In this article, we look at the challenges of running an independent practice, why corporate dentistry can sometimes look attractive, and how being part of the right network can give you access to buying power, trusted partners, education, technology and a brain bank of other independent practice owners who have been where you are.
For volunteer dentist Dr Kim, giving back was always part of the plan. Together, with partner Ian, a Dental Prosthetist, they are helping vulnerable Victorians regain their confidence, health and hope through the ADA Dental Health Foundation.
Devonport Dental Care was named Best Dental at the Launceston and Northern Tasmania Local Business Awards, before going on to take out the overall Business of the Year award.
It was not something Dr Sundaram or his team had expected.
Most treatment plans that stall aren’t clinically wrong. They were just built in the wrong order. Dr Michael Frazis shares the three-step structure he teaches dentists for planning any case, from a single tooth to a full rehabilitation, how to step down options without abandoning the ideal and what the rest of the team can do to keep a plan moving.
One terminal. Multiple providers. Less admin.
Managing payments for multiple providers doesn’t have to mean juggling terminals or spending extra time reconciling transactions. HICAPS Multi-merchant allows up to 25 healthcare providers to use the one terminal, with payments settled directly into each provider’s nominated bank account.
Whether you have contractors, visiting practitioners or multiple providers sharing your practice, this could be a simple way to reduce reception clutter, streamline payments and make life easier for your team.
Sterilisation and infection control involve far more than putting instruments through an autoclave and recording the result.
The Opportunity Sitting in Your Patient Database Julie Parker and Ameena Basille | Dental Business Mastery Every dental practice has patients who are overdue for recall, haven’t been seen for some time, or started treatment that was never completed. But how often do we stop and think about the opportunity sitting right there in our existing patient database? Reconnecting with these patients isn’t simply about sending more reminders or making more phone calls. It’s about understanding why patients haven’t returned, knowing who to focus on and having the right conversation to encourage them back through the door. In our recent Dental Business Mastery webinar, Getting Lapsed Patients Back on the Books, Julie Parker and Ameena Basile explored practical ways dental practices can improve patient reactivation, strengthen recall systems and make better use of the patients they already know. Not all lapsed patients are the same One of the key messages from the session was that different patient groups need different approaches. Treating everyone as just another overdue patient can mean missing opportunities to reconnect with people who may have very different reasons for not returning. The webinar explored three important groups: Recall patients – Patients who are due or overdue for their regular appointments, whether that’s at four, five, six or twelve months. Having a consistent recall process, keeping records up to date and making it easy for patients to book can make a real difference. Inactive patients – Patients who haven’t visited the practice for an extended period, often 18 months or more. These patients may need a more thoughtful approach than a standard recall reminder. Their circumstances, priorities or relationship with the practice may have changed, so the conversation needs to reflect that. Incomplete treatment patients – Patients who have been recommended treatment but haven’t booked or completed it. This group can be particularly easy to overlook, yet there may be an important opportunity to follow up, understand what’s holding them back and help them take the next step. The important thing is to avoid assuming that every patient has simply forgotten their appointment. There may be practical, financial or personal reasons behind their decision, and understanding those reasons can help the team respond more effectively. Small changes can make a big difference The way a practice communicates with patients can influence how likely they are to respond. For example, instead of telling a patient, “We’ll see you in six months,” the team can make the next appointment more tangible by naming the month they’re due to return. It gives the patient a clearer timeframe and creates a natural opportunity to arrange their next visit. Pre-booking before a patient leaves the practice is another simple but valuable habit. When the next appointment is already in the diary, there’s less reliance on the patient remembering to call later. Of course, not every patient will be ready to book straight away. That’s where a consistent follow-up process becomes important. A single unanswered message doesn’t necessarily mean a patient isn’t interested. Having an appropriate plan for further contact, with communication that feels helpful rather than pushy, can keep the door open. Practical scripts and language shifts discussed during the webinar can also help team members feel more confident when making those calls and sending those messages. Make your database work harder for you Effective reactivation starts with knowing what’s actually happening in your patient database. Are recall dates accurate? Are patients with incomplete treatment being followed up? Can the team easily identify patients who haven’t attended for 18 months or longer? Are follow-up attempts being recorded so everyone knows what’s already been done? These are worthwhile questions for every practice to consider. Rather than trying to contact everyone at once, practices can benefit