Market Report: Buying a Dental Practice in 2026

The dental practice sales market has changed over the last 2 years. From the post-covid recovery and interest rate changes to corporate dental groups re-entering the market.

There are more buyers than sellers right now, prices and interest rates are rising, making this a very busy ‘sellers’ market.

From what we’ve seen, the best practices can go with just a few weeks, putting buyers under a lot of pressure. This is causing some dentists to overpay, skip or rush essential steps like due diligence or simply buying the first practice they find.

This report shares what we have seen first-hand over the last 2 years from the dental practice buyers Samera have worked directly with. We interviewed Uros Turcic, our commercial finance broker and Arun Mehra, Samera’s founder and CEO to discuss what they have seen, what they advise and how they think the market will develop in the near future.

What the market looks like for buyers right now

The dental practice market has recovered well over the last two years. After a difficult period following COVID, buyer interest has returned and prices have risen steadily, even compared with last year.

The challenge for buyers is supply. Fewer owners are putting their practices up for sale, so there are fewer options to choose from. This isn’t just a Samera trend – the banks we work with report fewer dental practice sales across the market, with lending activity shifting towards other sectors.

The result is a market where demand outstrips supply. More buyers are chasing fewer practices, which pushes prices up and gives sellers the upper hand. Buyers who wait until they find the right practice before getting organised often find someone better prepared has already had their offer accepted.

It also raises the risk of overpaying. When several buyers compete for one practice, it’s easy to bid above what the practice is really worth, which can cause problems later when the bank values it. We cover how to avoid this later in the report.

“Prices have gone up slightly since two years ago, even compared to last year. There’s more interest than there used to be. I think it’s recovering from a very bad period, so it’s on an uptrend. There are more buyers and far fewer sellers. But that makes sense – when something’s not in stock, there are more people waiting to buy it. When I’m talking to the banks, all of them are saying there are fewer dental practice sales in general and other sectors are more predominant right now.”

Uros Turcic
Commercial Finance Broker

Who you’re competing with

Most people buying a dental practice today are doing it for the first time. In our experience, around 90% of buyers are first-time buyers, usually associates looking to take the step into ownership. Existing owners and small groups make up the remaining 10%.

Corporate buyers are starting to return after several quieter years, but they’re not yet the main competition. For now, the market is still driven by individual dentists buying their first practice.

What has changed is the speed. A few years ago, a practice might sit on the market for two, three or even six months before an offer was accepted. Today, some practices reach an agreed sale within one or two weeks. That doesn’t mean the purchase completes that quickly, but it does mean the window to make an offer is much shorter.

With fewer practices available, buyers often find themselves bidding against several others for the same practice. Instead of having a range of options to compare, they’re competing hard for one. This drives prices up and puts pressure on buyers to move quickly, sometimes before they’ve done enough research.

For buyers, the lesson is simple: be ready before the right practice comes along. That means having your finances organised, knowing your budget and having advisors in place, so you can act quickly without cutting corners.

“Most are first-time buyers. Very rarely existing owners or small groups. I’d say 90% first-time buyers and the rest 10%. Corporates are coming back into the field, but they’re still not the main buyers. It’s still individuals or associates buying.

Back in the day, a practice could be on the market for two, three, even six months. Now some go within one or two weeks, which used to be very rare. Instead of three bidders and 10 practices to look at, it’s one practice and 10 bidders fighting over it. Then the price goes up like crazy.”

Uros Turcic
Commercial Finance Broker

What buyers are looking for

Mixed practices remain the most popular choice for buyers. In our experience, around 70-80% of buyers are looking for a mixed practice, and around 80% overall want either private or mixed. Only around 20% are interested in fully NHS practices.

The appeal of a mixed practice is balance. The NHS contract provides a stable, predictable income, while the private side offers room to grow. For many first-time buyers, that combination feels like the safest route into ownership.

Interest in fully private practices is also growing, particularly among younger dentists who see more potential in private work and are less drawn to the NHS. Buyers looking for mixed practices are often open to private ones too, so the line between the two is not always fixed.

Location matters, but there is no single region that stands out. One clear trend is buyers based in London looking just outside the city. Prices in surrounding areas are lower, and many buyers are happy to commute in each day while keeping their home in London.

Beyond structure and location, buyers are increasingly thinking about how a practice fits their own skills. A buyer with a specialist interest may look for a practice where they can replace the outgoing dentist and expand the services on offer. There is no single “best” practice to buy, only the right one for your plans.

“On the buyer side, people are looking more into private practices because they see more potential. I think the new generations all dislike NHS. But what I still see is people looking for mixed, with the stable income of an NHS contract but more potential to grow the private side. I’d say 70-80% are still looking for mixed, very few for fully NHS, and the rest private. So I’d say roughly 80% private and mixed, 20% fully NHS.

