A Conversation with Ryan Corby of Smile Advantage and Kelly Schwartz of Schwartz Consulting Group
In today’s dental market, practices are facing more pressure than ever from insurance limitations, declining reimbursements, rising overhead, and patients who are often confused about what their dental benefits actually cover. At the same time, dental practices are working hard to retain patients, improve case acceptance, and create a stronger, more predictable business model.
That is exactly why Schwartz Consulting Group has teamed up with Smile Advantage.
In a recent interview, Kelly Schwartz, CEO of Schwartz Consulting Group, sat down with Ryan Corby, CEO of Smile Advantage, to discuss the importance of in-office membership plans and why they have become such a valuable tool for dental practices and their patients.
For Kelly, the concept of membership dentistry is not new. After coaching more than 850 practices throughout the United States and Canada over the last 30 years, he has seen firsthand how powerful a well-designed membership plan can be. Years ago, Kelly worked with a dental practice in Michigan whose patients were heavily tied to the automotive industry. When many of those patients lost dental benefits, Kelly and the doctor created an in-house membership plan to help patients continue receiving care at a reasonable cost.
What they quickly discovered was that the membership plan did much more than replace lost insurance benefits. It improved patient retention, helped patients stay committed to their preventive care, and increased case acceptance by giving patients a clear, simple way to move forward with treatment.
That same opportunity exists today.
Membership Plans Create Clarity for Patients
One of the greatest challenges patients face is confusion around dental insurance. Many patients believe their insurance gives them full access to care, when in reality dental insurance often limits what will be covered, when treatment can be completed, and how much benefit is available.
During the interview, Ryan Corby explained that one of the biggest advantages of a membership plan is the simplicity it creates. Instead of dealing with denials, limitations, approvals, narratives, deductibles, and administrative delays, the patient and the practice have a clear path forward.
Membership plans remove the middleman.
They allow the practice to communicate directly with the patient about what is needed, what is included, and what the patient can expect. That clarity lowers the barrier to care and helps patients make decisions based on their health instead of only asking, “What will my insurance cover?”
Kelly reinforced this point by sharing how Schwartz Consulting Group trains dental teams to reframe the conversation when a patient says they no longer have dental insurance. Rather than treating it as a loss, the team can explain that the patient now has an opportunity to choose a plan that gives them access to care without the restrictions of insurance.
The message becomes simple: you are no longer limited by what an insurance company allows. You can continue seeing the dentist you trust, receive preventive care, and have access to savings on needed treatment.
Membership Plans Improve Retention
Patient retention is one of the most important benefits of a dental membership plan.
When a patient enrolls in an annual membership plan, they are making a commitment to the practice. In most cases, that plan includes preventive services such as cleanings, exams, and necessary x-rays. By including those visits in the membership, the practice increases the likelihood that the patient will return consistently for care.
As Kelly pointed out, when a patient is already committed to two hygiene visits each year, the practice has a much stronger opportunity to maintain that relationship, identify needed treatment earlier, and keep the patient connected to the office.
Retention is not just about keeping a name in the database. It is about keeping patients active, scheduled, and engaged in their oral health.
Ryan added that annual plans are often stronger than monthly plans because they create a greater sense of loyalty and commitment. While Smile Advantage can support both annual and monthly payment structures, Ryan and Kelly both discussed the value of presenting the plan as an annual membership. If monthly payments are offered, they should be positioned as a convenience, not as a month-to-month subscription that patients can casually start and stop.
The stronger the commitment, the stronger the relationship.
Membership Plans Support Better Case Acceptance
Another major benefit of membership dentistry is improved case acceptance.
When patients are not relying on insurance to determine what they should or should not do, the conversation changes. Instead of asking only what is covered, patients are able to understand what is clinically recommended and what is in their best interest.
A membership plan can also include a savings benefit on treatment, which gives patients an incentive to move forward without the practice being forced into the restrictions or reimbursement reductions of insurance participation.
Ryan explained that even when a practice offers a discount through its membership plan, the doctor may still retain more income compared to reduced insurance reimbursements. At the same time, the patient receives a clear benefit and feels like they are getting value.
That creates a better situation for both sides.
The practice can provide care without unnecessary insurance interference, and the patient has a more affordable and understandable path to treatment.
The Membership Plan Should Feel Valuable
A strong membership plan should not feel like a generic discount program. It should feel like a true patient benefit.
During the interview, Kelly and Ryan discussed the importance of adding value beyond the basic preventive services. The foundation of a plan may include cleanings, exams, and x-rays, but the perceived value can be enhanced with thoughtful extras.
