CareCapital Acquires Neoss to Invest in Innovation

CareCapital Advisors Limited (“CareCapital”), an equity investor focused on the dental and oral care industry, today announced an agreement to acquire Neoss Limited (“Neoss”). CareCapital is one of the largest dental investors in the world, having invested more than US$1 billion in the sector, and provides a patient and collaborative environment for dental entrepreneurs and talented executives to realise their customer-centric visions. Neoss is a leading global dental implant company committed to designing intelligently simple solutions that provide reliable and cost-effective patient care with excellent long-term results. The Neoss brand is synonymous with innovation and quality, which has underpinned Neoss’ market leading performance in 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic.

In conjunction with the transaction, Dr. Robert Gottlander has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Neoss. With over forty years of dental industry experience, Gottlander has a proven track record developing and commercializing dental solutions.

Neoss Acquisition

Neoss has developed a range of market-leading dental solutions and “intelligently simple” procedures designed to deliver better patient care and shorter procedure times that enhance practice productivity. With a rich portfolio of intellectual property and long-term clinical data, Neoss’ peer-reviewed and published clinical support validates the efficacy of its solutions.

Dai Feng, Co-Founder and Managing Director of CareCapital, stated, “We are excited to welcome Neoss and Robert into our family. Both are dental trailblazers that, coupled, will elevate the Neoss customer experience and advance the Neoss mission. The company’s well–established brand, history of innovation, clinical validation and solid market position fit well with Robert’s customer-centric principles and passion for innovation.”

Michael J. Dormer, Chairman and CEO of Neoss, stated, “Reflecting on a wonderful journey over the past 20 years in which Neoss has built a formidable position in the dental marketplace, it is with great pride that our management team, staff and partners will be central to the next stage of progression under new ownership.”

Robert Gottlander Appointed Chief Executive Officer

After graduating from the University of Gothenburg School of Dentistry, Gottlander joined Nobel Biocare, where he held several senior executive leadership roles. Throughout his 27-year tenure, he led the team that established clinical and educational concepts for modern dental implantology, co-developed and launched Procera, the world’s first successful CADCAM system, and developed new concepts combining implants and digital dentistry. Gottlander then joined Henry Schein, Inc., where, as Chief Marketing Officer of Global Dental, he led the global initiative as strategic planner for prosthetic and implant solutions, guiding product offerings worldwide and creating commercial sales and marketing strategies. Gottlander went on to serve the dental industry on a consulting basis. Throughout his career, Gottlander has created numerous industry-university partnerships, architecting research projects and educational programs to improve dental implant and digital technology innovation.

After two decades of service, Dormer will retire, in line with his long-standing personal intentions. Dormer will remain with the company in an advisory role to ensure a smooth transition.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Neoss team,” asserted Dr. Gottlander. “Building on its esteemed heritage in Gothenburg, the birthplace of modern dental implants, Neoss shares my aspiration to pioneer dental innovation that improves patient care. I applaud the team at Neoss and Mr. Dormer for his leadership, who, together, have created a prominent global brand. I am looking forward to partnering with CareCapital to expand on that legacy and accelerate the long-term growth of the business through astute customer service and intelligently simple innovation.”

“I am excited to collaborate with CareCapital and Robert to further advance Neoss’ technology,” added Fredrik Engman, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Neoss. “The support and dental knowhow that this transaction brings, will benefit our staff to enable better service for the needs of doctors and patients.”

Centre for Dentistry jobs saved as practices sold

150 staff from dental practice group, Centre For Dentistry Ltd have seen their jobs safeguarded with the sale of 15 practices to individual dentist buyers.

Despite a strong private patient base, the onset of Covid-19 meant the business was no longer viable and Neil Vinnicombe and Simon Haskew of Begbies Traynor’s Bath office were appointed as joint administrators on 3rd June. Their work with the landlord and the associate buyers meant that the practices were transacted within a month with legal support from Osborne Clarke in Bristol. 

Commenting on the news, Neil Vinnicombe, partner at Begbies Traynor in Bath said: “This is a fantastic result that will not only preserve employment for the majority of the workforce but also provide continuity of care to the practices’ significant patient base, which has been built up over the past decade. It will also maximise the outcome for the creditors and provide new tenants for the landlord.

“It is particularly heartening to achieve a sale in the current economic climate when mass redundancies and business closures are being made. Thanks to the collaboration of all parties, these established practices now have the opportunity to thrive under new management.”

Lisa Riley CEO of Centre for Dentistry added: “We would not have been able to complete the sales without the work of the administrators. Their ability to cut through issues we were facing with the landlord and focus on the timetable necessary to protect staff and patients was hugely effective.

“While it is sad to see the Centre for Dentistry journey come to an end, having built a strong private patient base, it is heartening to see our associates become business owners and benefit from the work they have put into building their own practices.”

CODE completes acquisition of Isopharm

CODE has completed the acquisition of Isopharm, which brings together the market-leading compliance platform with the largest provider of online CPD for dental practitioners into a single entity.

Established for over 20 years, Isopharm is the leading provider of online CPD with over 60% of all dental practitioners using their innovative solutions to meet the mandatory requirements for continuous development. The business also provides software and services for validation and testing to a broad range of healthcare providers.