from identifying the right patient groups, prioritising their efforts and monitoring the results. This makes the process more manageable for the team and helps practices understand which approaches are generating responses and bookings. It also creates an opportunity to review existing systems and identify gaps that may be contributing to patients slipping through the cracks. Turn opportunities into appointments Reactivating patients doesn’t have to mean launching a complicated campaign or overwhelming the front office team with another long list of tasks. Sometimes, meaningful improvements begin with reviewing the database, tightening up recall processes, following up incomplete treatment more consistently and making a few small changes to the way the team communicates. The real opportunity is already there. Your practice has existing relationships with patients who know your team and have previously chosen your services. A thoughtful, well-organised approach can help reconnect with those patients while supporting continuity of care. Watch the webinar recording Missed the live session, or would you like to revisit the practical tips and strategies Julie Parker and Ameena Basile shared? Watch the recording of Getting Lapsed Patients Back on the Books: Recall, inactive patients and incomplete treatment. Click here to watch the webinar recording Take a fresh look at your patient database and consider what opportunities might be waiting for your team to follow up. Keep building your team’s skills with The Academy Want to take things further? The Academy from Dental Business Mastery offers ongoing training and support for dental practice owners and teams, helping you put practical strategies into action and continue developing your skills. With more than 100 hours of on-demand training, ready-made templates and resources, and 24/7 AI-powered Academy Chat, there’s plenty of support available to help your team keep learning and improving. The training covers areas including patient communication, patient retention, team leadership, practice growth and more, so you can focus on the topics most relevant to your practice. Find out more about The Academy: Explore The Academy
Buying a dental practice is a major investment — but is your insurance ready for the realities of ownership? This case study explores how a pre-settlement insurance review uncovered opportunities to strengthen cover for equipment, cyber risks, medical malpractice and business interruption, giving the new practice owner greater confidence before taking the keys.
REAL PRACTICE STORIES. REAL INSURANCE LESSONS FROM DENTAL ASSURED Case Study 1: A Practice Insurance Renewal Review That Revealed More Than Expected Is your insurance really giving you the protection you think it is? Insurance renewals can often feel like a straightforward process: the renewal arrives, the premium is reviewed, and the decision comes down to whether the price looks reasonable. But what if the information your policy is based on is no longer accurate? One dental practice owner approached Dental Assured, Dental Innovations’ insurance partner, shortly before renewal to get a second opinion on their existing insurance arrangements. At first glance, everything appeared to be in order. The practice had been insured for years and the renewal was already underway. However, after taking the time to understand the practice and how the business had changed, it quickly became apparent that some of the information being used by the insurer was no longer accurate. During the review, it was discovered that the turnover recorded on the policy was more than double the practice’s actual turnover. This was contributing to a higher insurance cost, but the more concerning issue was found within the practice’s Business Interruption cover. The practice’s insurable gross profit figure was significantly understated compared with the business’s true exposure. When the numbers don’t tell the whole story Underinsurance is one of the common issues that can become apparent at claim time. If a major event such as a fire or other incident forced the practice to close, an incorrectly calculated Business Interruption sum insured could leave the business facing a significant shortfall in its insurance recovery. Dental Assured worked closely with the practice to review its financial information and ensure the sums insured properly reflected how the business operated today, rather than relying on outdated information that had simply carried forward from previous renewals. The review also identified another potential gap. The practice’s Statutory Liability cover had been arranged as a small extension within its business insurance policy. While this type of extension can provide a level of protection, it may not provide the breadth of cover available through a dedicated Management Liability policy. After discussing the practice’s specific risks, Dental Assured recommended replacing the extension with a standalone Management Liability policy. This provided broader protection across areas including statutory investigations, employment-related claims, tax audit costs, crime and fraud-related events, as well as social engineering and cyber-enabled payment fraud. The outcome The final insurance program cost more than the practice’s previous arrangement. But the objective wasn’t simply to find a cheaper premium. It was to make sure the practice had insurance that accurately reflected its business and provided the protection it expected. The turnover figures were corrected, Business Interruption insurance was increased to a more appropriate level, and the practice received significantly broader protection through a dedicated Management Liability policy. Most importantly, the practice owner had greater confidence that their insurance