A little help from our friends

notesManaging director of DPAS Dental Plans, Gary Anders, explains why expert help from external agencies can prove invaluable when developing a dental practice.

As John Donne once said: ‘No man is an island’, and so it seems neither is a dental practice. These days running a successful practice entails much more than clinical excellence alone, although this is still obviously of paramount importance. Nowadays the reputation of a practice relies on diverse aspects ranging from operational efficiency to marketing, while of course focusing on meeting patient demands at all times in terms of both treatment and customer care.

However, in a busy practice where teams are so often juggling the demands of regulation, compliance and dealing with patients, some of the increasingly important aspects of running a practice can sometimes fall to the bottom of the list.

Specialist service providers can be of great help here, with external agencies providing expert support to the practice team. As a dental plan provider DPAS is entirely focused on the business of dental plan administration and has provided everything practices need to maximise the success of their plans for the last 18 years. However, we also recognise the consultative role our team plays in the everyday running of many dental practices, with our local practice consultants and business development managers widely regarded as trusted partners.

Business Bites

As a result they are regularly approached for their opinion and advice on a variety of topics, including the recommendation of third party organisations to fulfil specific requirements. As experts in dental plan administration, we believe our clients deserve expert support in all areas of their business and it’s this belief that has led to the creation of ‘Business Bites’, our latest DPAS Solutions initiative. Through Business Bites we have teamed up with a range of well-respected external service providers, who we believe can help DPAS clients to further develop their businesses.

The evolution of Business Bites was driven by the desire to provide our clients with a ‘one-stop-shop’ for their business support needs, but without diluting our focus on the core business of dental plan administration, by bringing a vast range of peripheral services ‘in-house’.

The dental equivalent of an ‘all-inclusive holiday’ didn’t appeal for two main reasons. Firstly, I personally avoid all-inclusive holidays as I don’t drink, so in paying for my holiday I would be subsidising those who do. Similarly, by providing a long list of courses, services and social events as part of an ‘all-inclusive’ package, some practices inevitably benefit more than others.

Secondly, we believe that every practice is unique and has their own specific requirements, pertinent to their individual circumstances, so we didn’t want to compromise these by offering a ‘one size fits all’ solution. In the banking world, many chargeable accounts and credit cards come with a long list of ‘free’ services, which can sometimes be good value, but are worthless if they aren’t used or worse still aren’t a good fit for the individual’s specific needs.

Flexibility

Business Bites allows our clients the flexibility to choose the products and services they require, bringing together a comprehensive range of market leading organisations, all of which intimately understand the challenges faced by dental practices and their teams.

Marketing has always been vital in developing a successful practice and this has never been more true than in the current climate. An effective web presence is now vital as the general public’s natural default source for information moves online.

To help meet these needs we have partnered with Dental Focus, a specialist dental practice website provider who can also ensure compliance with GDC, CQC and ICO regulations. Furthermore, with social media now helping to drive Google rankings and becoming an increasingly useful tool in patient communication, we have Milkshake Dental Marketing on hand, providing a fresh look and new focus for many practice’s social media plans, as well as the more traditional printed materials.

Practices Made Perfect by Nicki Rowland brings a wealth of experience to help practices identify areas for improvement, offering a renewed approach to business management with the ultimate aim of driving up revenue, while the 4dentists group provides a huge range of professional business and personal financial advice, with eight distinct groups all boasting a proven track record established over many years.

All partners are at the forefront of developments within the industry, from Apolline’s compliance support to Pro Dental CPD’s online CPD solutions, while Dentally’s cloud-based practice management software enables practices to take control of their data to drive new insights and improve patient care. And with financial services such as practice finance, patient finance and credit card terminals provided by partners including Medifinance, Carefree Credit Dental and Lloyds Bank Cardnet, we have lined up a great range of offers with the specific needs of DPAS clients in mind.

Finally, our partnership with the Association of Dental Administrators and Managers (ADAM) will help boost a range of ADAM initiatives, from the prestigious Practice Manager of the Year Award to its regional meetings across the UK, while also giving DPAS clients the opportunity to benefit from exclusive membership rates.

Our Business Bites partners have a wealth of experience and expertise in the dental sphere and we’re delighted that they’re now able to offer an exclusive selection of special offers to our clients. We’ll always remain absolutely focused on providing comprehensive dental plan support services and offering the best value in the marketplace, but through Business Bites, DPAS clients can now access more support than ever before.

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