Rural dental practice with over 6,000 registered patients has been acquired for six-figure investment

A rural dental practice with more than 6,000 registered patients has been acquired as part of a six-figure investment supported by Ulster Bank with new management planning to expand its range of treatment options to cater for both private and NHS patients.

Dental surgeon Carla Overend, who has worked in general practice for over 10 years, has taken ownership of the long-established Clogher Valley Dental which has provided dentistry services to communities in the Fermanagh and Tyrone areas for almost three decades.

The business previously operated from two sites in Clogher and Fivemiletown, but has consolidated under one roof to streamline business operations.

Carla said: “By bringing everything under one roof in our Fivemiletown practice we can achieve greater managerial and administrative efficiency which will pay dividends as we work reduce waiting lists and increase accessibility to our services. With scope for a third surgery we’re also well equipped to operate at the same capacity from one site.”

Ulster Bank business development manager Paul Reid, explained: “We’re very pleased to provide the funding facility and industry expertise that has helped secure an essential service for thousands of patients.

“Years of experience as a qualified dentist combined with solid business acumen thanks to her family’s strong entrepreneurial spirit means Carla is in a great position to take the reins of this practice, further build upon its well-established local presence and continue delivering vital dental care for the community.”

At present, the practice currently counts over 6,000 patients in its books, the majority of which Carla says are NHS patients: “While we have plans to expand our range of treatment options for private patients, we are absolutely focused on maintaining – and even growing – our NHS patient list. We’re fully committed to ensuring rural communities continue to have access to affordable dental care.”

Plans to grow the business include the introduction of a range of new clinical treatment options, including cosmetic dentistry and short-term orthodontics, alongside dental plans and flexible payment options.

In addition to the funding facility, Clogher Valley Dental has also implemented Tyl, a merchant acquiring and payments solution developed by the bank to enable customers to take card payments anytime and anywhere.

First introduced in 2020, Tyl helps Northern Ireland-based small and medium-sized businesses move seamlessly to non-cash payments. With Tyl, customers receive a terminal to take payments in-person as well as access to a platform for processing transactions over the phone, through a website or via a payment link.