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How to Grow a Private Dental Practice in the UK: What Actually Works in 2026

A UK guide to growing a private dental practice in 2026: why patients are going private, what the CMA is reviewing and the levers a practice controls.

Review Your Doctor Team· Patient experience and clinic growth specialists 12 min read

A UK private dental practice grows most reliably by being easy to find, easy to understand and easy to trust: a visible local presence, clear prices and written treatment plans, appointments and opening hours that fit patients, an optional membership or payment plan with transparent value, a steady flow of reviews from every patient, and a complaints route that patients actually use. In 2026 this is also the lowest-risk strategy, because the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is examining how patients find and compare private dentists, how clear prices are and how payment plans work. This guide covers the levers a practice controls and labels the strength of the evidence for each. For the wider picture of how NHS, private and mixed practices grow, see our guide to the best dental clinic growth strategy. Nothing here guarantees growth.

What kind of evidence does this guide use?

Advice on growing a private practice often mixes official data, regulator guidance and supplier claims without saying which is which. This guide uses five labels:

  • Official data: figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and NHS bodies.
  • Regulator guidance: the General Dental Council (GDC) standards and the CMA's guidance and updates.
  • Consumer research: polls and surveys by groups such as Healthwatch England and Which?. Sample sizes and who was asked are stated.
  • Provider claim: statements from membership plan or software providers, which have a commercial interest.
  • Our inference: conclusions drawn from the above, marked as such.

Why are more patients choosing private dentistry?

Mostly because NHS dental access is limited, not because patients prefer private care. Healthwatch England polled 2,593 adults in England between 31 October and 7 November 2025. It found that 32% had used private dentistry in the previous year, compared with 22% in 2023. Among adults who described themselves as struggling financially, use rose from 14% to 27%. Healthwatch cites the Adult Oral Health Survey for the reasons people give. The top five were difficulty finding an NHS dentist (39%), better quality of care (22%), more convenient opening times (19%), shorter waiting times (19%) and an NHS dentist moving to private practice (18%). Dentistry reported that, in ONS data, more adults had a private dentist than an NHS dentist in nine of England's 36 integrated care board areas, although an NHS dentist was still more common across England as a whole. Patient satisfaction is high. ONS data showed 93.5% of adults with a private dental appointment in the previous 28 days were satisfied, against 89.9% for NHS appointments, and ONS said the difference was statistically significant. The two groups are not directly comparable, because patients chose or were pushed into each route for different reasons. Our inference is that a growing share of new private patients are new to private care. The CMA's July 2026 update notes that patients who go private out of necessity may have different expectations and awareness from those who prefer it, and that some dental professionals thought NHS prices can distort expectations about private costs. Explaining prices and options clearly is therefore part of acquisition, not an afterthought.

What is the CMA reviewing, and why does it matter for growth?

The CMA opened a market study into private dental services on 5 March 2026 and must publish its final report by 4 March 2027. Its case page shows the study covers private dental services in the UK. Its July 2026 update confirms five themes: consumer journey and choice, competition, conduct, regulatory frameworks and market outcomes. It says it expects to publish its emerging thinking, including any concerns and possible remedies, between October and November 2026. The update contains no findings or conclusions yet. The themes bear directly on growth. The CMA says it is looking at how consumers access, assess and act on information, how dentists compete to win and keep patients, whether pressure-selling or overtreatment occurs, and how payment plans affect choice and switching. The update also records that about 65% of UK dental practices are independent, and that dental professionals told the CMA independents can struggle to compete with larger groups on scale, including purchasing power and marketing budgets. There is a consumer-side warning too. A Which? investigation, reported by Dentistry, surveyed 1,009 people who had experienced a problem with private dental treatment in the previous two years. Among them, 39% felt charges were excessive, 22% paid more than they had been quoted and 21% said upfront pricing was unclear. The British Dental Association said it was misleading to treat this group as representative of all private patients, and it pointed to the ONS satisfaction data. Both views are useful: most patients are satisfied, and the problems that do occur centre on price clarity and pressure. Practically, a practice that can show clear pricing, written treatment plans, optional plans and a working complaints process is well placed whatever the CMA concludes. A practice that cannot has a growth risk as well as a compliance risk. Check the CMA case page before acting on this section, because the emerging thinking may have been published since this guide was written.

How do patients choose a private dentist?

The research available points to clinical confidence, access, price clarity and reviews, but there is no UK study that ranks these for private dentistry. In a Which? survey of 6,486 people who paid privately, conducted in April and May 2025, staff knowledge and skill and treatment meeting goals and expectations emerged as the most important factors. Which? also reported that many people favoured their local independent practice. The CMA's patient guidance, Choosing and paying for dental care, tells patients to compare prices, to check whether facilities and opening hours suit them, to check reviews online and to ask friends and family. In its update, market participants listed what they believe drives competition: access, appointment availability, ethical standards, switching behaviour, price points, range of treatments, opening hours, ease of online booking, quality of premises, quality of appointments, technology and ongoing customer care. These are views gathered by the CMA, not findings. Our inference is that a private practice has six levers it can influence: appointments that patients can book, hours that suit working adults, easy online booking, visible prices, review evidence and the quality of the first appointment. Each is something a patient can see or experience before they commit.

