Fast-growing Scottish dental business gets multi-million-pound growth injection

Scottish Dental Care Group has secured a fresh multi-million-pound injection to support its continued growth ambitions.

Growth capital investor BGF is making its second significant investment in less than 18 months to support the company’s acquisition plans which will expand its presence in key conurbations. Glasgow-based Scottish Dental Care Group has grown strongly since BGF’s initial investment in February 2022, and now operates a portfolio of clinics across the Central Belt, Dumfries and Galloway and Grampian, with revenue growing by almost a third in the past 12 months. It recently acquired two Glasgow-based businesses, the Barrhead and Gorbals dental practices, expanding the group’s portfolio to 19 clinics.

Lynn Hood, recently appointed chief executive at Scottish Dental Care, which was founded in 2016 by brothers Philip and Christopher Friel, said: “We welcome this additional investment from BGF which will support the momentum we currently have in implementing our ambitious plans. In addition to supporting acquisitions, this will support Scottish Dental Care’s ongoing investment in technology and innovations, making sure that patients get the very best service possible at every practice. We will continue to develop the fantastic culture at Scottish Dental Care as we look to grow the team and our footprint even further.”

Appointing Hood as chief executive has enabled the group’s director of dentistry, Philip Friel, to focus on strategic clinical matters and expanding the company's dental services, while co-founding brother Christopher is leading acquisitions and group legal services in his role as mergers and acquisitions director.

Chris Nixon, an investor at BGF, formerly Business Growth Fund, said: “In the past 12 months, the team has worked tirelessly to ensure the group moves forward on all fronts, including additional acquisitions, adding scanning technology, and more recently with the joining of its first CEO. We are excited by the future of Scottish Dental Care and believe it can become the standard bearer for high quality dental care across Scotland in the coming years.”

BGF was set up in 2011 and has invested in excess of £3.5 billion in more than 500 companies, ranking it as the most active growth capital investor in the UK.