# Finance Options for Orthodontic Patients: Helping More People Say Yes to Treatment Publisher: Virtual Consultant Online Author: Virtual Consultant Online Published: 2026-07-10 Updated: 0001-01-01 Canonical URL: https://virtualconsultant.online/blog/orthodontic-patient-finance-options Citation metadata: https://virtualconsultant.online/citation.json?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvirtualconsultant.online%2Fblog%2Forthodontic-patient-finance-options Cost is the most common reason a patient who wants orthodontic treatment does not start. In a private orthodontic practice, where treatment fees typically range from £2,500 for simple aligner cases to £5,000 or more for complex fixed appliance work, the upfront payment requirement excludes a significant portion of prospective patients who could otherwise afford treatment if it were spread over time. Patient finance — the ability to pay for treatment in monthly instalments — closes this gap and is one of the most direct levers available to grow case starts without changing your marketing spend or clinical offering. This guide covers the patient finance options available to UK orthodontic practices , what each involves clinically and commercially, the FCA regulatory requirements that apply, and how to present finance to patients in a way that increases conversion without creating compliance risk. Key takeaway Patient finance converts patients who want treatment but cannot or will not pay in full upfront. Practices that offer clear, accessible finance options and present them proactively at the consultation typically see case acceptance increases of 15 to 25 percentage points among cost-sensitive patients. The regulatory requirement is straightforward — your practice must be FCA-authorised as a credit broker to introduce patients to finance — and the operational overhead of working with an established dental finance provider is modest. The risk of not offering finance is losing a meaningful proportion of motivated patients to practices that do. ## Finance Options Available to UK Orthodontic Practices Finance type Typical terms Practice receives Patient pays 0% interest-free credit (short) 6–12 months, 0% APR Full treatment fee minus lender fee (typically 4–8%) Monthly instalments, no interest 0% interest-free credit (extended) 18–36 months, 0% APR Full treatment fee minus higher lender fee (8–14%) Monthly instalments, no interest Low-APR instalment loan 24–60 months, 5–15% APR Full treatment fee (lender charges patient, not practice) Monthly instalments plus interest In-practice payment plan Staged during treatment, no third party Stage payments as treatment progresses No interest, but full fee ultimately ## FCA Regulation: What Orthodontic Practices Need to Know Patient finance in the UK is a regulated activity under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Specifically, introducing patients to a credit product — even if the actual lending is done by a third-party lender — constitutes credit broking, which requires FCA authorisation. This applies whether you are offering interest-free credit through a dental finance provider such as Chrysalis Finance, Medenta, or Tabeo, or any other form of regulated consumer credit. The key regulatory requirements for UK orthodontic practices offering patient finance: FCA credit broker authorisation: your practice must hold, or be exempt from requiring, FCA credit broker authorisation. Most practices obtain this directly from the FCA. The application process is straightforward for practices working with established dental finance providers and typically takes 4–8 weeks. Financial promotions: any advertising or communication that mentions finance — including your website, treatment plan documents, and verbal consultations where you mention a monthly payment figure — constitutes a financial promotion and must comply with FCA financial promotion rules. This includes displaying the representative APR and total amount payable wherever a monthly payment figure is stated. Treating customers fairly: FCA rules require that finance is presented in a way that allows patients to make an informed decision. Presenting only the monthly payment without the total cost, or downplaying interest charges, would breach this requirement. Patient suitability: you do not need to assess patient creditworthiness — that is the lender’s responsibility. But you should not actively encourage patients to take on credit that you have reason to believe is unsuitable for their circumstances. Important Practices that offer or advertise patient finance without FCA credit broker authorisation are operating an unregulated credit arrangement, which is a criminal offence under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The FCA has taken enforcement action against dental practices for breaching consumer credit regulations, including for advertising monthly payment figures without displaying the required APR and total cost information. Before offering or advertising any finance option, confirm your FCA authorisation status and review all financial promotions with your compliance or legal adviser. Show patients their monthly payment before the consultation Virtual Consultant Online’s virtual assessment tool lets you present finance-inclusive treatment costs