• New ownership to provide DD (formerly branded Dental Directory) with additional capital and operational independence
  • {my}dentist to benefit from proceeds of the sale with further investment across practices and opportunity to acquire new practices that are a strong strategic fit

 

IDH Group is pleased to announce the sale of DD, the UK and Ireland’s largest supplier of specialist dental and medical aesthetics products, to an affiliate of Sun European Partners LLP, a leading investment firm.

Under the new ownership structure, DD will have access to fresh investment to continue expanding and improving support to a growing number of customers across the dental and medical aesthetics markets in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. DD will also have full operational independence from any other dental provider, with IDH, the owner of {my}dentist, no longer having any involvement in the running of the business.

{my}dentist, the UK’s leading provider of dental care, will remain a customer of DD and will also benefit from the proceeds of the sale which will be used to accelerate investment across its network of nearly 600 practices and drive the targeted acquisition of new practices that fit the business’s long-term strategy.

Over the last few years, both DD and {my}dentist have grown to become the leading organisations in their field. DD is now the largest supplier of specialist dental and medical aesthetics products in the UK and Ireland, providing services to more than 18,000 dental practices and specialist beauty salons. Today, DD is the only integrated distribution and demand creation platform for product and services to both dental and medical aesthetics customers. Through a unique ‘one stop shop’, customers have access to 30,000+ dental and medical aesthetics products, prescription medicines, equipment and technology alongside mission critical dental engineering and compliance support services.

Similarly, {my}dentist has consolidated its position as the UK’s largest dental provider, helping a record number of patients get access to affordable private dentistry, and increasing the size of its clinical support team to the largest in the sector.

Tom Riall, Chief Executive of IDH, said: “DD is an outstanding business with a strong track-record, a committed management team, and a clear plan to build on the success of the last few years. As well as being great news for DD, this sale will also provide {my}dentist with fresh investment to accelerate our growth plans, ensuring more patients get access to the affordable care they need, and helping us deliver on our ambition of being the best place to work in UK dentistry. I look forward to continuing to work with DD as our trusted supplier in the future.”

Paul Adams, CEO of DD, said: “We have ambitious plans at DD to consolidate our position as the leading provider of dental and medical aesthetics products and services in the UK and Ireland. This deal will help us to realise those plans, becoming the first choice across both sectors for clinical treatment solutions. Under this new ownership, we will have the financing and operational independence to continue expanding, support a growing number of customers, and pursue new markets across the UK, Ireland and beyond.”

About IDH Group

IDH Group runs {my}dentist, the largest provider of dentistry in the UK which offers treatments to more than four million patients every year through its network of c590 dental practices.

About DD Group

Founded over 50 years ago, DD (formerly branded Dental Directory) is the only company to offer an extensive range of specialist products, equipment and support services across both the dental and medical aesthetics markets in the UK and ROI. DD supplies c12,000 dental practices, c6,000 medical beauty clinics and is rapidly expanding to reach 18,000 specialist beauty salons across the UK and ROI.

About Sun European Partners LLP

Sun European Partners LLP is a leading private investment advisory firm, focused on partnering with outstanding management teams to accelerate value creation. Since 1995, affiliates of Sun European have invested in more than 465 companies worldwide with revenues in excess of €40 billion across a broad range of industries and transaction structures. The Firm has built a reputation as a trusted partner, recognised for its operational experience. Sun European focuses on defensible businesses in growing markets with tangible performance improvement opportunities in the Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrial, and Technology sectors. Sun European Partners has offices in London and affiliates with offices in Boca Raton, Los Angeles, and New York. Further information is available at www.suneuropeanpartners.com.