you wish. The costs can include the time of appointments.
Privately, I find it easier to discuss complex treatment options. Because patients expect to pay for all treatment, this is why I prefer working privately. Most patients understand the reasons for doing this. There are grey areas when it comes to what is ‘covered by’ the NHS.
If a patient requires treatment that is not covered by insurance, it can be a stressful situation for dentists.
Private problems
As with all dental jobs, there are also some disadvantages. These are important to remember before you make the transition to private practice.
First, patients don’t always realize that private dentists aren’t necessarily better than NHS dentists. In multiple cases, patients were told by their NHS dentists that a tooth is not reversible. Then they came to me to get a second opinion. I was informed that I can save the tooth as I am a private dentist.
In certain cases, you will get what your pay for. As a rule, private dentistry doesn’t require any specific qualifications or experience. Patients may not realize this.
Higher expectations
The second is that expectations can be higher. I find this reasonable. If I pay a premium for something I expect more (e.g. if you travel first class, stay at a five-star hotel and dine in a Michelin-rated restaurant), then you will get more.
For dentists, it can be hard to manage these expectations. In some cases, simply spending more money won’t solve the problem. This could be severe tooth mobility, or conditions such as oral medicine.
I’ve noticed that patients are asking for more information about the prognosis, success rate and how long their treatment will last. Every dentist would benefit from learning how to manage patient expectations.
At first, it was difficult for me and my patients to discuss the cost of treatment. This is not because I feel my time or the treatments are not worth it but because I am not used to these conversations and was concerned that patients might be averse to me charging them for their services or make assumptions about me.
Since I know that I am providing high quality treatment, always putting my patients’ needs first, and spending time with them, I have come to accept a charge per item because I truly believe it is worth it.
However, it takes some time to get used and isn’t for everyone.
Things to be aware of
It is also important to note that you don’t receive maternity leave as a private dentist. Pension contributions are also not available. These issues might not impact you if your planning is done early. For example, you might be able to earn more privately and cover the difference for your maternity leaves. This is one of the disadvantages to be aware of when you leave the NHS.
There are many private pension options available and other ways you can save and protect your money. Although the NHS pension contribution may not be as secure, it is still a good option.
It is possible to provide ethical, and ultimately amazing, dentistry in both the NHS and private sector. Although I feel more comfortable providing the type of private-practice dentistry, I never feel pressurised to consider numbers/targets/quantities in my work, which I know would cause me a significant amount of stress.
