Frequently Asked Questions

SafeSource provides independent verification of where dental supplies are purchased. It is not an audit, an enforcement program, or an evaluation of clinical care, pricing, or treatment decisions.

Verification reflects whether a practice demonstrates a consistent pattern of purchasing from authorized distributors, not whether every individual transaction meets that standard.

Then SafeSource simply verifies and documents what you're already doing.

You gain independent confirmation and a visible signal that helps patients better understand and feel confident about your purchasing practices, without changing your workflow.

Trust is essential, but verification helps make that trust visible to patients.

In a purchasing environment that has grown more complex, SafeSource offers clear documentation that helps patients feel confident about choices they often assume but can't easily see.

SafeSource helps turn quiet diligence into visible reassurance for patients.

No. Participation is voluntary.

Regulators focus primarily on licensing and clinical standards. SafeSource addresses transparency around where dental supplies are purchased, an area that has historically been difficult to monitor.

Dental supply purchasing has become more complex, especially with the growth of online marketplaces and secondary sellers.

Verification helps practices:
• make purchasing sources more visible
• document responsible purchasing
• demonstrate transparency to patients who increasingly expect it

Practices connect a business purchasing account through a secure, read-only connection using Plaid, the same technology trusted by major banks and financial platforms.

SafeSource reviews where supplies are purchased and compares that information against recognized authorized distributor standards. Once purchasing aligns with verification requirements, the practice receives the SafeSource Verified Seal.

No uploads. No forwarding. No paperwork.

SafeSource focuses on where supplies are purchased, not individual products, pricing, or treatments.

Purchasing activity from connected business accounts is reviewed and documented. Verification status reflects whether a practice demonstrates a consistent pattern of purchasing from authorized distributors.

SafeSource sees merchant name, date, and amount. It does not see item line-items, receipts, or what was purchased.

That's completely fine. Verification is based on the practice's purchasing accounts, not individual users.

Yes. Verification is granted per practice location, not per ownership group, brand, or membership. Each location has its own purchasing accounts, its own sourcing pattern, and its own public directory listing, so each is verified independently.

This applies to single-owner practices with multiple offices, DSO-affiliated practices, and group practices operating under a shared brand. Each location enrolls separately and displays its own Verified status.

Verification is renewed through recurring review. Purchasing activity is reviewed on a recurring basis, so verification reflects the most recent review period rather than a one-time snapshot.

There are no renewal forms or reapplications.

Most purchases confirm your verification automatically and never generate a question. A check-in happens only when a purchase matches a seller SafeSource has classified as unverified. You'll receive a short email with two simple ways to resolve it: show the purchase was refunded, or re-affirm your Sourcing Pledge. Check-ins are short, specific, and resolvable from your dashboard.

Verification stays active as long as your practice continues to meet sourcing requirements. If a check-in goes unresolved, or a pattern of purchases from unverified sellers emerges, verification can be paused while it's worked out. A pause is never shown publicly. Your listing simply stops appearing in verified search results until it's resolved. Any review is handled privately and collaboratively with your practice, and you'll always have notice and time to course-correct before anything changes.

SafeSource verification is designed to be stable, deliberate, and transparent. If anything warrants review, SafeSource contacts your practice directly before any status change. You'll be told what was identified and given the opportunity to resolve it. Nothing negative is ever displayed publicly. No action is required unless you hear from SafeSource.

Verified practices receive:

• Inclusion in the SafeSource public directory, making it easy for patients to find and recognize verified practices
• A digital verification badge for websites and email
• A SafeSource countertop display

Each element reflects participation in recurring verification.

You can simply explain:
“We participate in an independent verification program that helps patients understand where our dental supplies are purchased.”

The SafeSource seal is designed to communicate that clearly, so patients don't need a long explanation.

SafeSource is designed to minimize data access and exposure.

Key protections include:
• secure, read-only account connections
• no access to banking credentials or patient information
• role-based access controls
• encryption in transit and at rest using industry-standard methods

Only the information necessary for verification is reviewed.

SafeSource uses Plaid in a limited, read-only way and is intentionally configured to minimize data access.

In normal operation, SafeSource reviews merchant names only from recognized authorized distributors.

Additional merchant names are surfaced only if a purchase does not clearly match an authorized distributor and triggers a check-in.

SafeSource does not access:
• account numbers
• balances
• login credentials
• patient information
• the ability to move or modify funds

Connections can be revoked at any time.

No.

Information is used solely for verification purposes and is not sold, shared, or disclosed outside the program.

SafeSource retains only the minimum data required to support verification.

Practices may request secure data deletion upon leaving the program. Requests are processed promptly and confirmed once complete.

SafeSource charges an annual membership fee, billed at enrollment and renewed each year. Pricing is provided during the application process.

Verification status is determined by sourcing review, not by payment. Fees cover monitoring and administration. They do not influence outcomes.

Verification operates on a 12-month cycle by design. The enrollment lookback covers 120 days of recent purchases. Mid-year and annual attestations anchor to your enrollment date. Pattern-based monitoring runs throughout the membership year. None of this works as a month-to-month product. There's no meaningful 30-day version of a sourcing verification program.

Annual billing also reflects the commitment Verified status represents to the patients and insurers who rely on it.

Legal and financial responsibility stops at the practice that purchased and used the product, not at the reseller it came from. Insurance carriers may decline coverage when sourcing can't be documented, and malpractice claims often hinge on whether the practice can show its supplies were sourced from authorized distributors. SafeSource verification provides an independent record of your sourcing pattern.