upfront — removing the price anxiety that stalls case starts. See how it works → ## How to Present Finance to Patients Effectively Finance converts more patients when it is presented proactively and naturally as part of the treatment discussion — not as an afterthought when the patient hesitates at the price. The treatment coordinator and clinical team should be comfortable with the finance conversation and clear on what they can and cannot say. Present finance as a natural part of the treatment plan: “Most of our patients spread the cost — we work with [lender] to offer 0% over 18 months, which makes this around £[X] per month” — said before the patient has a chance to say the full fee is too much. Show the monthly figure and the total: always show both to meet FCA requirements and to maintain patient trust. Patients who discover a total cost they were not shown feel misled, even if the monthly figure was accurate. Do not use finance as a discount proxy: presenting finance as “so you only pay £X per month” while obscuring the total cost is a compliance risk and a trust risk. Finance should help patients access treatment they want at a cost they can manage — not disguise the full cost. Have a clear application process: a patient who decides they want to use finance should be able to apply at the practice with minimal friction. Online application through the lender’s portal, with a decision in minutes, is the current standard for dental finance providers. Help More Patients Say Yes to Treatment Virtual Consultant Online gives your practice a complete digital patient journey — from first enquiry and virtual assessment through to treatment plan and consultation booking — designed to present options clearly and convert motivated patients into starting patients. Explore the Platform → ## FAQs ### Do orthodontic practices need FCA authorisation to offer patient finance? Yes — introducing patients to a finance product, including interest-free payment plans provided by a third-party lender, constitutes credit broking under FCA regulation and requires FCA credit broker authorisation. Practices that advertise or offer finance without authorisation are committing a criminal offence under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The FCA application process for credit broker authorisation is relatively straightforward for practices working with established dental finance providers and typically takes four to eight weeks. Most established dental finance providers (Chrysalis Finance, Medenta, Tabeo) will guide you through the authorisation process as part of their onboarding. ### What patient finance options are most effective for orthodontic practices? Interest-free credit over 18 to 24 months is consistently the most effective finance option for converting cost-sensitive orthodontic patients. The 0% APR removes the additional cost concern and makes the decision purely about the monthly figure relative to household budget. Short-term interest-free options (6–12 months) work well for lower-cost cases. For patients who need longer terms, low-APR instalment loans through established dental finance providers give access to 36 to 60 month terms. In-practice instalment plans (staged payments during treatment) avoid third-party involvement but do not provide the full upfront payment security that third-party finance does. ### What must be shown when advertising orthodontic finance? Under FCA financial promotion rules, any communication that states a monthly payment figure — including your website, treatment plan documents, and printed materials — must also display the representative APR and the total amount repayable. For example: “£138 per month, 0% APR representative (total £2,484 over 18 months)”. Omitting the APR or total cost when advertising a monthly figure is a breach of FCA financial promotion rules and a common source of enforcement action against dental practices. All finance-related content should be reviewed against the current FCA Consumer Credit sourcebook before publication. ### How much does patient finance increase orthodontic case starts? Practices that introduce patient finance and present it proactively at the consultation — as a natural part of the treatment discussion rather than a fallback when price is declined — typically report case acceptance increases of 15 to 25 percentage points among cost-sensitive patient groups. The effect is larger for higher-value cases and for practices that have not previously offered finance. The conversion uplift needs to be weighed against the lender fee (typically 4–14% of the finance amount depending on the term and interest rate), but for most practices the net revenue effect of increased case starts significantly exceeds the cost of the finance arrangement. ### Do orthodontic practices need FCA authorisation to offer patient finance? Yes — introducing patients to a finance product, including interest-free payment plans provided by a third-party lender, constitutes credit broking under FCA regulation and requires FCA credit broker authorisation. Practices that advertise or offer finance without authorisation are committing a criminal offence under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The FCA application process for credit broker authorisation is relatively straightforward