The Northern Ireland Dental Market in Review

Image of Belfast City Hall by K. Mitch Hodge for Unsplash

This September, we launched our annual Dental Market Review 2025 report, which provides an in-depth overview of the UK dental market over the last 18 months. Here are some of the report’s key takeaways.

OWNERSHIP & COMPOSITION

There are 12,223 dental practices across the UK, 340 of which are in Northern Ireland. When analysing these by ownership:

• 248 are owned by independent or dual-site operators (1-2 sites)
• 44 are owned by mid-sized and small groups (3-29 sites)
• 48 are owned by corporates and large groups (> 30 sites)

Over the last 18 months, the dental practice buyer landscape has undergone a notable shift. Independent operators and emerging dental groups have seized the opportunity created by softened corporate demand. With a focus on clinical continuity, long-term sustainability, and strong local reputations, these buyers have successfully secured high-quality assets in what remains a competitive environment. For many vendors, this new breed of buyer has proved highly attractive - offering not just competitive pricing, but a cultural and clinical fit that aligns with legacy-focused exit plans.

This cautious tone is giving way to a more balanced and dynamic market environment. The pool of active buyers is broader, more sophisticated, and better capitalised. With the return of corporates alongside resilient independent buyers, we expect heightened activity and stronger competition for quality assets in the latter half of 2025.

DEMAND & SUPPLY

In H1 2025, we saw the overall number of offers from corporate/large groups halve compared with 2024, making up just 6% of deals, while independents accounted for 77% of offers.

Across all buyer types, there is a sector-wide movement away from purely NHS dentistry and towards mixed and private practices.

Between H1 2023 and H1 2025, corporate buyers increasingly targeted private dental practices, reflecting a strategic shift toward higher-margin, consumer-driven models amid NHS funding challenges. Small and medium-sized groups also leaned more toward private and mixed (private) acquisitions. While independent and first-time buyers initially preferred NHS practices, they began pivoting toward private models by 2025, driven by improved funding access and perceived stability.

In 2024, 68% of accepted offers met or exceeded their asking prices, with 49% surpassing them, suggesting strong competition. Notably, 48% of offers not accepted were also at or above the asking price, which was likely due to multiple bids. Additionally, 74% of completed deals in 2024 involved independent operators, underscoring their active role in the evolving market landscape.

The average time between offer accepted and exchange decreased, shifting from 255 days to 201 in 2024.

SENTIMENT IN THE SECTOR

In June 2025, we reached out to over 38,000 dental professionals from across the UK to get their views on a range of topics.

Key findings include:

• Overall, more feel positive or neutral about the sector than feel negative, where 73% of Hygienist/Therapists feel that is the case (reflecting the highest proportion), while 54% of others in the sector reflect the lowest proportion
• 48% to 77% feel demand for NHS dentistry has increased, compared with 50% to 65% in 2024, suggesting that overall patient demand for NHS dentistry continues to increase year-on-year
• 40% of respondents feel that demand has increased for high-end elective treatments. In 2024, 40% of respondents also felt the same. This would suggest that there is potentially an ongoing and continued easing in patients choosing to defer such treatments
• It was felt that the greatest area of growth is likely to come through general dentistry (28% to 30%), with specialist services (24% to 26%) just marginally behind
• The majority (86%) of respondents feel that digital dentistry is at the forefront of future growth. Some 90% of those respondents in the private operational segment feel this is the case, 86% of those in the mixed segment, and 63% of those in the NHS-focused segment
• Almost half of the respondents (49%) feel that they are most likely to invest in new technology and equipment in the coming 12 to 24 months. 29% of respondents say that recruiting additional staff is their next most likely investment
• Overall, the largest potential influencers in decision making are operational costs (29%), cash flow (24%) and recruitment and retention (24%). Whilst in the main and across the mixed and private operational segments, those influencers are broadly in line, there is a clear differential from those who work or are involved in the NHS-led segment, where the largest influencer at 34% is felt likely to be recruitment and retention.

To find out more about the NI market, contact Cathy Murphy: cathy.murphy@christie.com / +44 7756 875 133