A&U Dental acquired Citident Dental Practice in Milton Keynes, marking its expansion into Buckinghamshire and bringing its portfolio of surgeries to seven. Santander UK has provided A&U Dental with a £2.5m funding package to support the acquisition.
A&U Dental was first established by siblings Ambareen Tejani-Sharif and Aly S. Tejani in 2016, and Santander UK has provided financial support for six of the family group’s seven dental practices, as well as its day-to-day banking operations.
Santander UK has been the business’s banking partner since inception, providing funding support in 2016 for the acquisition of its first practice, The Avenue Dental Surgery in Leigh, Greater Manchester, and additional funding later that year which enabled it to acquire the her second practice. , Bredbury Dental Center in Stockport.
In 2020, Santander UK provided it with another funding package to support the acquisition of its third practice, Lovely Lane Dental Center in Warrington, Cheshire, followed last year by funding for the Beach Road Dental Practice acquisitions in Northwich, Cheshire and Merseyside Dental Center in Liverpool.
A&U Dental self-funded the acquisition of its sixth practice, Prestbury Road Dental Practice in Macclesfield, Cheshire last November.
As part of its acquisition strategy, A&U Dental aims to build a portfolio of 20 dental practices over the next five years, and in doing so expand into new locations across England.
It is currently looking to make acquisitions in London and the South of England. It also intends to grow organically by adding new services such as facial aesthetics, oral surgery, orthodontics and premium-time dentistry to its existing practices. Its practices offer both NHS and private dental services.
The group’s current annual turnover is £7.1m and is targeting turnover of £11.5m in one year and £30m by March 2028. In line with expected growth, it plans to increase its staff from 114 currently to 500 in the next five years.
Aly S. Tejani, Acquisitions and Operations Director, A&U Dental said: “Our family has been working with Santander UK since 2016 with the purchase of our first practice, Avenue Dental Centre.
“Over the past year, with funding and support from Santander UK, we have more than doubled the size of our team to seven dental practices. During this phase of growth, we look forward to working with Santander UK as our banking partner to build of our business to a truly pan-Hellenic team.”
Ambareen Tejani-Sharif, Dental Director, A&U Dental said: “It has been a pleasure working with the team at Santander UK over the past seven years. I am proud of what he has helped us achieve in the North West, enabling us to provide a high level of service to all our patients. I look forward to our growth in this new territory.”
Jill Yates, Relationship Director at Santander UK, said: “We are delighted to provide funding for the latest acquisition of A&U Dental, which expands its portfolio of dental procedures to seven.
“Having been A&U Dental’s banking partner since it was first established in 2016, we are delighted to support its growth every step of the way and look forward to providing personalized, dedicated support to the industry over the coming years, helping it achieve its ambition to operate a nationwide portfolio of dental clinics”.
