Independent dental practices remain the backbone of dentistry. Their success is built on trust, long-term relationships, and personalized care. However, like many small businesses, they are navigating rising costs, staffing constraints, and shifting consumer expectations.
That tension creates both more opportunity and more pressure. Rising expectations on one side; rising costs, staffing shortages, and financial complexity on the other. For many practices, it’s not just about staying competitive, it’s simply about staying open.
Franshaun Thomas.
Data from the ADA show a steady drop in self-employed dentists, a clear signal of how hard it’s becoming to stay independent. The patient experience now plays a bigger role than ever in where people go for care, raising the bar for every provider.
One of the most pressing challenges for independent practices is not demand, but missed opportunity. While more than half of consumers (56%) say the availability of financing influences where they choose to receive care, independent practices are still less likely than nonindependents to offer or emphasize flexible payment options (67% vs. 76%). That gap can translate directly into delayed treatment, lower case acceptance, and lost revenue that could otherwise support practice growth.
Cost barriers only deepen the issue, with 92% of consumers saying they would consider postponing general dental treatment due to cost. When financing options are not clearly integrated into the patient experience, it’s easy for care to be delayed or deferred. This is where scalable financial tools and technology integration become critical, not just as operational support, but as a direct driver of patient experience.
We partner with the software platforms that practices use every day to support patient care. By integrating patient financing directly into these systems, we make it easier to understand, offer, and use, helping practices and patients navigate affordability throughout the treatment journey.
For example, with our CareCredit integration, practices can see which scheduled patients are preapproved, with no impact on the patient’s credit. Completing transactions within the practice’s software also streamlines reconciliation and accounting. All functionality can be initiated by the practice on their devices and securely sent to the patient’s device for a quick, easy completion.
These capabilities empower teams to have more informed, proactive conversations and embed financing naturally into the overall patient experience. A smoother financial journey can help reduce friction during treatment decisions and support stronger patient engagement. For independent practices, that connection between access and experience plays an important role in long-term practice health.
Beyond technology, practices benefit from dedicated support that extends their teams -- from staff training to workflow guidance -- helping ensure that financing is not just implemented but is consistently and effectively used. Data-driven insights also help practices identify gaps in financing usage and uncover opportunities to increase case acceptance, turning everyday patient interactions into measurable growth.
Recently, I had the opportunity to connect with Dr. Martin Mendelson, dentist and founder of Metamorphosis Coaching, who has spent his career thinking about what makes independent practices sustainable, not just clinically but operationally and financially. He put it this way: “Independent dentistry has always been built on trust and relationships, but affordability is now where those relationships are most often tested. The practices that will thrive are the ones that make financing part of the care conversation, not an afterthought. When patients can move forward with clear, accessible payment options, it helps them say ‘yes’ to care and stay engaged with their treatment over time. That’s what ultimately supports a strong, sustainable, small business.”
For independent practices, this shift is significant. Financing is no longer just a transactional tool. It is a strategic enabler of growth, patient experience, and long-term sustainability.
Ultimately, solutions like CareCredit are strategic enablers of access, growth, and long-term sustainability. By helping practices strengthen financial performance while expanding access to care, they play a critical role in ensuring independent dentistry can continue to thrive.
Editor's note: References are available upon request.
Franshaun Thomas is Synchrony's senior vice president and general manager of dental independent market and expansion. She is responsible for strategy development and the execution of its health and wellness dental industry partnerships and market expansion. She has been with Synchrony for 10 years and has held various commercial, sales, and strategy leadership roles.
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