I’ve seen a lot of people based around London looking outside London, in the surrounding areas that are easily accessible, so they can keep where they live and just drive there every day. London prices are higher than the surrounding areas. That’s mostly the reason.”

Uros Turcic
Commercial Finance Broker

How long it takes to buy a practice

Buying a dental practice takes longer than most first-time buyers expect. In our experience, private practice purchases usually take 6 to 9 months to complete, and occasionally as little as 5 months. NHS and mixed practices take longer, typically 9 to 12 months.

The difference comes down to the NHS contract. Transferring a contract adds extra legal work, more parties to deal with and more steps that can’t be rushed. Any delay in one part of the process can hold up the whole purchase.

It’s worth remembering that an agreed sale is only the start. Even when an offer is accepted within a week or two, there’s still due diligence, financing, legal work and contract transfers to get through before completion.

For buyers, this has two practical implications. First, plan your timeline realistically, especially if you’re leaving an associate role or relocating. Second, use the time well. The months between agreeing a sale and completing are when due diligence happens, and that’s where most problems are found, or missed.

“It depends on whether it’s mixed, NHS or private. Mixed and NHS, we’re looking at 9 to 12 months on average because of the NHS contracts, more legal work and things like that. Private is sometimes 5 months, but usually we’re looking at 6 to 9 months.”

Uros Turcic
Commercial Finance Broker

Funding your purchase

Almost every dental practice purchase is funded through finance. Buying outright is rare, and with prices where they are today, finding a practice cheap enough to buy with cash alone is close to impossible.

Lending has played a big part in keeping the market active. As prices have risen, buyers have needed larger deposits, but some banks are now offering up to 100% loan-to-value (LTV). That means less money needed upfront, which has encouraged more associates to take the step into ownership.

Lenders also take different views on different types of practice. Some prefer NHS or mixed practices, others prefer private. In practice, each case is assessed on its own merits, and this hasn’t changed much over the last two years. Choosing the right lender for your practice type can make a real difference to the terms you get.

Easier access to finance has a downside, though. Borrowing more means higher repayments, and if interest rates rise, buyers who have stretched themselves too far could feel the pressure. The safest approach is to borrow what the practice can comfortably support, not the maximum a lender will offer.

It’s also important to understand that the bank will value the practice independently. If you agree a price above that valuation, the lender won’t cover the difference. We explain why this is one of the main reasons deals fall through in the next section.

“It’s mostly through finance. It’s very rare that somebody buys it outright, except if you find something for a very small price, which is pretty much impossible nowadays. I think lending has increased the number of deals. Prices have gone up so buyers need a higher deposit, but some banks are offering 100% LTV. People have more appetite to actually purchase because there’s less input from their side.”

Uros Turcic
Commercial Finance Broker

“For some people that rise will be fine, but for others who might be over-leveraged, that’s the problem. It’s a fine line between doing well and not so well.”

Arun Mehra
Samera CEO

Why deals fall through

Getting an offer accepted is only half the battle. In our experience, a significant number of purchases run into problems between agreeing a sale and completing. Most of these problems are avoidable.

The most common cause is overvaluation. In a competitive market, buyers often bid with their heart rather than their head, pushing the price above what the practice is really worth. The problem comes when the bank sends its own valuer. If the valuation comes in lower than the agreed price, the lender will only finance up to that lower figure. The buyer then has to cover the gap themselves, and in most cases they can’t. The deal collapses.

The second cause is weak due diligence. Buyers who don’t look closely at the accounts and patient lists can find late in the process that the practice isn’t what they were told. Patient numbers can be overinflated, and figures that looked strong at first glance may not hold up. When buyers finally see the full picture, many decide to walk away, having already spent time and money on the purchase.

Contract issues can also derail a deal. One example is an outstanding director’s loan. Normally, the seller pays this off on completion, but occasionally a seller will try to argue it was included in the price and that the buyer should cover it. These situations are rare, but when they happen they can be costly.

All three risks can be reduced with the right support. Independent advice on valuation, thorough due diligence and careful review of contracts protect you before you commit.

“At the end of the day, it’s overvaluations. So it’s bidding out of emotion instead of reason. And then when it actually goes to a valuer through the bank, the value is lower than the agreed price was. And then they have to fund it out of their pocket, which in most cases they can’t, and the deal falls through. Second thing is when they’re not doing their full due diligence, because that’s looking at the accounts more deeply, checking the patient lists and everything, because sometimes they’re overinflated. So when they actually see the full picture of the practice, they say, actually, this is not what was presented to me and they want to pull out.