for practices working with established dental finance providers and typically takes four to eight weeks. Most established dental finance providers (Chrysalis Finance, Medenta, Tabeo) will guide you through the authorisation process as part of their onboarding. ### What patient finance options are most effective for orthodontic practices? Interest-free credit over 18 to 24 months is consistently the most effective finance option for converting cost-sensitive orthodontic patients. The 0% APR removes the additional cost concern and makes the decision purely about the monthly figure relative to household budget. Short-term interest-free options (6–12 months) work well for lower-cost cases. For patients who need longer terms, low-APR instalment loans through established dental finance providers give access to 36 to 60 month terms. In-practice instalment plans (staged payments during treatment) avoid third-party involvement but do not provide the full upfront payment security that third-party finance does. ### What must be shown when advertising orthodontic finance? Under FCA financial promotion rules, any communication that states a monthly payment figure — including your website, treatment plan documents, and printed materials — must also display the representative APR and the total amount repayable. For example: “£138 per month, 0% APR representative (total £2,484 over 18 months)”. Omitting the APR or total cost when advertising a monthly figure is a breach of FCA financial promotion rules and a common source of enforcement action against dental practices. All finance-related content should be reviewed against the current FCA Consumer Credit sourcebook before publication. ### How much does patient finance increase orthodontic case starts? Practices that introduce patient finance and present it proactively at the consultation — as a natural part of the treatment discussion rather than a fallback when price is declined — typically report case acceptance increases of 15 to 25 percentage points among cost-sensitive patient groups. The effect is larger for higher-value cases and for practices that have not previously offered finance. The conversion uplift needs to be weighed against the lender fee (typically 4–14% of the finance amount depending on the term and interest rate), but for most practices the net revenue effect of increased case starts significantly exceeds the cost of the finance arrangement. ## References - Financial Conduct Authority — Consumer credit: credit broking authorisation for dental practices (https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/consumer-credit) - FCA guidance on when dental and orthodontic practices require credit broker authorisation, covering the regulated activity of introducing patients to finance products, the financial promotion rules that apply to advertising monthly payment figures or interest-free periods, and the enforcement risk of operating without authorisation. - British Dental Association — Patient finance in dental practice: regulatory overview (https://www.bda.org/dentists/work/practice-management) - BDA guidance for dental practices on offering patient payment plans and finance options, including the distinction between in-practice instalment plans and regulated consumer credit, the authorisation requirements under FCA consumer credit regulation, and the practical steps for setting up a compliant finance offering. - Competition and Markets Authority — Consumer credit and healthcare: fair practice guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/competition-and-markets-authority) - CMA guidance on fair presentation of consumer credit in healthcare settings, covering the treating customers fairly principle, the requirement to present total cost alongside monthly payment figures, and the prohibition on practices that obscure the true cost of credit arrangements. - Financial Conduct Authority — Consumer credit: credit broking authorisation for dental practices (https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/consumer-credit) - FCA guidance on when dental and orthodontic practices require credit broker authorisation, covering the regulated activity of introducing patients to finance products, the financial promotion rules that apply to advertising monthly payment figures or interest-free periods, and the enforcement risk of operating without authorisation. - British Dental Association — Patient finance in dental practice: regulatory overview (https://www.bda.org/dentists/work/practice-management) - BDA guidance for dental practices on offering patient payment plans and finance options, including the distinction between in-practice instalment plans and regulated consumer credit, the authorisation requirements under FCA consumer credit regulation, and the practical steps for setting up a compliant finance offering. - Competition and Markets Authority — Consumer credit and healthcare: fair practice guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/competition-and-markets-authority) - CMA guidance on fair presentation of consumer credit in healthcare settings, covering the treating customers fairly principle, the requirement to present total cost alongside monthly payment figures, and the prohibition on practices that obscure the true cost of credit arrangements.