Go to content
  2. Advice
  3. Your dental business

There's a lot involved in delivering the business of dentistry, whether you're in NHS, mixed or private practice. In this section you will find the expert advice and support you need to make your business a success.

Browse by topic

Exclusively for BDA members

New: Dental market insight report 2025

Dentists working in general practice are uniquely exposed to changes in the economy. Our new report gives you the latest information on costs facing practices; covering staffing and dental earnings, broken down into data and analysis of both NHS and private revenue, as well highlighting upcoming changes you need to be aware of.
Read the report
Decorative image
BDA CASE STUDY

Case study: The learning curve of transitioning to private practice

How are other dentists going about transitioning from NHS to private dentistry? Learn from Rachele from Delicate Dental, who talked to us about her experience switching adult patients to private treatment.
Find out more
For associates and practice owners

UDA value checker

Understanding the financial details of England's NHS dental contract can be challenging, even for experienced professionals. Our exclusive UDA value checking tool helps members compare their practice to local and national averages, supporting confident and informed choices.
Find out more and download
UDA tracker tool preview

Recently updated

Advice

Managing and informing patients

Managing patient appointments

Suggestions on successful ways of managing patient appointments in your practice.

Advice

Business finances

Tax

A basic overview of your various possible tax obligations in the dental practice.

Advice

Private practice

Moving to private practice in Northern Ireland

What to consider if you are thinking of moving from Health Service dentistry to private practice.

Advice

Managing and informing patients

Managing abusive patients

Abusive behaviour from patients is an increasing concern for dental professionals. There are differences in protocols when managing NHS and private patients relating to contractual obligations, and variations across the UK nations. However, a fundamental principle remains: no member of the dental team should be subjected to abuse.

Advice

Managing and informing patients

Safety precautions during out-of-hours care and domiciliary visits

Providing urgent care outside standard working hours or in a domiciliary setting comes with additional risks.

Advice

NHS contracts and tendering

Running out of UDAs before the end of the year in England and Wales

Here are our recommendations to avoid exhausting NHS activity before the end of the year.

Advice

Business management

Paying the New Patient Premium to associates

The New Patient Premium has a cash value and that payment is converted into UDAs and these can be claimed against the contract value. This should mean that associates are paid for the NPP UDAs in exactly the same way you are for other UDAs.

Advice

Business management

Death and serious illness

This advice is aimed at non-dentists who find themselves in the position of managing the practice of a dentist who has died or is too ill to work.

Advice

NHS contracts and tendering

NHS contract monitoring and clawback in England and Wales

If you hold an NHS contract, your Primary Care Organisation (PCO) will be monitoring your performance, and act on any concerns. Underperformance can lead to financial recovery – also known as clawback.

Advice

Business management

Leases and licences

This advice should help you negotiate a fair working arrangement by leasing or licensing a commercial property for a dental practice.

Advice

Business management

Planning permission

If you are building new dental practice premises, or altering or extending existing premise, you are likely to need planning permission.

Advice

Business management

New practice start up

This introductory guide provides some ideas to help you establish an entirely new practice and is structured according to the stages that you will go through.

Related events

Event

Webinar: Diagnoses to treatment decisions: AI supported

This live webinar on Wednesday 9 July, delivered by Nishan Dixit will discuss all things AI in dentistry.

Event

Business essentials - Sep and Oct 2025

Delivered over two days, Friday 12 September and Friday 10 October, this interactive workshop explores commercial techniques that can be applied to a dental business in order to drive profitability and improve financial results.

A contract being signed
Event

Selling a dental practice: Preparing yourself and your practice for the future

On Friday 12 September, if you are considering selling your practice in the near or medium-term future, our one-day seminar in London will help equip you with the tools you need.

Audience member in theatre watching seminar
Event

Setting up a dental practice

On Friday 21 November, join us for an in-person event in London, providing you with a comprehensive guide to the issues dentists need to consider when planning to set up a new practice.

More business management events
For extra and expert members

Contact our NHS and business team

We provide advice on all matters relating to setting up and running an NHS, private, or mixed practice, including NHS contract terms and variations, clawback, and breach/remedial notices. If you're an Extra or Expert member, you have access to unlimited one-to-one advice from us via phone or email, in addition to the online guidance.
Contact us
Victoria Michell, Head of the NHS and Business team, smiling confidently towards the camera