There's no single right way to structure a dental membership plan. The best plan for your practice depends on your fee schedule, your patient mix, your market, and the patient segments you're trying to serve.
That said, most successful membership plans share a common structure: a core set of preventive services included at no additional charge, a discount on all other services, and a clean, simple pricing model that patients can understand immediately.
The examples below illustrate common plan configurations. These are illustrative, your actual plan should be priced based on your specific fee schedule.
Plan Examples by Type
Standard Adult Plan
$299-$399/year or $25-$35/monthBest for: Uninsured adults 18-64 with healthy dentition
Includes
The most common plan type. Simple, easy to explain, and covers the services most patients need every year. The 15% discount on other services adds value without creating significant margin risk.
Child Plan
$199-$299/year or $17-$25/monthBest for: Children under 18
Includes
Priced lower than adult plans to reflect lower fee schedule values for pediatric services. Adding fluoride is a low-cost benefit that adds meaningful value for parents.
Senior Plan
$299-$449/year or $25-$37/monthBest for: Adults 65+ with healthy dentition
Includes
A higher discount (20% vs. 15%) is common for senior plans to reflect the value seniors place on cost savings. Price carefully, seniors often have higher treatment needs.
Perio Maintenance Plan
$499-$699/year or $42-$58/monthBest for: Patients with a history of periodontal disease requiring 3-4 cleanings per year
Includes
Perio patients are high-utilization, price this plan based on the actual cost of 4 perio maintenance visits at your fee schedule. Underpricing is the most common mistake with perio plans.
Family Plan
$699-$999/year or $58-$83/monthBest for: Families with 2 adults and 1-3 children
Includes
Bundle pricing should offer a meaningful discount vs. individual plans, typically 10-15% off the sum of individual plan prices. Families are high-retention members, once enrolled, they rarely leave.
Plan Structure Options
Beyond the standard preventive-plus-discount model, some practices experiment with alternative structures. Here are the most common variations and their tradeoffs.
Preventive-only (no discount)
The plan covers preventive services only, no discount on other services. Simpler to administer and explain, but less compelling for patients who need restorative work.
Best for
Practices that want maximum simplicity
Discount-only (no included services)
Patients pay a flat fee for a discount card, no services included. Very low cost to deliver, but less compelling than a plan that includes preventive care. Regulated as a discount dental plan in most states.
Best for
Practices that want to minimize financial risk
Tiered discount (higher discount for higher tier)
Multiple plan tiers with different annual fees and different discount percentages, e.g., a $199/year plan with a 10% discount and a $349/year plan with a 20% discount.
Best for
Practices with a wide range of patient treatment needs
Treatment-credit model
Patients pay a monthly fee and accumulate credits toward treatment. More complex to administer and explain, not recommended for most practices.
Best for
Not recommended for most practices