Why The Standard 12 Month Warranty is Broken

Most dental practices offer some form of treatment warranty (Often 12 months) as a gesture of goodwill.

It’s the standard. It’s expected.

But here’s the catch: you’re not charging for it, and you’re absorbing the cost when things go wrong.

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Let’s say a patient returns after 10 months with a failed filling or chipped crown.

You fix it, no charge.

But what did that really cost you?

• 30–60+ minutes of chair time you can’t bill for
• A slot that could’ve gone to a paying patient
• Materials, staff time, lab costs
• A dent in your associate’s income (if they’re self-employed)

All in the name of “patient care.”

Here’s the truth:

You’re not offering a 12-month warranty… you’re offering free rework—and paying for it.

What’s worse? Most practices haven’t formalised this policy.

It’s buried in T&Cs or understood culturally. “If something fails within a year, we’ll sort it.” Patients assume they’re covered, your team assumes you’ll honour it... and you quietly carry the cost.

So what’s the alternative?

Leading practices are starting to shift their thinking.

Instead of absorbing rework and chair time losses, they’re offering patients a formal 5-year treatment warranty, clearly communicated, clearly protected, that's rolled into treatment.

The result?

• Peace of mind for the patient with increase treatment acceptance
• Covered chair time for the practice to reduce financial losses
• A formalised system that boosts trust
• No awkward “will you fix it?” conversations
• And in many cases: a new, passive revenue stream

Patient care doesn’t mean you should pay the price when things go wrong.

You can protect that goodwill with a formal system that supports your business, your team, and your time.

If you’re still relying on informal 12-month cover, it might be time to ask:

How much are those ‘free fixes’ really costing you—and is it sustainable?

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👉 Want to see how other practices are handling this?

Drop us a message to check out how SmileSafe is helping practices reduce rework costs and boost trust with 5-year treatment cover. We'll be happy to put you in touch with one of our existing partners.

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