How can a private practice make prices and treatment plans clear?

GDC standards require clear information on prices in practice literature and on websites, and a written treatment plan before treatment starts. GDC standard 2.4.2 says a practice must give clear information on prices in its literature and on its websites, and that patients should not have to ask for it. Standard 2.3.6 requires a written treatment plan before treatment starts, which patients should be asked to sign, and standard 2.3.8 requires the plan to be updated in writing if it changes. The CMA's patient guidance lists what a price list should include: the cost of a consultation, a filling, an extraction, a radiograph and a hygienist treatment, with ranges where costs vary. It also says patients do not have to make important decisions on the spot, and that practices offering both NHS and private care must not mislead patients about the treatments available. In practice, that means:

  • Publish a price page on the website with those five items, using ranges where cost varies and saying what affects the price.
  • Give every patient a written, costed treatment plan that states which elements are private, and a revised plan if anything changes.
  • Offer time to think. Do not make a decision feel urgent.
  • If the practice treats NHS and private patients, state plainly what is available under each.

The CMA update records consumer complaints that true costs only became clear late, when they were hard to challenge. A practice that states costs early removes the commonest source of mistrust and gives prospective patients something concrete to compare.

Should a private practice offer a membership or payment plan?

A plan can help predictability and attendance, but the evidence that it improves retention comes mainly from plan providers, and the CMA is examining plans closely. For example, Practice Plan states that practices report plan members are more likely to attend appointments than pay-as-you-go patients. That is a provider claim, and no independent UK study of plan retention was found. The CMA update says plans may give consumers predictable costs and support access, but could cause harm if consumers lack the information they need or find it harder to switch. Consumers who responded raised concerns about rising plan costs, fewer treatments covered over time, feeling pressured to join a plan to stay at a practice that stopped offering NHS care, and not being offered alternatives. One consumer in the CMA's summary said pay-as-you-go cost double what a plan did, which the dentist had not explained. Another was told pay-as-you-go was cheaper for their needs and was happy. These are individual accounts, not representative findings. If a practice offers a plan, the lower-risk approach is:

  • Present it as a choice alongside pay-as-you-go, and show what each costs for a typical year.
  • Say clearly what is included and excluded, and how and when the fee can change.
  • Never imply that joining is a condition of staying a patient unless the practice is prepared to explain that openly.
  • Review plan terms regularly against what members actually use.

Finance for larger treatments is a separate matter. The CMA update notes that practices may be concerned about the regulatory requirements involved, so take advice before offering it.

How does a private practice keep the patients it wins?

Patients stay where they trust the dentist and can get appointments, but no UK benchmark for private patient retention was found. The CMA update records that consumers placed importance on a good relationship with their dentist, trust and confidence, appointments of sufficient length and continuity of care. It also records barriers to switching, including the cost of new-patient examinations and difficulty transferring x-rays. Our inference is that these barriers are not a retention strategy, because they only delay a patient who is unhappy. Without a benchmark, a practice should measure its own. Our inference is that four numbers are enough to start:

  • How many patients attend their recall on time.
  • How many new patients are still attending after 12 months.
  • How many patients accept the treatment plans they are given.
  • How many patients leave a review or raise a concern, and what they say.

Feedback is the early-warning system. A practice that hears about a problem privately, from the patient, can fix it before the patient leaves or posts publicly.

Where do reviews and referrals fit?

Reviews and recommendations are named by the CMA as tools patients should use, so a private practice should make its real patient experience visible. The CMA's patient guidance advises checking reviews online and asking friends and family. Our guides cover the mechanics: how reviews bring more patients, asking patients for Google reviews, optimising a Google Business Profile and why a practice may not show on Google Maps. Two rules matter more than any tactic. First, ask every patient on the same terms. Selecting who is asked based on how satisfied they seem is review gating, covered in our guide to fake review rules under the CMA. Second, reply to reviews without disclosing patient information, even indirectly, a duty explained in our Google Business Profile guide.

How should a private practice handle complaints and private feedback?

Make it easy to tell the practice when something went wrong, because most unhappy patients do not. In the Which? investigation reported by Dentistry, 62% of respondents who had a problem had not complained to the practice. The most common reasons were concern about damaging their relationship with their dentist and a belief that complaining would make no difference, each given by 31%. Which? has called for a mandatory independent ombudsman for private dentistry. Patients can currently escalate unresolved private complaints to the Dental Complaints Service, which the CMA update describes as free, impartial and funded by the GDC. The CMA's guidance says all NHS and private practices must have a formal complaints procedure. For growth, the practical point is that a patient who feels heard is more likely to stay and less likely to leave an angry public review. A private feedback route works best alongside the public review invitation, never instead of it. Every patient should still be invited to review on the same terms. See our guide to dental reputation management for how the two fit together.

