Are Dental Plans Worth It?
The arithmetic behind each plan, the extras that come with membership, what a plan will not pay for, and the patients who would do better paying visit by visit.
Does Paying for a Dental Plan in Broughty Ferry Make Financial Sense?
For anyone who has two dental examinations and two hygiene visits a year, generally yes. Plan A, at £24.10 a month or £289.20 across the year, covers care at Ferry Smile Studios that would add up to £360 paid visit by visit, so you keep £70.80. Plan B is £40.16 a month and swaps two hygiene visits for four, saving £78.08 over the year. Come only once a year, though, and a plan costs more than it saves you.
The Numbers, Side by Side
| Feature | Plan A | Plan B |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | £24.10 | £40.16 |
| Yearly cost | £289.20 | £481.92 |
| Dental examinations each year | 2 | 2 |
| Small X-rays each year | 2 | 2 |
| Hygiene visits with Airflow (30 minutes) | 2 | 4 |
| Cost of the same care pay-as-you-go | £360 | £560 |
| Saved over a year | £70.80 | £78.08 |
The table is based on today's fees: an examination at £70, a small X-ray at £10 and a hygiene visit with Airflow at £100. 1 It ignores the member discount and the free emergency appointments, and in practice that is where much of the benefit lies.
The Savings That Matter Most
Taken on routine care by itself, the saving is genuine but not dramatic. A plan really proves its worth the first time a tooth lets you down.
- Members pay nothing for an emergency appointment, which is otherwise £70.
- Root canal treatment on a molar costs £536 rather than £595.
- A crown on a back tooth begins at £608 against the standard £675.
- A 60-minute deep clean comes to £117 rather than £130.
- Whitening at home is £315 rather than £350, and a night guard is £189 rather than £210.
One unexpected crown or root canal during the year can save you roughly as much again as the routine care. The fees page shows every member price.
Unsure Which Plan Suits You?
Come in for an examination and your dentist will advise.
Choosing Between A and B
Only one thing separates the two: the number of hygiene visits. Both give you two examinations and two small X-rays each year.
Plan A suits teeth and gums in good health: a dental examination and a hygienist clean every six months, which is the usual pattern for a mouth that is doing well.
Plan B takes you to the hygienist four times a year. We recommend it to patients with a history of gum disease, those whose tartar builds quickly, and anyone with implants or a full-arch bridge, since plaque around gums and implants is where problems begin and a three-monthly clean keeps it under control. Because our implant guarantee is a 5-year guarantee for non-smokers who attend hygiene visits every 3 months, Plan B is the natural choice once implant treatment is finished. Our gum disease guide explains why the interval between cleans is so important.
Every hygiene appointment is with our hygienist and includes Airflow, which clears stain and soft deposits using a jet of warm water, air and fine powder. Your next visit is booked before you leave the building.
Other Membership Benefits
- A named dentist of your own, and registration with the practice
- Priority when appointments are released
- Access to care outside normal hours
- Emergency appointments at no charge
- Cover for dental emergencies anywhere in the world
- 10% off most private treatment, subject to the exclusions below
What the Plans Leave Out
Better to know the boundaries before you join.
- Implants, Invisalign, composite bonding and veneers carry no discount. The 10% is not available on implants, orthodontics or larger cosmetic cases, although whitening on its own is the one exception.
- Larger imaging, meaning a large X-ray or CT scan, is billed at the member rate: a CT scan is £144 in place of £160.
- Longer hygiene appointments, a deep clean for instance, or gum treatment at £90 per stage, are billed separately at the member price.
- Treatment itself, whether a filling, a crown or root canal, is paid for as it happens, with 10% off and the fee confirmed in writing beforehand.
In short, a plan pays for prevention and discounts repair. It is not insurance, and it sets no upper limit on what a year of heavy treatment might cost.
Where Pay-as-You-Go Comes Out Ahead
A plan is not the right answer for everybody. Consider a patient who comes for a single examination and a single Airflow clean each year. Their bill would be £170 altogether, comfortably below the £289.20 that Plan A costs over twelve months. Two examinations plus two standard hygiene visits, no Airflow, come to £280, which is close to the Plan A fee before you count in the X-rays, the emergency cover and the discount.
Children and young adults have no need of a plan either, since NHS examinations and treatment are free in Scotland for anyone under 26. Nor do adults in Scotland pay for an NHS dental examination. At this practice: Children and adults are registered and treated on the NHS, with every dentist at the practice, and private care is there if you'd rather. For a comparison of the two routes, read our NHS or private guide.
How We Compare with Other Local Plans
In October 2026 we checked the websites of practices around Dundee and Angus and found dental plans generally advertised at roughly £16 to £28 a month, a band that Plan A falls within. Plan B is pricier than most, and the reason is four Airflow hygiene visits a year where other plans typically offer one or two.
A monthly figure on its own is a poor guide. When comparing, check the number of hygiene visits included and their length, whether X-rays come included, whether emergency appointments cost nothing or are just reduced, and which treatments the discount excludes.
Three Patients, Three Different Answers
Healthy teeth, two visits a year. A patient from Barnhill or Monifieth with sound teeth who attends twice yearly for an examination and a clean is exactly who Plan A was designed for. Routine care saves them £70.80, and if a dental emergency crops up the appointment is free.
Gums under supervision. Someone who has completed gum treatment typically needs the hygienist every three months so the pockets do not deepen again. Plan B covers all four of those appointments, saving £78.08 a year against paying for each separately.
Once a year, if that. A patient who comes in annually and seldom needs any treatment will normally pay less on the day. We would rather say so than sign you up to a plan you will not use.
How to Join
New patients should first book an examination. Your dentist will then assess your teeth and gums, gauge how fast plaque and tartar accumulate, and recommend Plan A or Plan B. Signing up is done online via our dental plans page.
Existing members wanting to switch, for instance to Plan B after implant treatment, can ring reception on 01382 477350 and the change will be made for you.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.