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Preventive vs reactive maintenance: what a dental equipment contract should cover
Every practice pays for equipment maintenance. The only real choice is whether you pay for it on a schedule you control, or on the morning a compressor fails and you are ringing round patients. This is what separates the two approaches in practice, and what to check before signing anything.
The comparison that actually matters
Compared on invoices alone, preventive and reactive maintenance can look surprisingly similar over a few years. The difference is not really the repair bill.
| Preventive | Reactive | |
|---|---|---|
| When work happens | Scheduled around your list | Whenever the failure occurs |
| Surgery downtime | Planned, often outside clinical hours | Unplanned, mid-session |
| Patient impact | None | Cancellations at short notice |
| Cost predictability | Fixed monthly | Variable, occasionally large |
| Compliance paperwork | Generated on schedule | Depends on you chasing it |
| Equipment life | Extended | Shortened by running to failure |
For most practices the significant number is the second row. A scheduled visit costs you nothing clinically. A failure at ten past nine on a Tuesday costs you the rest of Tuesday, and those appointments do not reappear.
Worth doing the sum for your own practice. Take your average hourly surgery revenue and multiply by a realistic half-day of downtime. For most practices that single figure is larger than the annual difference between a service-only and a service-and-repair contract — which tends to settle the argument.
ASC or ASRC: which contract type?
Two structures dominate the UK market, and the distinction is worth understanding before you compare prices.
Annual Service Contract (ASC)
Covers scheduled preventive servicing. Repairs are quoted and charged separately as they arise. Lower monthly cost, less predictable overall. Sensible for newer equipment that is unlikely to fail unexpectedly.
Annual Service and Repair Contract (ASRC)
Bundles reactive repair work in with the preventive visits. Higher monthly cost, far more predictable. Usually the better choice once equipment is past the halfway point of its expected life, which is exactly when unplanned failures start.
Published figures for a single surgery start from around £56 + VAT per month for a service-only contract covering a chair, intra-oral X-ray and suction pump, rising to roughly £87 + VAT per month with repair included. Treat those as orientation, not a quote — equipment age, quantity and location all move the number.
Not sure which fits your practice? Tell us what you have and how old it is, and we will tell you honestly which structure makes sense — including when a contract is not worth it. Ask us.
What to check before you sign
Contracts vary far more than the headline monthly figure suggests. These are the clauses that decide what you actually bought.
- Are parts included, or only labour? This is the single biggest variable in price between providers, and the easiest to misread.
- Which consumables are excluded? Filters, seals, hoses and service kits are commonly excluded even from contracts that otherwise include parts.
- Is the response time a target or a guarantee? Most are operational targets. That is not unreasonable — but know which you have been given.
- Is statutory testing in scope? Pressure vessel inspection, X-ray testing and PAT testing are frequently separate line items. Assuming they are included is a common and expensive mistake.
- Is there a warranty on the work itself? Labour on annual service visits is often warranted for a limited period, commonly 90 days.
- What documentation do you receive? If a visit does not produce paperwork you can show an inspector, it has not done half its job.
- What happens at renewal? Check notice periods and whether pricing is fixed for the term.
Which equipment genuinely needs to be on a schedule
Not everything needs a contract. Some things are not optional at all — they are statutory, and no amount of goodwill covers you if the paperwork is missing.
| Equipment | Driver | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Compressor — pressure vessel | PSSR 2000, per Written Scheme of Examination | Statutory |
| Compressor — servicing | Manufacturer schedule, typically annual | Recommended |
| Autoclave — validation | Installation then annually; cycle records kept 2 years | Statutory |
| Autoclave — daily tests | Operator tests each day in use | Statutory |
| X-ray equipment | IRR17 and IRMER17 testing regime | Statutory |
| X-ray — new or modified | Critical examination before clinical use | Statutory |
| Amalgam separator | Mercury regulations; annual service, written proof | Statutory |
| Suction system | Manufacturer schedule, typically annual | Recommended |
| Dental chair | Manufacturer schedule, typically 6–12 months | Recommended |
The pattern is worth noticing: roughly half your equipment carries a legal obligation attached to it, and each one produces documentation somebody has to hold. A contract that covers the recommended items but leaves the statutory ones as separate call-offs is not really simplifying anything.
Why practices consolidate
The pull towards bundling maintenance, consumables and waste logistics into one arrangement is not really about price. It is that tracking six separate schedules across five pieces of equipment, each renewing on a different date with a different supplier, is precisely where compliance gaps appear. One schedule is harder to lose track of than six.
Frequently asked
What should a dental equipment service contract cover?
Scheduled preventive visits, priority response, labour, and a written agreement stating what is in scope. Check parts and consumables separately — they are the usual source of surprises.
What is the difference between an ASC and an ASRC?
An ASC covers preventive servicing only. An ASRC includes reactive repairs as well, for a higher monthly cost and more predictable spend.
How much does dental equipment servicing cost?
Published UK figures start around £56 + VAT per month per surgery for service-only and roughly £87 + VAT with repairs included. Your figure depends on equipment age, quantity and location.
Is preventive maintenance really cheaper?
On invoices alone, not always. Once lost surgery time is counted, it usually is — and it is far more predictable.
Want a straight answer on what your practice needs?
Tell us what equipment you have and roughly how old it is. We will set out what is statutory, what is recommended, and what a sensible contract looks like for you — including where you do not need one.
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