CrystalClear Dental Spa, York

Background

In 2004, when dentist Dr Rob Grabowski had opened practice number five, he took the decision to convert his NHS dental surgery in Hull to a private practice. Rob had taken over the Hull practice while the previous owner was in the process of retiring and as a result had inherited about 7,000 patients. Rob based himself at the practice in Hull and employed a team of dentists to run his other surgeries.

Like many other NHS dentists, Rob had become frustrated by the level of service he could deliver via the NHS and the lack of time he was able to spend with each patient. Rob wanted to be able to expand his range of services to offer better value, which converting to a private practice would allow him to do.

Having made the decision to convert, Rob, with his son David, (who was also his operations manager), took the time to assess all the options and private plans available. Both Rob and David were impressed by the experience and knowledge that payment plan administrator DPAS Limited showed. DPAS was also able to offer a range of flexible, cost effective plans that would suit the needs of their patients. DPAS helped Rob implement the plans and set his own fee structure.

Soon after converting the practice, Rob decided to sell up and move away from Hull, after more than 20 years living and working there. He also sold his other practices and took on a practice in York that had no patients at all. The practice, which had been allowed to go into decline over many years, existed in name only, and was just the sort of challenge Rob relished.

Along with developing the business from scratch, he had to totally overhaul the building and create an identity for the new surgery, which would from now on be known as CrystalClear Dental Spa.

CrystalClear aims to offer patients the best possible service within contemporary surroundings. As well as standard dental work, Rob also wanted to offer cosmetic procedures such as tooth whitening.

Having used DPAS previously with great success, Rob once again chose to work with the team – a decision that meant he could guarantee the highest possible service through the comprehensive payment schemes the company provides.

Rob has ambitious plans for the future: working with DPAS, he hopes to have three practices by the end of 2008 and is in the process of taking on a new practice in Haxby near York.

Solution

When the conversion from NHS to private was being completed in Hull, Rob and David learned the importance of communicating effectively with their patients so they would fully understand what was happening with the changeover and the reasons behind the decision.

They wanted to quell any fears their patients may have had and physically show them the benefits of spreading the cost of dental care through cost effective dental plans.

DPAS worked with the practice to ensure letters were sent out to existing patients and any appointments that had been made up to a certain cut-off date were honoured. Much of the work of explaining the change was made face to face when the patients came in for appointments – and what could at first have been deemed a daunting process ran relatively smoothly.

With the CrystalClear Dental Spa in York, the challenges were slightly different. Rather than a conversion of an existing practice, it was about the creation of a new approach to dentistry.

Today the practice has 300 patients having started with none. It offers five different DPAS payment plans, plus a variety of treatments including the latest cosmetic approaches. All plans are practice branded, allowing patients the peace of mind that they are dealing direct with their trusted dentist and not a third party.

There are payment plans for adults, children, students, corporate and emergency 999 cover – each plan has been carefully put together with DPAS to meet the needs of patients. All plans offer:

• Guaranteed access
• Registration with a specific dentist
• Routine dental examinations a year (two)
• Routine hygiene appointments (two-four)
• Free small x-rays, as required
• Ten percent discount on all treatments.

Botox and fillers are among the list of procedures available at CrystalClear and prove how far the service has come. With the growing popularity of makeover shows, patients are more aware of what changes can be made to their appearance. Suddenly treatments that were solely the preserve of the rich and famous are available to far more people.

“Thanks to DPAS, we are able to provide our patients with a vastly superior service and level of care. It’s no longer just a case of offering fillings and advice on how to keep your teeth clean – it’s a whole service aimed at making patients look and feel the best they can,” described David.

The Grabowskis feel that the look of the practice plays a vital part in the patient’s experience of a visit to the dentist. Moving away from the financial constraints of the NHS and thanks to the cost savings made by working with DPAS, Rob and David have been able to make a significant investment in this area to improve the look of their practice and create the right ambience.

They have made the waiting areas and treatment rooms as pleasant as possible with the aim of creating a ‘boutique’ style look. Practical considerations are also important – making the seating more comfortable in the waiting areas helps to put patients at ease. They even encourage nervous patients to bring along their favourite CD so they can listen to it through the sound system at the practice while they are receiving treatment. The younger patients may prefer to bring along their iPod’s which they can plug into wireless headphones. If that isn’t state of the art enough patients can even watch DVDs through specially designed eye goggles whilst receiving treatment.

Rob and David have also invested a great deal of money and effort in promoting the practice and what it has to offer. They have made a deliberate effort to ensure all their patients feel welcome – so while the practice has an ‘exclusive’ feel to it, the focus is very much on providing a rounded service that includes the best standards in modern dentistry as well as more aesthetic treatments.

David explains: “CrystalClear is a high tech, high spec boutique style practice which is affordable and accessible to everyone. We have tried to make private dentistry and cosmetic surgery within the reach of the general public.”

Benefits

Having made the switch, patients are able to see the difference in approach and the better quality treatments they can choose from.

“We know that patients who have been brought up with NHS dental care will always struggle with the concept of paying for a service that they believe should be ‘free’,” commented David. “To a certain extent it will always seem a little alien to pay for dental care but the service speaks for itself.”

Being able to take photographs in a patient’s mouth and show them on screen exactly where the problem lies is just one of the technical breakthroughs being offered at CrystalClear.

Being a private practice they can offer the best possible quality materials for dental procedures such as implants and veneers and ensure their patients leave with a confident smile.

“Among patients, there is a growing expectation of the type of service they should receive for their money. Ultimately however, the patient is interested in a good standard of dental care rather than hi-tech gadgets,” said David.

Having the time to devote to patients has been a big breakthrough for Rob. Back in the days of the NHS, dentists could expect to see up to 40 patients a day but now it’s nearer to eight – a staggering difference.

“It used to be pretty stressful having so many patients but now we have the time to provide better quality of care, it’s so much better for both the patient and the dentist,” said David.

To find out more about how DPAS can help smooth your journey from NHS to private practice, or to see how we can make your existing payment plan administration work more efficiently, please contact us.