Spilling the Teath with Jayne Sproson: From NHS Fatigue to Flourishing Practice
This week on Spilling the Teath, we were joined by the incredible Jayne Sproson – a name many of you will already know. Jayne’s reputation in UK dentistry is well-earned. With over 30 years of experience, from opening and selling her own practice to helping others navigate the difficult waters of NHS-to-private transition, she’s become one of the most trusted voices in the field.
We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, but one thing was clear throughout: this is a time of both crisis and opportunity in dentistry – and your future success depends on how strategically you respond.
Jayne’s journey into consultancy came from seeing too many practices struggling, sometimes blindly. After a particularly eye-opening discovery day with a mixed practice, she realised just how many dentists were surviving rather than thriving. And so, she built a method – now widely known as “The Jayne Sproson Method” - designed to help practice owners not just get out of the NHS trap, but move confidently into a sustainable, fulfilling private model.
“They’re not clinging to the NHS - the NHS is clinging to them.”
What makes Jayne’s approach unique is that she sees the journey in two parts: the conversion, and the business transformation that must follow. Too often, dentists focus on just getting out of the NHS – but what comes next is where the real work (and real reward) lies.
One of the key takeaways from our chat was the impact of fear-based pricing. Jayne sees this often: dentists afraid to charge their worth, scared patients won’t stay, and in turn undervaluing the very work they went private to deliver. It’s a trap that stems from years of NHS conditioning – fast appointments, high volume, and undervalued care. Her solution? Reset the mindset, revisit the numbers, and build confidence from a position of clarity.
“The NHS has worn away your self-belief. You’ve got to undo that.”
This theme of clarity came up again and again. Whether it’s the branding of your practice, the training of your front-of-house, or the patient journey itself, clarity is what builds trust. Jayne is passionate about helping practices understand what they truly stand for.
“You’ve got to be known for something. If not, you become a commodity - and then it’s just about price.”
Instead, she pushes practices to find their why – to identify what truly makes them different. And it’s not always what you think. Sometimes it’s not about having the most beautiful clinic or the fanciest equipment, but about creating a place where patients feel safe, heard, and cared for.
We also talked about the emotional side of the transition. Dentists and their teams often carry a lot of baggage from years in the NHS system – habits that are hard to break. Jayne recalled newly private clinicians still operating in “NHS mode,” rushing appointments, delaying treatments unnecessarily, and struggling to embrace the time and space they now have.
“They don’t know what to do with the time... and then six months later, they’re saying, I could really do with an hour!”
Changing these habits takes work – and patience. But just like learning to prescribe again, it’s part of the transformation that unlocks real growth.
She also stressed how important it is to bring your team on that journey. Too often, practice owners worry their team won’t “buy in” to a private model, but Jayne finds the opposite: once the team understands the why, they’re often the ones pushing hardest for change. It all comes down to communication, clarity, and a shared vision.
From a marketing perspective, Jayne sees too many practices jumping onto the latest platforms or trends - TikTok, AI, bots – without first getting the basics right. Her advice is simple but powerful: understand who your audience is, what they value, and where they spend their time. Then meet them there, with consistency and authenticity. Don’t be afraid to experiment, she says – but build a foundation first.
“YouTube is a search engine. LinkedIn isn’t noisy for dentists. There’s opportunity – you just have to go where your people are.”
Towards the end of our conversation, I asked Jayne about the trends she’s most excited about. Her answer? Not what you might expect. While AI is making waves, Jayne believes the real frontier is longevity medicine – seeing the dental practice as a hub for whole-body health. It’s a space of trust, prevention, and personalisation, and some practices are already making that future a reality.
“If I could set up again, I’d put dentistry at the centre of health and wellness.”
But even with all this future-gazing, her advice for dentists in 2025 remains grounded: be strategic. Find someone who can guide you, someone with the experience and independence to give honest feedback. Create a vision. Build a plan. And then execute it.
“Talking doesn’t cook rice. You’ve got to do the work.”
Whether you’re feeling burnt out from the NHS, curious about going private, or just looking to build a better business, this episode is packed with insight, honesty, and a whole lot of encouragement. Jayne’s message is clear: you don’t have to do it alone – but you do have to start.
Catch the Episode
Watch or listen to this episode of Spilling the Teath with Jayne Sproson here. And if you’re ready to stop surviving and start thriving, maybe it’s time to have a conversation.