Neil Laycock, COO of the CODE Group, highlighted the significance of the acquisition, saying: “The addition of Isopharm represents the next step in creating the dental industry’s leading solution for practice operations. The breadth and reach of the combined company is unmatched in the industry and creates an exciting platform for innovative services.”

Karen Penfold, Managing Director of CODE, who will head up the new combined business, said: “CODE’s iComply is already the most widely used solution for compliance management for dental practices in the UK. The acquisition of Isopharm will be a major addition to our recently launched solutions for people management in dental practices. The integrated solution will bring major benefits to our clients; from attracting new staff, improving staff engagement and retention, and ensuring skills and process compliance in a single solution”.

Founder of Isopharm Andrew Kemp joins the CODE management team, commenting: “CODE is the perfect platform for the next stage of innovative solutions we had planned at Isopharm, we are delighted to be joining forces”.

August Equity invested in CODE in 2019 and have been instrumental in the acquisition of Isopharm. “August Equity’s market knowledge, broad network in the dental and healthcare sector and prior experience in creating industry leaders has been very important in getting to this stage of CODE’s development, we continue to be excited about building on this start and extending the reach of the Group into more healthcare segments,” said Dr Sati Sian, Chairman of CODE Group.

The UK welcomes its first pan-European dental provider, Colosseum Dental

One year after taking ownership of the UK’s third largest dental group, Zurich-based Colosseum Dental Group unveils a £5 million comprehensive modernisation programme focused on clinical excellence and best practice

“We’re really excited to be part of a pan-European group which is in the vanguard of best practice. We’re looking forward to sharing knowledge and outcomes, enabling us to push dental boundaries and enrich the dental experience for our patients.” – Ravi Rattan, Clinical Director, Colosseum Dental UK Ltd

Southern Dental, one of the nation’s largest chains of dentists, is now known as Colosseum Dental UK Ltd. The name change coincides with the first anniversary of Zurich-based Colosseum Dental’s acquisition of Southern Dental, which made it not only Europe’s fastest growing dental group, but also the only one with a network spanning the continent.

With a patient base in excess of 500,000, the majority of Colosseum’s 80 practices in the UK will undergo an extensive refurbishment programme, introducing a new look and feel to waiting rooms with upgraded treatment areas and clinical facilities as part of a £5 million investment in the company.

Peter Keegans, CEO, explained: “Our new owners have a long-term, 20-year vision which is enabling us to invest in upgrading our clinics to be state-of-the-art practices offering the highest standards.”

Local practices serving their community

Keegans continued: “We want to break with convention from other dental chains. Each of our 80 practices will be known by the local name patients have always referred to it. If, for example, ‘Hollybush Dental’ is how a practice has always been known colloquially, we’ve no intention of simply re-badging it as ‘Colosseum Dental’. In this way, each practice will retain its connection as an integral part of its community.

“Our name change marks a new era: a renewed energy and focus, an opportunity for cultural change and to align ourselves with the values of our European colleagues. Armed with a long-term vision, we can now invest in our practices and staff with confidence, knowing our patients will be the ultimate beneficiaries. Everyone wins.”

European scope for professional development and patient care

Being part of a European group means dentists have the chance to provide best practice based on the ability to observe long-term clinical outcomes in a huge, European-wide patient base. Treatment protocols, guidelines and KPIs are currently being developed across the group to provide highly informed patient care, and present the best possible treatment options to patients.

Ravi Rattan, Clinical Director at Colosseum Dental UK, who joined in 2016, is excited to be part of these changes: “At Colosseum Dental, we’re committed to raising clinical standards and offering more advanced treatment options and procedures to our patients. Our new specialist referral centres in Kettering and Kingston offer private as well as NHS treatments such as orthodontics, implants and facial aesthetics. Patients there will benefit from 3D CBCT scanners to enable better, safer treatment planning. Having new investment means we can continue to set up such centres: Our European colleagues are highly experienced in managing large referral centres, and we are learning from their success.”

The group’s aim is for no differences to exist between treatments available at, say, a practice in Switzlerand, and those available at one in Southern England. Lars Armbäck is Chief Dentist at Colosseum Dental Group. Armed with 30 years’ general practice and a special interest in prosthetics, implants, quality and treatment strategy, his focus is on best practice, dentist development and quality assurance. He’s excited by the addition of the 80 English clinics, noting, “Patients everywhere should be able to benefit from digital technologies that enable them to make informed choices about their care. Hence, as a group, we recently chose to invest in intraoral scanners for all patients, and our size means we can negotiate to help keep diagnostic and treatment prices affordable.”

Committed to professional development

Career choices at various levels are being made more flexible, in line with changing lifestyle requirements such as increased female and part time dentists in post. Samaneh Nezamivand-Chegini, a dentist who practises in Central London, having joined in 2012, now sits on the Clinical Board. She says, “It’s great to see my suggestions have been noted, despite my being relatively newly qualified. Peter [Keegans] and his team have listened and acted, which is in turn inspiring my clinical colleagues. On a personal level, I’m being supported to further my career and income via training in implantology.”