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Miren PatelDental capital & innovation
Miren Patel, smiling, in black scrubs
Miren Patel, smiling, in black scrubs
Miren PatelDental capital & innovation analyst

I break down the deals reshaping dentistry.

Dental capital and innovation analyst covering private equity, venture capital, M&A and dental technology.

Let’s talkSee my work

Open to conversations with investors, founders and dental groups

Dentistry is changing in who owns it, how it’s paid for and what it runs on. I explain what that means, plainly.

I look at where capital goes in dentistry, why investors back what they back, and what it means for practices, clinicians and patients. Not every deal or new tool is good news, and I’ll say when it isn’t.

Three questions I keep asking

  1. 01

    Where is capital moving?

    Which investors, sectors, technologies and operating models are attracting funding.

  2. 02

    Where is value being created?

    Which businesses improve productivity, clinical outcomes, access or profitability.

  3. 03

    Where is the next opportunity?

    Which inefficiencies, technologies or overlooked segments could become investable companies.

A big market that’s still mostly independent.

UK dentistry market, 2023/24
£12.16 billion
69% of it from private dentistry
LaingBuisson
of US dentists affiliated with a DSO
16 per cent
2024
American Dental Association
UK dental practices, 2025
12,223
About 65% independently run
Christie & Co
people affected by oral diseases
3.7 billion
Worldwide
World Health Organization

Where the money comes from, and where it goes

Sources of capitalWhere it goesPrivate equityVenture capitalLenders and debtDental groups and DSOsDental technologyPractice operationsLabs, insurance, financingDentistry
Sources of capitalWhere it goesPrivateequityVenturecapitalLendersand debtDental groupsand DSOsDentaltechnologyPracticeoperationsLabs, insuranceand financingDentistry

What’s behind it

  • Ownership is consolidating

    Groups, private equity platforms and DSOs are changing how practices are financed and run.

  • Venture money is following the workflow

    AI diagnostics, admin automation, financing and manufacturing are all raising capital.

  • Practices are under margin pressure

    Rising wages, supply costs and staffing gaps make tools that save time worth paying for.

  • Capital brings hard questions

    When ownership changes, pricing, treatment mix and clinical autonomy can change with it.

What I cover

Five areas, from the deal to the dental chair.

01

Private equity, M&A and consolidation

Where are investors finding sustainable returns in dental service businesses?

  • Practice valuations
  • Buy-and-build
  • DSO growth
  • Debt and recapitalisation
02

Venture capital and startups

Which dental innovations can become significant, scalable companies?

  • Early-stage funding
  • Clinical validation
  • Go-to-market
03

Dental technology

Which technologies are clinically useful, commercially viable and worth investing in?

  • Clinical AI
  • Digital imaging
  • 3D printing
04

Practice economics

How do dental businesses create value, improve profitability and grow sustainably?

  • Margins
  • Profit per chair
  • Technology ROI
05

Beyond the clinic

Where are the overlooked opportunities that support dentistry without delivering treatment?

  • Laboratories
  • Insurance tech
  • Patient financing

Watching most closely: dental software infrastructure, the economics of dental groups and technology-enabled clinical networks.

How I read the news

Pick a headline to see what I’d look at.

My read

Why investors backed it, how the business makes money, and what it has to prove next.

Insights

Five series I’m working on.

01

Inside the Deal

The reasoning behind important dental acquisitions, funding rounds and investment strategies.

In preparation

02

The Dental Investment Thesis

Why a particular dental business model or technology category attracts capital.

In preparation

03

Beyond the Clinic

Opportunities in the infrastructure around dental care, from laboratories to patient financing.

In preparation

04

The Economics of Innovation

Whether new technology produces real financial and clinical value.

In preparation

05

The Future of Dental Ownership

How private equity, DSOs, partnerships and independent ownership are evolving.

In preparation

Let’s talk

Investing in dentistry, building a dental company or running a practice? Get in touch. I reply myself.

I talk to

  • Private equity and dental groups
  • Venture capital and angels
  • Founders
  • Practice owners
  • Advisers and lenders
Contact me