Dental market confidence remains strong

Dental Elite Goodwill Report 2026 released

The UK dental market continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience, with average sale prices reaching their highest level in the ten-year history of the Dental Elite Goodwill Report. The dental market is constantly moving in cycles, with an array of factors influencing average prices, profitability, turnover, and valuation multiples.

Over the last ten years, many have described the dental mergers and acquisitions market as a bubble that will pop. This, they say, would mean there is an urgency to sell now or that buyers are paying too much, with values inevitably falling. However, when we analyse the market over the last ten years, this simply isn’t accurate. It’s active and has been steadily increasing over time, with various aspects moving in regular cycles. For example, NHS practice values are increasing to a multiple of 7.68, reflecting a renewed vigour in the acquisition of this practice type – something we saw roughly five years ago.

The Goodwill Report 2026 provides in-depth insights into purchase and sales data for the UK from the 2025-26 fiscal year. The following explores some of the key findings.

Growth sustained

The latest report confirms a continued upward trajectory for practice values across the nation. Over the past five years, average turnover has risen by over 20.48%, and EBITDA values (Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortisation) have increased by more than 37.59%.

The average completed transaction price for all practices in fiscal year-end 2026 was £1,383,637. This was the highest average sale price recorded in the ten years that the report has been generated, representing a 7.5% rise on last year.

Whilst the market has been lightly dampened over the last two to three years, it is coming back round again – driven by stronger businesses, not just higher multiples. For deals agreed and due to complete in this fiscal year-end 2027, the average value is currently £1,375,921. This is predicted to increase to £1,450,000 by the next financial year.

A spotlight on the groups

Group buyers continue to drive strong pricing across the dental market. The average price for fiscal year-end 2026 was £2,500,709 – a considerable rise on last year of 5.96%.

Despite minor fluctuations, the multiple has risen steadily to 7.15x compared to 6.7x five years ago. The 2027 multiple projections currently sit at 7.37x. This supports a stable market with positive momentum – good news for vendors looking to maximise practice value.

The Goodwill Report 2026 shows group activity by tier. For tier 1 buyers (the 5 groups with the largest number of practices in their portfolio), multiples increased last year across all practice compositions. This reflects the bigger groups return to the market having spent the last couple of years doing some portfolio management. Furthermore, tier 2 buyers (20+ practices) have become more competitive, driving multiples up from 7.67x to 7.78x and influencing the overall upward trend in the market. Contrastingly multiples fell slightly when isolated to acquisitions by Tier 3 and Tier 4 buyers albeit I think some of this is where they have offered competitively but have lost opportunities to the bigger two tiers.

Independent confidence

But groups are not the only buyers making their mark on the UK dental market, with independent buyers accounting for 69% of all transactions. The average price paid by at year-end 2026 was £886,562 – that’s a substantial 11.39% increase on the previous year. The average multiple also rose from 3.31x to 3.44x.

Several factors are driving this growth, including increased competition among independent buyers, and greater purchasing power among first- and second-time buyers thanks to stable interest rates, favourable terms, and positive loan-to-value (LTV) conditions. Practice performance is contributing too – average turnover and principal earnings have sustained upward trajectories for several years, boosting profitability.

Average prices paid for mixed practices remain highest with an average price achieved of £1,042,399, with private practices closely following at £914,093, and NHS practices bringing up the rear at £613,846. There is also some variation by region, with London and the South East continuing to command the highest multiples.

Unpacking the data

To unpack the data further, and to better understand where you stand in your practice sale or purchase journey, contact Dental Elite to download the full Goodwill Report or to seek bespoke advice. While challenges remain, the data continues to demonstrate a healthy, competitive market for both buyers and sellers. Well-performing practices remain highly sought after and we expect this trend to continue throughout 2027.