Dental M&A poised to accelerate amid ongoing fragmentation

Dental industry M&A is set to accelerate throughout the remainder of 2026 and beyond, as consolidation continues and international buyers look to expand their presence across Europe.

According to Heligan Group's Consolidation in the European Dental Market report, the European dental market - covering clinics, laboratories and distribution - remains highly fragmented, creating significant scope for consolidation to increase as financing conditions improve.

So far in 2026, Heligan Group reports, deal activity has remained resilient, albeit more selective, with investors focused on scalable, digitally-enabled platforms. For those conducting acquisitions, operational integration and margin expansion have become bigger priorities than purely growing through M&A, a trend that is particularly notable in dental laboratories and distribution.

Ramesh Jassal, partner, healthcare at Heligan Group, said that the firm expects further M&A activity across clinics, laboratories and distribution throughout 2026 and beyond, “as regional players continue to consolidate their local markets, and international players seek to broaden their reach across Europe through acquisitions.”

According to the report, 62 per cent of UK dental practices in the traditional clinic market continue to be owner managed. Despite several years of steady consolidation, corporate entities and larger groups account for only around 18 per cent of clinics, while smaller and mid-sized groups make up about 20 per cent.

Heligan Group says that the UK market is underpenetrated in specialist areas, such as dental implants - a niche that the report describes as "ripe for domination" and presenting a clear opportunity for growth via M&A, strategic partnerships and organic expansion.

The broader picture is similar across Europe, with Ramesh Jassal stating: "The European dental market is fragmented with acquisitive strategies centring on scaling regional players, and international buyers increasingly targeting high-quality operators capable of integrating assets and expanding cross-border."

Jassal added: "Investors are focusing on scalable, digitally enabled platforms and prioritising businesses that can deliver operational integration and margin expansion, rather than purely acquisition-led growth."

According to Jassal, this is exemplified by the emergence of dental laboratories and distribution businesses as areas of growing investor interest, with these niches differentiated by digital workflows and technology adoption.

He continued: "The European dental laboratory market also remains highly fragmented, with smaller regional players acquiring local companies in their geographies while larger international operators continue to target emerging regional leaders across Europe. International buyers are increasingly targeting high-quality operators, capable of integrating assets and expanding cross-border.”

Looking forward, Jassal said that improving financing conditions will result in higher levels of consolidation, as more capital is invested into platforms, particularly those that are able to drive sustainable, long-term value through scale, technology and strong integration capabilities.

Find out more about the booming UK M&A market for community care settings such as dental practices, GP surgeries, pharmacies and care homes

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