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DentalForum provided food for thought: The Probe

Probe 10th Aug 18 DENTAL ELITE Probe 10th Aug 18 DENTAL ELITE

Now in its 4th year, DentalForum UK 2018 held in Marbella proved to be one of this year’s most captivating events for dental corporates and service owners alike.

One of the Ignite sessions that sparked discussion from all in attendance was Dental Elite’s talk on how dental groups are evolving and what will be the best route to market. Presented by Co-founder Luke Moore and the Director of Recruitment Services, Luke Arnold, the insightful session explored both the current difficulties surrounding recruitment, and how this might impair the growth of dental businesses in the future.

“It is no secret that practices are finding it increasingly more difficult to recruit as a result of Brexit, regional differences and low morale within NHS dentistry,” reflects Luke Moore. “What we’re interested in is how this might have an impact on goodwill values, and in turn a principal’s ability to grow and sell their dental practice. We’ve already seem some interesting changes in regard to buying behaviours and interest in certain aspects of the market – this will need to be monitored moving forward.”

Similar concerns were raised by a number of other delegates over the course of the two-day event, with recruitment and business growth discussed at length by a range of other professionals; including corporate representatives who were out in force. Amongst those in attendance were: Sanjay Shah, CEO of Dental Care Group; Ravi Rattan, Clinical Director of Colosseum Dental; Gary Chapman, Head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Portman Dental; and Nyree Whitley, Group Clinical Director of IDH Group Limited.

“Above all else, this shows that everyone has been affected by the current state of the market,” adds Luke Moore, “not just independents. Indeed, if anything, larger dental groups and corporates are feeling the affect more than smaller groups and individual practices.” This led to a widespread debate about how groups and corporates can make themselves more attractive to dental professionals, which naturally provided food for thought for everyone involved. Overall, it seems delegates took a lot away from the event.

When asked what she thought of the DentalForum, Nyree Whitley said: “I thoroughly enjoyed it as it was an excellent opportunity to build relationships and get a litmus test of where the profession is in the corporate and external sector.”

Luke Moore

Luke co-founded Dental Elite in April 2010. Primarily focused in the Practice Sales division of the business his role has seen him advise on thousands of dental practice transactions from £50k to £25m!