Say there’s a director’s loan of £600,000 outstanding. Usually the seller has to pay that off on completion, or whatever the arrangement is. But sometimes they say no, actually, that was part of the price and you have to pay for it. That’s a very rare situation, but it does happen sometimes.”

Uros Turcic
Commercial Finance Broker

The biggest mistakes first-time buyers make

Buying your first practice is a big emotional step, and that’s where many buyers are going wrong. The most common mistake we see right now is overspending. Buyers fall for a practice and stretch beyond their budget, making decisions based on how they feel rather than what the numbers say.

The second mistake is going all in on the first practice that comes along. Many first-time buyers are so keen to get started that they don’t compare options. Looking at several practices gives you a much better sense of what’s good value, what to look out for and what really suits your plans.

Today’s market makes both mistakes more likely. With so many buyers competing for so few practices, there’s real pressure to act fast and outbid others. Buyers can feel that if they don’t commit now, they’ll miss out altogether. That sense of urgency is exactly when mistakes happen.

The third mistake is trusting the seller’s information without checking it. Sellers naturally present their practice in the best light, and buyers who accept everything at face value risk nasty surprises later. Your own due diligence, backed by independent advisors, is the only way to know what you’re really buying.

The good news is that all of these mistakes can be avoided. Set a clear budget before you start looking, compare several practices and stick to the numbers, even when competition heats up.

“Buying too much. So going out of their price range, essentially, they’re buying on emotion rather than sense. And they want to go full in on the first practice they find instead of doing the research and kissing a couple of frogs before they find their prince.

Yeah, they’re desperate. Instead of three bidders and 10 practices they can look over, it’s one practice and 10 bidders fighting over it. And then the price goes up like crazy. And they’re not doing their due diligence and own research about the practice, blindly following whatever the seller tells them.”

Uros Turcic
Commercial Finance Broker

Understanding the seller

Knowing why a practice is being sold helps you judge what you’re buying. In our experience, most owners sell because they’re retiring. A smaller number sell because they’re moving abroad or their family circumstances have changed.

That’s reassuring for buyers. Burnout and NHS contract pressure are rarely the main reasons owners sell. A practice coming to market is usually a sign of a natural career change, not a business in trouble. Even issues like NHS clawbacks tend to be manageable rather than a reason to walk away.

Buyers should also understand how sellers prepare. Practices are usually valued on their profits, specifically EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation). Sellers who plan ahead will work to grow their EBITDA over several years before selling, by cutting costs, adding new services and improving margins. Because buyers and lenders look at historic accounts, this needs to happen over three years or more to show up properly.

For buyers, this means looking beyond the headline profit figure. Ask how profits were achieved and whether they’ll last after the sale. Have costs been cut in ways that can’t continue? Are new services well established or only recently introduced? Good due diligence will answer these questions.

Some sellers also want to stay on after the sale, sometimes for five or 10 years until they retire. This can help with handover and patient loyalty, but it doesn’t always make sense. Whether it works depends on your plans for the practice and the role the seller wants to play.

“Usually it’s retirement. I think most of these sales are retirement, or in some rare occasions it’s because they’re either moving to a different country or their family situations have changed. Burnout is not really a normal thing. NHS contract pressure, not really, because if they were able to do it beforehand, I don’t see any reason why that would change in the future as well. And even if you got a clawback, usually it all sorts itself out. It’s not that big of a deal.

It’s not something they can do over a year. It’s something they have to do three years plus. The historic accounts show up, but it’s essentially trying to get more margin, more profit out of the business so the EBITDA grows.

Staying on after sale is quite common, but it’s a case by case situation, because sometimes it doesn’t make sense to keep the seller. They want to sometimes stay for five years, 10 years until they want to retire.”

Uros Turcic
Commercial Finance Broker

Corporates and what they mean for you

Corporate buyers are slowly returning to the market, but they play a very different game from individual buyers. Understanding how they operate helps explain market cycles and can even reveal opportunities.

After COVID, there was a big push from corporates and private equity into dentistry. Credit was cheap, confidence was high and investors saw dentistry as the next big growth sector, something that tends to happen every few years. Since then, borrowing has become more expensive and many of those investments haven’t performed as expected. Corporate activity is picking up again, but it’s still well below where it was.

Corporates are mainly buying profit, or EBITDA. The reason is simple: larger groups attract higher valuation multiples. A business making £1 million EBITDA might be valued at around 8 times its earnings, while a larger group might achieve around 12 times. By bundling practices together, corporates aim to build a bigger business they can sell on at a higher value.

