Dental market insight – August 2026

Max Bazzucchini, associate director, dental, at Christie & Co, analyses the dental market in London and the Southeast.

The dental market across London and the Southeast continues to demonstrate strong levels of activity, with high-quality practices attracting significant buyer interest and a broad range of purchasers actively seeking acquisition opportunities.

From ambitious first-time buyers and growing independent groups to large corporates, private equity-backed platforms and family offices, demand remains deep across the market. At the same time, the quality of dental businesses being brought to market is arguably higher than ever before, creating favourable conditions for well-prepared sellers.

A strong pipeline of high-quality practices

Across London and the Southeast, we continue to see a healthy volume of dental businesses coming to market, with a particular concentration of private and cosmetic-led practices.

Many of these businesses have benefited from significant investment over the past decade as owners have responded to increasing competition, rising patient expectations, and an ongoing focus on clinical excellence. The result is a market populated by well-presented, modern practices that are positioned for future growth.

Alongside premium private opportunities, there remains a steady flow of mixed and NHS practices being appraised and prepared for sale, providing opportunities for a wide range of purchasers. Whether buyers are looking to acquire their first practice or expand an established portfolio, the market continues to offer options across all segments.

What is particularly striking is the calibre of businesses being brought to market. Years of refurbishment, modernisation and investment have created practices that are often in excellent operational condition and capable of supporting further growth.

Buyer appetite continues to grow

Buyer appetite across the region remains strong. Historically, dental corporates have accounted for a significant proportion of merger and acquisition activity within the sector. While some larger groups spent a period focusing on integrating previous acquisitions, many have now returned to the market with renewed enthusiasm for growth through acquisition.

At the same time, independent buyer activity has increased considerably. Lenders continue to view dentistry as a resilient sector with strong underlying fundamentals, supporting acquisition activity among both experienced operators and first-time purchasers.

The most active buyers currently include local multi-site operators looking to strengthen their regional presence, ambitious clinicians acquiring their first or second practice, and established independent groups seeking to scale through acquisition.

At the larger end of the market, private equity-backed platforms and family offices remain active, particularly where opportunities offer strong growth potential, experienced leadership teams, and opportunities for further consolidation.

For sellers, this breadth of buyer demand is particularly encouraging. With more active buyer groups than we have seen for some time, practice owners now have a wider range of exit options available, helping to drive competition for quality assets.

The importance of preparation

One of the biggest positives in the current market is the depth of demand. Well-presented practices continue to generate high levels of interest and can often attract competitive bidding environments.

However, today's buyers are more sophisticated than ever before. While strong EBITDA and profitability remain important, buyers are conducting increasingly detailed due diligence across every aspect of a business. Associate arrangements, compliance processes, property considerations, the sustainability of earnings, and future growth opportunities are all coming under greater scrutiny.

Supported by experienced advisors, buyers are keen to understand every element of a practice before committing to a transaction. Profitability alone is no longer enough to justify a premium valuation.

As a result, successful transactions increasingly depend on realistic expectations and thorough preparation before a practice is launched in the market. In many cases, addressing potential issues early can significantly reduce transaction times once a buyer has been secured, allowing both parties to focus on the opportunity rather than resolving avoidable due diligence challenges.

A new generation of dental entrepreneurs

One of the most interesting trends emerging across the market is the changing profile of practice owners choosing to sell.

Traditionally, many transactions were retirement-driven, with owners having operated their practices for several decades before deciding to exit. Increasingly, however, we are seeing younger vendors bringing businesses to market after much shorter ownership periods.

Many of these owners adopt an entrepreneurial approach, acquiring, growing, and improving practices with a clear value-creation strategy before pursuing an exit. This reflects the increasing commercial sophistication of the dental sector and mirrors trends seen across the wider healthcare and business markets.

The result is a growing number of practices entering the market that have benefited from recent investment, modernisation, and strategic growth initiatives, making them highly attractive acquisition opportunities.

Case study: Demand for premium London practices

A recent transaction illustrates the strength of demand currently being seen for premium dental opportunities in London and the Southeast.

We launched two high-end private dental practices in London to the open market on a Monday morning.

Monday, 10:30 am – Practices launched to market

Monday, 2:00 pm – 128 enquiries received and 14 substantive buyer calls conducted

Monday to Wednesday – 14 qualified viewings arranged with prospective purchasers

Wednesday, 11:28 pm – First formal offers received

The first offer was received just over 60 hours after launch, highlighting the exceptional demand that exists for high-quality dental businesses.

While not every practice will generate this level of activity, it demonstrates what can be achieved when a business is positioned correctly and presented to the right audience. For premium assets in sought-after locations, demand continues to outstrip supply, creating highly competitive acquisition environments.

Looking ahead

The outlook for the dental market in London and the Southeast remains positive.

With independent buyers, multi-site operators, private equity-backed groups, family offices, and larger corporates all actively seeking opportunities, practice owners continue to benefit from a diverse and competitive buyer pool.

For those considering a sale, the combination of strong demand, multiple exit routes and a market that rewards quality and preparation creates a compelling environment in which to transact.