To help patients struggling to pay for oral care during these tough economic times, some enterprising dentists have started offering membership programs that provide preventive care for set annual fees, according to a story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The program is the brainchild of Ashland, OR, dentist Dan Marut, DMD, founder of Quality Dental Plan (QDP). QDP sets up customized programs for dental practices so they can offer uninsured patients an alternative to standard preventive dental care.
The plan is not insurance, but a membership program, like Sam's Club or Costco.
Dentist Robert J. Baker, DDS, of Moon, PA, began offering the program in August to help some of his patients get basic care, he told the Gazette. So far, 50 patients have signed up, and another 175 have expressed interest.
For a prepaid $200 a year (and $150 for each additional family member), Dr. Baker provides two exams, two teeth cleanings, one set of x-rays, and a teeth bleaching kit that includes a $200 teeth-whitening appliance -- services that would otherwise cost more than $500, he said. He also offers a 20% discount for all other procedures.
Dr. Baker is spending about $5,000 a year for QDP's services, according to the story.
Although not a franchise, Dr. Marut says the agreement is "franchise-like" in the sense that QDP restricts the number of dentists in its program based on population. The program currently contracts with about 60 dentists in the U.S., with more than 40 others who are waiting to sign on, according to the Gazette.
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