What should a private practice avoid when trying to grow?

Five habits can win short-term business and cost long-term trust.

  • Pressure to accept treatment or plans. The CMA update records consumer experiences of feeling pressured, and the CMA's guidance says patients should not feel under pressure to have treatment privately instead of under the NHS.
  • Unclear NHS and private availability. Practices offering both must not mislead patients about what is available.
  • Late or vague pricing. Costs that appear at the final bill are the pattern consumers described to the CMA.
  • Hype about outcomes. The CMA update notes concerns about social media creating unrealistic expectations of cosmetic treatment and about a sales emphasis at some practices. Describe options, risks and likely outcomes honestly.
  • Filtering reviews or inviting only happy patients. This is review gating, and it also removes the evidence patients and the CMA tell people to look for.

What is the private dental practice growth checklist?

This checklist starts with the foundations patients and regulators both look for.

  • The website has a price page with a consultation, filling, extraction, radiograph and hygienist treatment, with ranges where needed.
  • Every patient receives a written, costed treatment plan before treatment, and a revised plan if it changes.
  • Patients are told they have time to decide, and are not pressured.
  • NHS and private availability are described accurately.
  • Online booking, appointment availability and opening hours have been reviewed against what patients need.
  • Any membership or payment plan is optional, compared with pay-as-you-go and clearly explained.
  • Every patient is invited to leave a Google review on the same terms.
  • The Google Business Profile is verified, accurate and complete.
  • A written policy covers review replies and protects patient confidentiality.
  • Patients know how to complain, and a private feedback route exists alongside public reviews.
  • Recall attendance, 12-month retention, plan acceptance and feedback are tracked monthly.
  • The practice checks the CMA case page when emerging thinking is published.

Summary

Private dentistry in the UK is growing because NHS access is limited, and satisfaction among private patients is high. The CMA's market study means price clarity, written treatment plans, payment plans and complaints are under scrutiny, and the final report is due by 4 March 2027. A private practice grows most reliably by being easy to find, easy to understand and easy to trust: visible and accurate online, clear about prices and options, flexible about appointments, honest about plans, steady in collecting reviews from every patient and open to complaints. The evidence for individual tactics is uneven, and no UK benchmarks were found for acquisition cost, retention or plan uptake, so a practice should measure its own results. Nothing guarantees growth.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How do UK private dental practices grow?

A UK private dental practice grows most reliably by being easy to find, easy to understand and easy to trust. That means a visible and accurate online presence, clear prices and written treatment plans, appointments and hours that fit patients, an optional plan with transparent value, steady reviews from every patient and a complaints route patients use. No tactic guarantees growth, and no UK benchmarks for private patient acquisition or retention were found, so a practice should track its own numbers.

Why are more patients choosing private dentistry?

Mainly because NHS dental access is limited. Healthwatch England's late 2025 poll of 2,593 adults found 32% had used private dentistry in the previous year, up from 22% in 2023. The Adult Oral Health Survey, as reported by Healthwatch, gave the top reason as difficulty finding an NHS dentist (39%), followed by better quality of care (22%), more convenient opening times (19%), shorter waiting times (19%) and an NHS dentist moving to private practice (18%).

Do private dental practices have to display their prices?

GDC standard 2.4.2 says dental professionals must give clear information on prices in their practice literature and on their websites, and that patients should not have to ask for it. The CMA's patient guidance says price lists should include basics such as a consultation, a filling, an extraction, a radiograph and a hygienist treatment, with ranges where costs vary. GDC standard 2.3.6 also requires a written treatment plan before treatment starts.

Are dental membership plans worth offering?

They can give patients predictable costs and may encourage regular attendance, but the evidence for better retention comes mainly from plan providers, and no independent UK study was found. The CMA is examining payment plans as part of its market study, and consumers have raised concerns about pressure to join, rising costs and a lack of alternatives. A practice that offers a plan should present it as a choice, compare it with pay-as-you-go and explain what is included.

What is the CMA's private dentistry market study?

The CMA launched a market study into private dental services in the UK on 5 March 2026. It is examining consumer journey and choice, competition, conduct, regulatory frameworks and market outcomes, including payment plans. The CMA expects to publish emerging thinking between October and November 2026 and must publish its final report by 4 March 2027. It has not yet reported findings.

Do Google reviews help a private dental practice grow?

They can help patients choose, and the CMA's patient guidance tells people to check reviews online and ask friends and family. Google states that review count and score factor into local ranking. Reviews work only if every patient is invited on the same terms, because selecting who is asked is review gating. They also do not replace clear pricing, good communication and a trusted complaints route.

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