The dental practice sales market is buoyant in Scotland, with transaction levels rising and more entrepreneurial dentists keen to create their own groups.
This is according to the findings from a forum led by the National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers (NADSAL).
Taking place last Friday (5 September) in Glasgow, delegates heard that for the first time in a number of years, many new graduates are now leaving dental school with the ambition to own practices once again. This renewed appetite for ownership – across both NHS and private sectors – marks ‘a significant cultural shift’, NASDAL says.
Chair of NASDAL Scotland, Roy Hogg, said: ‘The forum was a great opportunity for so many interested parties to come together and share knowledge for the benefit of all.
‘We organised the forum under Chatham House rules to ensure attendees felt comfortable participating and I have to say that it was a great success. What emerged was a picture of cautious optimism.
‘While recruitment challenges, compliance pressures, and rural access remain real issues, the mood in the room was clear: Scotland seems to be better placed than any other UK nation to face the future with confidence.’
What did the forum predict?
- A lively Scottish election in 2026, with manifesto pledges around free dentistry
- Retention of the independent contractor model
- A strong practice sales market, with more churn, mixed practices and growth of dentist-led groups
- Corporates returning selectively, while entrepreneurial independents seize more control
- A continued focus on work-life balance, with earlier retirements and part-time working seen as permanent shifts.
Dental recruitment pressures
A consistent theme was the need to better prepare young dentists for ownership. While clinical training is strong, many leave dental school with little or no understanding of running a business.
‘The deans don’t see it as their responsibility,’ one attendee noted. ‘But if we don’t bridge that gap, we’re setting young dentists up to struggle.’
Recruitment pressures were also discussed, with dental technicians particularly impacted due to NHS lab work often losing out to private sector demand. Suggestions to overcome the challenge included Scottish Government-backed national labs to maintain quality and affordability across the NHS system.
The wider workforce is also shifting in patterns of work, the forum found. Associates were seen as less willing to commit to five-day weeks, preferring three or four days to support better work-life balance. With a growing female workforce – many of whom will not return full-time after starting families – the trend is expected to continue.
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