For practice buyers
It is easy to fall for the building and take the seller's numbers at face value. We put you in front of a second opinion on the financial side of the deal, a specialist dental accountant from our partner network: EBITDA normalisation, NHS contract review, associate agreement risk, the goodwill and fixtures split, and the tax structure you buy through.
The questions and concerns that come up most often in a first conversation.
Sellers normalise their accounts before listing. Sometimes the normalisation is reasonable; sometimes it is generous. A specialist from our partner network unwinds the adjustments and rebuilds the realistic post-acquisition P&L from the perspective of you as the new owner.
EBITDA multiples in UK dental in 2025/26 range roughly 0.6x for NHS-heavy single-handed practices in low-demand regions to 1.4x+ for private-focused multi-surgery in prime locations. Corporate buyers benchmark differently again. A specialist from our partner network gives you a defensible position.
NHS contract novation depends on the commissioner. Some contracts are clean novations; others require new contract negotiation that can change UDA value. The firm that picks up your enquiry reads the contract documentation and the recent commissioner correspondence before you complete.
Specialist dental lenders typically offer 70-90% loan-to-value on practice goodwill+assets, with 10-15 year terms. Some require a deposit you can fund personally. Others stretch on associate income. A specialist from our partner network models the cash flow against the loan repayment to confirm the deal services itself.
Most UK dental sales settle as asset sales. The buyer takes goodwill plus specific assets; the seller's company is left behind. Share sales transfer the company as-is, including any hidden liabilities. A specialist from our partner network models both and tells you which the seller will accept.
Depends on whether you are buying as an individual via asset sale (often yes, then incorporate later or simultaneously), via a newly-formed limited company (typical and straightforward), or by share sale (acquire the seller's existing company). A specialist from our partner network models each route.
A specialist from our partner network reviews the seller's last 3 years of accounts, latest management accounts, payroll, associate agreements and NHS contract documentation, then produces a normalised EBITDA and a recommended offer range with reasoning.
The GDS/PDS/ODS contract, the most recent UDA reconciliation, and any variation letters all get read. If the contract is moving in a way that changes value (reform proposals, commissioner reorganisation, performance band review), it gets flagged before you commit.
Buying personally vs via a new Ltd vs via a partnership / LLP, asset sale vs share sale, SDLT planning on the premises if freehold, VAT recovery on capital expenditure. A specialist from our partner network models the tax cost of each route alongside the financial DD.
Projected P&L for the first three years under your ownership, loan repayment schedule, working capital requirement, downside scenarios (NHS contract reform, associate departure). Built so the lender's offer and your personal expectations both stand up.
After completion the firm you appoint sets up the bookkeeping system, payroll scheme, NHS Pension arrangements, and capital allowance claims including the Section 198 fixtures election, then runs management accounts monthly so you see how the practice is actually performing vs the projection.
Speak to a dentist-only specialist
30-minute scoping call about the practice you are looking at, with a specialist from our partner network. They will tell you what they would dig into in DD and whether the asking price looks defensible.
Want to read first?
Pillar guide
Three-year accounts review, EBITDA normalisation, associate agreement risk, NHS contract review.
Pillar guide
Methodology, regional multiples, BADR + Section 162 implications.
Pillar guide
Buy-side and sell-side valuation work, ongoing through-deal support.