program was properly aligned with the business – and would be there to respond if they ever needed to make a claim. The takeaway for your practice An insurance renewal shouldn’t just be a conversation about price. Practices change. Turnover changes. Staffing changes. Equipment and assets change. The way a practice operates can change significantly from one year to the next. Yet sometimes the information used to arrange the insurance simply gets carried forward from the previous renewal. That can mean you’re paying for cover you don’t need, while potentially leaving gaps in areas where you do. A renewal review can uncover these issues before they become a problem – because claim time is not the time to discover that your policy doesn’t provide the protection you thought it did. Don’t simply renew. Have it reviewed. Your insurance renewal may look straightforward, but a renewal is the perfect opportunity to check whether your cover still reflects your practice, your assets and the risks you’re actually exposed to. Small changes to your practice, equipment, turnover, premises or circumstances can mean your policy no longer provides the protection you expect. And comparing premiums alone doesn’t tell you whether you’re adequately covered. Dental Assured specialises in understanding the unique insurance risks faced by dental practices and can review your renewal to help you understand exactly what you’re paying for and whether your cover is still right for your practice. Take the First Step Simply complete the short Dental Assured renewal review form, attach your renewal, and their team will be in touch to discuss your requirements. Complete the Renewal Review Form Or, if you’d prefer to speak to someone directly: Call William on 0447 784 755Email: william@dentalassured.com.au A few minutes now could give you greater confidence in your cover for the year ahead. Don’t renew until you’ve had it checked.
Thank You for Joining Our Infection Prevention Webinar Series A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the Dental Innovations Infection Prevention Webinar Series over the past four weeks. It was fantastic to see so many practice owners, dentists, hygienists, therapists, dental assistants and practice managers taking time out of their busy schedules to strengthen their knowledge and reinforce best practice in infection prevention. We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Dentavision for supporting this educational series, and to Jasmine No from MUN for sharing her expertise. Jasmine delivered practical, engaging sessions filled with real-world advice that practices can confidently implement every day. Why Infection Prevention Matters Infection prevention underpins every aspect of dental care. It protects patients, safeguards dental teams, supports compliance with current standards and helps build trust with every person who walks through the practice door. While many protocols become routine, taking the time to revisit the fundamentals ensures the whole team remains confident, consistent and up to date. Throughout the series, we explored four essential areas of infection prevention. Hand Hygiene – The Foundation of Safe Patient Care Hand hygiene is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to prevent the spread of infection. This session highlighted the critical moments for hand hygiene, common compliance challenges and practical strategies to improve consistency throughout the practice. It served as an important reminder that small habits have a significant impact on patient and staff safety. Session 1 Recording: Hand Hygiene Sharps Safety – Reducing Risk Every Day Sharps injuries remain one of the most common occupational hazards in dentistry. Jasmine shared practical guidance on safer handling techniques, correct disposal procedures and ways to minimise the risk of needlestick injuries. The session reinforced the importance of creating a culture where prevention, awareness and safe work practices are part of every clinical procedure. Session 2 Recording: Sharps Safety Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Protecting Patients and Your Team Choosing the right PPE is only part of the equation. This webinar explored when different types of PPE should be used, correct donning and doffing techniques, and common mistakes that can compromise protection. Attendees gained valuable reminders on how appropriate PPE supports both infection prevention and regulatory compliance. Session 3 Recording: PPE Use & Best Practice Aseptic Technique – Protecting the Sterile Field This session focused on the principles of aseptic technique and the importance of maintaining sterility throughout clinical procedures. From preparing instruments and materials to reducing the risk of contamination during treatment, Jasmine shared practical tips to help practices strengthen their clinical protocols and deliver safe, high-quality patient care. Session 4 Recording: Aseptic Techniques Help Shape Our Future Webinars At Dental Innovations, we’re committed to providing practical education that supports independent dental practices. We’d love to hear from you: What topics would you like us to cover next? Are there any clinical, compliance, business or practice management challenges you’d like to learn more about? Is there a speaker you know or you’ve seen at a conference or industry event who you’d love us to invite? If so, what topics do they cover? Your feedback helps us develop webinar programs that are relevant, practical and valuable for the entire dental team. Thank you once again to everyone who attended, and a special thank you to Dentavision for their support and Jasmine No from MUN for sharing her knowledge and passion throughout the series. We look forward to bringing you more educational opportunities soon.