All smiles at dental practice following buyout

A SPECIALIST dental clinic in West Yorkshire has been bought out from a corporate healthcare firm by three partners.

U Dentistry in Ilkley was snapped up by practice manager Jill Dean and dental surgeons Martin Harris and Alyn Morgan, who will all continue working at the practice.

Having been with the practice since it was founded, Martin and Jill had sought to purchase it from several previous owners before their offer was agreed, with the support of a six-figure loan from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.

Mr Harris said: “We had been looking to purchase the practice since it was founded in 2005, but after its sale this had looked less and less likely. The major advantage of being small and owner-run is that we can offer a much more personal level of service that is tailored to the needs of our patients, and which helps to build the trust that is vital between a dentist and patient.

“U Dentistry also represented a really good opportunity for us to buy a strong business that also had lots of potential for future expansion, and we’re already looking at developing our orthodontic offering further in the coming year.”

Steve Midgley, specialist healthcare banking relationship manager for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “Dental practices like U Dentistry offer a valuable service to the local community, and it’s encouraging to see that the team’s hard work and perseverance in looking to purchase the practice pay off.

“Jill, Martin and Alyn’s substantial experience, combined with their thorough business plan, made it a compelling proposition and helped us to quickly structure a lending package that suited their exact requirements.”