This is why corporate deals often include earn-outs. Rather than paying the full price upfront, a corporate might pay around 70% on completion and the remaining 30% over the next few years, as long as the practice maintains its turnover or profits. The seller usually stays on to keep the practice running. Earn-outs are rare when an individual buys, because the new owner takes over running the practice themselves.

The corporate model doesn’t always work. Running a dental practice is demanding, with heavy regulation, rising staff costs and little room to cut corners. Even losing one associate can hit profits hard. When groups overreach, they can be forced to sell practices on, sometimes at well below their previous value. It isn’t happening as much right now, but it could happen again, and prepared buyers will be best placed to benefit.

“There was a big drive post-COVID and everyone was excited and people were buying, and credit was cheap. Now it’s more expensive and things haven’t worked out as well. Private equity thought dentistry was the next big thing, which they always do every few years, and then money flowed in. But the reality is that running a clinic is not easy, and a small change in interest rates can have quite a big impact.

What they’re buying is the EBITDA. When you value something with a million pounds EBITDA, you might get a multiple of eight times. But if you’re valuing something with a bigger EBITDA, the valuation multiples are always higher. It might be 12 times. They bundle it all together and hopefully it all goes the right way. But invariably it doesn’t.

Say a practice is worth a million quid. They’ll give you 70% now, £700k, and the remaining £300k over the next three years or something, subject to you maintaining the turnover or the profitability at a certain level. It’s very common on corporate deals, but on individual purchases it’s not so common, because the person who’s buying as an individual will basically take over the running of the practice and do the dentistry.

I think people think dental practices are easy to run. They’re one of the hardest businesses to run, personally. There’s so much regulation and you can’t cut corners. It’s a puzzle, essentially, and it’s a house of cards. One card goes and everything else falls with it. Even if one associate leaves, they can make such an impact on the profitability of the practice, and trying to replace them nowadays is not that straightforward.”

Arun Mehra
Samera CEO

What’s next for dental practice buyers

Nobody can predict the market with certainty, but there are a few trends buyers should keep an eye on over the next 12 to 24 months.

The biggest is interest rates. Arun expects rates to rise, perhaps not dramatically but by at least 0.25%. Interest rates are the main tool used to control inflation, so any rise will affect the wider economy as well as dental practice finance. For most buyers, a small increase will be manageable. For those who have borrowed heavily, it could put real strain on their finances.

Higher rates could also affect valuations. If borrowing becomes more expensive, buyers may not be able to pay the prices seen recently, which could bring values down. That could tip the balance back towards buyers, after a period where sellers have had the upper hand.

On the other hand, supply may stay tight. When the market is uncertain, owners tend to hold on rather than sell. That could mean even fewer practices coming to market, keeping competition high for the ones that do.

The practical takeaway is to plan for either scenario. Make sure your finances can handle higher repayments, avoid borrowing to your limit and be ready to act when the right practice appears.

“There was a big drive post-COVID and everyone was excited and people were buying, and credit was cheap. Now it’s more expensive and things haven’t worked out as well. Private equity thought dentistry was the next big thing, which they always do every few years, and then money flowed in. But the reality is that running a clinic is not easy, and a small change in interest rates can have quite a big impact.

What they’re buying is the EBITDA. When you value something with a million pounds EBITDA, you might get a multiple of eight times. But if you’re valuing something with a bigger EBITDA, the valuation multiples are always higher. It might be 12 times. They bundle it all together and hopefully it all goes the right way. But invariably it doesn’t.

Say a practice is worth a million quid. They’ll give you 70% now, £700k, and the remaining £300k over the next three years or something, subject to you maintaining the turnover or the profitability at a certain level. It’s very common on corporate deals, but on individual purchases it’s not so common, because the person who’s buying as an individual will basically take over the running of the practice and do the dentistry.

“I think interest rates are going to rise, personally. Maybe not huge, but they’ll rise, 0.25 at least, and there’s talk of it. I think that’ll have an impact on the wider economy, because that’s the only mechanism they have to control inflation. That interest rate rise for some people will be fine, but for others who might be over-leveraged, that’s the problem. It’s a fine line between doing well and not so well. And therefore if interest rates rise, valuations might be impacted negatively. But who knows?”

Arun Mehra
Samera CEO

Our advice for buyers

“Get independent advice. That would be my number one rule. Get proper independent advice. You can do things on your own, certainly, but don’t trust anyone. Get independent advice.”

Arun Mehra
Samera CEO

“Start saving money. Cash is king. Make reasonable choices, not emotional ones. Kiss a few frogs on the way to finding your prince, so don’t choose the first one that comes through. And get in touch with professionals to help guide you along.”

Uros Turcic
Commercial Finance Broker

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