Many practices are struggling to recruit and motivate clinicians, cover fixed costs, and maintain high standards of care. The issue is rarely just the pay structure. It is the behaviour and motivation that the structure unintentionally creates.
Running effective staff appraisals in dentistry requires far more than a tick-box review. When team members reflect honestly on their current state, define their desired future, understand the real gaps, and follow a clear plan to bridge them, motivation rises and performance transforms. This article introduces the Achievement and Planning Review and a new Dental Nurse Scope of Practice Balance Wheel to help practices build confident, capable and engaged teams.
In the NHS, every clinician is paid the same UDA rate, regardless of experience or skill. But in private practice, that mindset limits growth, demotivates clinicians, and confuses patients. This blog explores why dentistry needs a transparent clinical career pathway and differential fee structure—mirroring professions like law and hairdressing—to reward development, improve retention and deliver care that truly reflects clinician expertise.
Being self-employed in dentistry is about far more than filing invoices or setting your own hours. It means recognising that you are a business owner — a dentalpreneur, a manager, and a clinician. When you start thinking like the leader of your own enterprise rather than someone who simply works for a practice, everything changes: your mindset, your conversations, and your success.
In Oldtown, Dr Solomon notices three ways patients seek care: those who prevent, those who act early, and those who wait until crisis strikes. A conversation under the wisteria arch with his coach, Purple Jane, reveals a parallel among practice owners: the navigator, the fire watcher, and the storm chaser. This parable invites dentists to reflect on their own path and what they might choose next
Your BDS, your driving licence, even your associate contract are not guarantees. They are entrance tickets. Their value lies in how you use them.
As household budgets tighten, many patients are delaying elective care, challenging young clinicians who have never worked through a recession. By strengthening core clinical skills, building trust, and adapting how you communicate, you can support patients through difficult times and position yourself for future growth.
Many dental principals feel exhausted, financially stretched, and unsure how to lead their practice. If you are overwhelmed, struggling physically and emotionally, or watching your relationships suffer, you are not alone. There is a better way to lead, grow, and enjoy your practice again
Feeling overwhelmed, underpaid, and unsure where your NHS responsibilities really begin and end? You’re not alone. Many dentists and therapists are drowning in UDAs, fearful of complaints, and providing treatments they’re not actually contracted — or qualified — to do. In this blog, Dr Jane Lelean, dentist and Master Certified Coach, breaks down exactly what the NHS expects of you, with direct extracts from the official GDS contract and related guidance. You’ll discover the clear boundaries between mandatory and advanced services, how to assess case complexity, and how to communicate treatment options with clarity and confidence. Step away from confusion, fear, and burnout — and towards a calmer, more rewarding career.
Too many dentists assume that being an associate automatically means being self-employed — until HMRC says otherwise. Across the UK, both clinicians and principals are finding that their everyday working arrangements don’t match what’s written in their contracts. This article explores what it truly means to be self-employed in dentistry, how both sides can protect themselves, and why a truth-full conversation today could prevent financial and emotional pain tomorrow