Scottish Dental Care acquires two successful practices

Two long standing dental practices in prime Glasgow locations have become the latest acquisitions by a leading Scottish dentistry group.

Barrhead and Gorbals Dental Practices join Scottish Dental Care after their owner; Fraser MacAulay identified the Glasgow-based family-owned group as the preferred purchaser.

Having single-handedly managed both practices through multiple challenging times in the sector, Glasgow-born Fraser had sought a group that would ensure the longevity of the businesses while continuing to provide high quality care to patients. 

The acquisition takes the group, which is owned by brothers Christopher and Philip Friel to 19 practices as it continues its investment into improving Scotland’s dental sector. A key element of the buyout will see Fraser, 53; continue to support the practices, providing continuity over the coming months.

He said: “As a strong believer in the NHS, I always strived to provide the best quality care possible but also wished to offer more treatment options to patients. I was keen to find an acquirer that would be able to provide both.

My biggest concern was that the purchaser wouldn’t hold my same values or maintain the relationships my practices have with local communities. After some research, I knew that Scottish Dental Care was the perfect fit; it became quite clear to me from the get-go that the team there operate in the same way I do and run their practices in line with my own ethos.

The group’s acquisition will mean more opportunities for patients to join the practices, more services available, further improvements to the facilities, and more opportunities for staff.”

Founded in the 1990s, Fraser began working at Gorbals Dental Practice as an Associate Dentist in August 1998 before taking over the practice just six months later. In 2011, he opened his second practice in Barrhead, with both practices serving thousands of patients in the region.

Glasgow-headquartered Scottish Dental Care has established itself as a major player in Scotland’s dental sector, growing to 19 practices based throughout the country, from Inverness to Dumfries.

Lynn Hood, Chief Executive of Scottish Dental Care, said: “To be approached on the strength of our values is fantastic and reaffirms that what we are doing is working and word is spreading.

Gorbals and Barrhead are first-rate dental practices that have provided their patients with the utmost quality of care. Fraser should be proud of everything he has achieved as owner and we are looking forward to carrying on his legacy.

We already have big plans and have the resources to ensure the highest quality of NHS and private provision to patients for many years to come.”

The exclusively Scottish dental group consists of 80 dentists and employs more than 200 team members, serving around 200,000 patients. Its practices provide a broad mix of treatments with most offering NHS services alongside private care.

Its Advanced Dentistry brand is a subdivision of Scottish Dental Care, with two clinics in Glasgow and Castle House Dental Clinic in Inverness, providing state-of-the-art cosmetic dentistry, teeth straightening, dental implants and facial aesthetics.