Operations
Browse 18 Operations articles on the DentiPoint blog — guides, tips and updates for UK dental practices on the topics that matter to your team.
What Is a DSO? Dental Service Organizations Explained
What a DSO (dental service organization) is, what a DSO dentist does, the main models, how common DSOs are in the US and what software a multi-practice group needs.
The DentiPoint Team · 30 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
Types of Dental X-Rays: Bitewing, Periapical, OPG and More
Bitewing, periapical, occlusal, OPG, ceph and CBCT: what each dental X-ray shows, when it is used, how often to repeat it and how a practice should store the images.
The DentiPoint Team · 30 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
Periodontal Charting: A Practical Guide to the Perio Chart
Periodontal charting records six probing depths per tooth plus recession, bleeding and furcation. What the numbers mean, when a full chart is needed and what to check in software.
The DentiPoint Team · 30 Oct 2026 · 7 min read
Setting Up a Dental Practice in the UK: A Step-by-Step Guide
Setting up a dental practice in England, step by step: squat or buy, business structure, CQC registration, GDC and indemnity, NHS contracts, premises and X-ray, data protection, costs, and a checklist for opening day.
The DentiPoint Team · 30 Oct 2026 · 12 min read
Dental Charting: A UK Guide to Symbols, Surfaces and Templates
How dental charting works in UK practice: Palmer and FDI notation, naming the five surfaces, why charting symbols and colours are not standardised, a step-by-step charting order, what a charting template should contain, and how to correct a chart.
The DentiPoint Team · 30 Oct 2026 · 13 min read
BPE Scores Explained: Codes 0 to 4, Furcation and What to Record
BPE scores run from 0 to 4 in each of six sextants, with * for furcation. What each code means under the BSP 2019 guidance, how to record the BPE, the simplified BPE for under-18s, and how the highest score reaches the FP17.
The DentiPoint Team · 30 Oct 2026 · 10 min read
Dental Treatment Plan Template: What a UK Plan Must Include
A practical dental treatment plan template for UK practices. What the GDC says every plan must contain, how to lay out phases and options, how to show NHS and private items, when an FP17DC is needed, and how to keep the plan up to date once treatment starts.
The DentiPoint Team · 27 Oct 2026 · 8 min read
How to Reduce DNAs and No-Shows in Your Dental Practice: A UK Playbook
How UK dental practices reduce DNAs and no-shows: why NHS practices cannot charge for missed appointments, what the evidence says about who misses them, and a seven-step playbook of reminders, rebooking, short-notice lists and measurement.
The DentiPoint Team · 27 Oct 2026 · 8 min read
Dental Appointment Deposits and Online Payments: What UK Practices Can Charge in 2026
Can a dentist charge a deposit? Yes for private care, with fair terms shown up front. For NHS care, not before an assessment and never as a missed-appointment fee. The rules, how to set a fair amount, and how to take payment online.
The DentiPoint Team · 25 Oct 2026 · 10 min read
Going Paperless: Digital Patient Forms and Medical Histories for Dental Practices
A practical guide to going paperless in a UK dental practice: what to digitise, how online medical-history and consent intake works, whether digital signatures are valid, and how it saves reception time.
The DentiPoint Team · 23 Oct 2026 · 8 min read
Dental Practice KPIs & Metrics Every Practice Manager Should Track
The 10 dental practice KPIs that actually change decisions, from UDA delivery and DNA rate to case acceptance, patient retention and collections, plus how often to review them and why one system beats a spreadsheet.
The DentiPoint Team · 20 Oct 2026 · 9 min read
Diary Utilisation and Chair Time: Benchmarks and Formulas for UK Dental Practices
Diary utilisation vs room utilisation, the formulas, what a sensible benchmark looks like for a UK dental practice, how to put a value on an hour of chair time, and how to lift utilisation without adding opening hours.
The DentiPoint Team · 19 Oct 2026 · 10 min read
NICE Dental Recall Intervals: 3 to 24 Months Explained for UK Practices
NICE dental recall intervals run from 3 to 24 months for adults and 3 to 12 months for under-18s. What CG19 says, the NICE steps, what the FP17 must record, and how to run risk-based recalls at scale.
The DentiPoint Team · 18 Oct 2026 · 8 min read
WhatsApp Appointment Reminders for Dental Practices: Rules, Costs and Setup
How to send dental appointment reminders on WhatsApp in the UK: the service-versus-marketing rule, the Business app versus the Business Platform, what Meta charges, and a step-by-step setup.
The DentiPoint Team · 16 Oct 2026 · 8 min read
Handling Emergency and Out of Hours Dental Enquiries Online
Stop losing after-hours emergencies to a silent answerphone. A practical guide to capturing and triaging out of hours dental enquiries online, keeping patients safe and your diary full.
The DentiPoint Team · 2 Oct 2026 · 8 min read
Hiring a Dental Associate: Contract & Onboarding Guide (UK)
A practical UK guide to hiring a dental associate: self-employed status, pay splits, UDA targets, lab fees, restrictive covenants, and how to onboard a new associate into your practice and its systems.
The DentiPoint Team · 30 Sept 2026 · 9 min read
Scaling a Dental Group: From One Practice to Multi-Branch
The infrastructure a UK practice owner needs before opening branch two: centralised scheduling, standardised protocols, consolidated reporting, and the compliance changes that come with a second location.
The DentiPoint Team · 28 Sept 2026 · 9 min read
Buying a Dental Practice in the UK: A Checklist for Buyers (and Sellers)
A UK checklist for buying a dental practice, with a list for sellers: the steps in order, due diligence, valuation, how the NHS contract continues, CQC registration, patient records and what happens to the software.
The DentiPoint Team · 26 Sept 2026 · 9 min read