Those extras may include things like complimentary oral cancer screenings, whitening benefits, cosmetic consultations, VIP parking, or other small but meaningful perks that make the patient feel appreciated.
Kelly shared an example of an office that reserved a front parking spot for membership patients. The team would even place the patient’s name on the sign before the appointment. While simple, it created a VIP experience and sparked conversations with other patients.
That is the point.
The membership plan should not only be financially useful. It should also help patients feel more connected to the practice.
Ryan explained that Smile Advantage helps practices think through these details. The goal is to create a plan that is easy to understand, properly priced, and attractive to patients. It should be clear, simple, and valuable without becoming overly complicated.
Smile Advantage Helps Practices Build and Manage Their Plan
One of the reasons Schwartz Consulting Group values the relationship with Smile Advantage is because Smile Advantage does more than provide membership software.
Ryan described Smile Advantage as a robust financial tool for dental practices. The platform supports membership plans, payment processing, online payments, text-to-pay, payment plans, and workflows that are designed around how dental practices actually operate.
Smile Advantage was built by people who understand dentistry. Ryan’s partners are practicing dentists, which gives the company a practical understanding of what works inside a dental office. Their goal is not to force every office into the same structure, but to help each practice create a membership plan that fits its goals, fee structure, patient base, and brand.
One of the key differences Ryan highlighted is customization. Smile Advantage allows the practice to brand the plan as its own. Instead of asking patients to sign up for a third-party plan, the office can create its own VIP plan, family plan, concierge plan, or another name that reflects the practice.
That matters.
If the purpose of a membership plan is to strengthen the relationship between the patient and the practice, the plan should feel like it belongs to the practice.
A Flat-Fee Model That Protects Practice Revenue
Ryan also discussed another important differentiator: the Smile Advantage fee structure.
Many membership software companies charge practices per patient or take a percentage of membership revenue. Smile Advantage uses a fixed-fee model instead. This allows the practice to grow its membership plan without giving away more revenue as the plan becomes more successful.
That aligns with the philosophy of Schwartz Consulting Group.
If a practice builds a strong membership program, that revenue should benefit the practice. The goal is to help the practice create a profitable, sustainable system that supports patient care and business growth.
Marketing and Team Training Matter
A membership plan will not grow just because it exists. The team has to know how to talk about it.
Ryan explained that the most successful offices are the ones where the entire team understands the membership plan and brings it into conversation. It should not be the responsibility of only one treatment coordinator or one front desk team member.
The doctor, hygienists, assistants, scheduling team, and financial coordinators should all know how to introduce the plan naturally.
Smile Advantage provides training resources, live Zoom training, scripts, marketing templates, brochures, postcards, email templates, and other tools to help offices promote the plan. The materials can be customized to the practice’s branding, which makes the membership feel more personal and professional.
Kelly emphasized that these “touch items” are important. Brochures, postcards, signage, reception room screens, and treatment room materials all help patients see and understand the value of the plan.
The more visible the plan is, the easier it is for the team to discuss it.
Membership Plans Can Also Open Doors in the Community
Membership plans can also be used as a marketing tool outside the practice.
Kelly shared examples of offices introducing membership plans to small businesses that may not offer dental benefits to employees. A practice could approach a small business owner and offer a simple dental membership option for their team. The employer may pay part of the annual fee, the employee may pay the rest, and the dental practice gains new patients who are already connected to a plan.
This can work especially well with small businesses, salons, hairstylists, local teams, and other community-based groups.
It is a creative way to reach patients who may not have dental insurance but still want access to quality dental care.
A Better Path for Patients and Practices
At the close of the interview, Kelly compared dental membership plans to loyalty programs used by companies like Marriott, National Car Rental, and American Airlines. People stay loyal when they feel they are receiving value, service, recognition, and convenience.
Dental patients are no different.
A well-designed membership plan gives patients a reason to stay connected to the practice. It creates loyalty, improves retention, supports case acceptance, and gives the practice a stronger way to serve patients without being fully dependent on insurance.
For dental practices, this is not just another software tool. It is a strategy.
It is a way to protect the patient relationship, strengthen the business, and create a clearer path to care.
Schwartz Consulting Group’s relationship with Smile Advantage allows practices to receive the best of both worlds: practical coaching, communication systems, and team training from Schwartz Consulting Group, along with the technology, marketing support, and membership platform from Smile Advantage.
Together, the goal is simple: help dental practices build stronger systems, create more loyal patients, and support long-term growth.
Every dental practice should be seriously evaluating whether an in-office membership plan belongs in its business model. For many practices, the answer is yes.
Membership plans are not just about discounts. They are about access, loyalty, retention, patient communication, and practice growth.
And when done correctly, they can become one of the most valuable tools in the practice.
