Sentinel Capital Partners announced the closing of the merger of its portfolio company, Altima Dental, with 123Dentist, creating one of the largest DSOs in Canada.
The transaction was financed through equity capital provided by 123Dentist’s existing private equity sponsor, Peloton Capital Management, and new investors KKR, a leading global investment firm, and Heartland Dental, a KKR portfolio company and the leading dental support organization in the U.S. Sentinel will retain a minority equity stake in the combined company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Altima Dental, headquartered in Toronto, was Sentinel’s fifth investment in the dental sector at the time of the closing in 2016. In 2019, Altima merged with Quebec-based Lapointe Group, creating a leading DSO with offices in six provinces across Canada. In July 2022, Altima Dental and 123Dentist announced the plan to merge all three entities to create one of the largest DSOs in Canada with a network of 350 clinics servicing the entire country with a presence in every major metropolitan market.
The merger creates a business with a national footprint across Canada and supports dental practices that provide a wide range of dental care to more than 800,000 patients, with more than 2.5 million patient visits annually.
“We expect this merger to benefit Canadian dentists, dental professionals, and patients alike, and will greatly expand support services for an already thriving dentist community that focuses on delivering exceptional care, improved access to high quality dentistry services, and greater opportunities for career advancement and mentorship for our team members,” said Dr. Amin Shivji, CEO of 123Dentist.
“As a dentist-led organization for nearly 30 years, we have focused on bringing to patient care a dentist perspective as we built Altima Dental. Because 123Dentist has a similar focus, this combination will enable our supported dentists to continue to deliver an exceptional patient experience to Canadians,” said Dr. George Christodoulou and Dr. Sven Grail, co-Founders and co-CEOs of Altima Dental. “Now, as part of the 123Dentist family, we are incredibly well-positioned to further develop our capabilities as one of the leading dental support organizations in Canada.”
“We are grateful for the strong partnership we have had with the founders and management teams at Altima Dental and Lapointe Group,” said Paul Murphy, Partner at Sentinel Capital Partners. “As an ongoing investor in the merger, we are looking forward to supporting Dr. Amin Shivji and the combined 123Dentist team as they continue to build a leading dentist-centric organization.”
Sentinel has established a strong long-term record of investing in the dental sector dating back to its first platform investment in 2003. Besides Altima Dental, Sentinel’s other dental investments include MB2 Dental, a dental partnership organization with a unique doctor-centric ownership model; Castle Dental and Metro Dentalcare, each a leading regional dental service provider; Northeast Dental Management, a leading dental service provider in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic; and ReachOut Healthcare America, a leader in mobile dentistry.
About Sentinel Capital Partners
Sentinel specializes in buying and building midmarket businesses in the United States and Canada in partnership with management. Sentinel targets aerospace and defense, business services, consumer, distribution, food and restaurants, franchising, healthcare, and industrial businesses.
Sentinel invests in management buyouts, recapitalizations, corporate divestitures, going-private transactions, and structured equity investments of established businesses with EBITDA of up to $80 million. Sentinel also invests in special situations, including balance sheet restructurings, operational turnarounds, and minority junior capital solutions.
For more information, please visit: sentinelpartners.com.
About Altima Dental
Altima Dental is one of Canada’s longest-standing premier dental support organizations, founded and led by dentists, Dr. George Christodoulou and Dr. Sven Grail, who recognize the aspiration of providing exceptional healthcare and achieving personal and professional advancement.
Altima Dental focuses on supporting superior patient care, best clinical practices, and true partnership with dentists.
Altima Dental was named 2021 Best Workplaces in Health Care.
For more information, please visit: altimadentalpartners.com.
About Lapointe Group
Founded in 1987 by Larry and Yves Lapointe, Lapointe Group has been serving professionals and patients for 35 years.
The Lapointe Group joined Altima Dental in 2019 and operates the Lapointe Dental Centres, a 100% Quebec banner of the Lapointe Group, with over 35 dental practices that provide the infrastructure for the practice of dental health professionals, offering a wide range of integrated services that enable dentists and denturists to optimize their practice and direct their full focus on patient care.
The Lapointe Group also operates a high-tech integrated dental lab, Summum Dental Laboratory, including over 80 dental technicians, and expertise in all types of dental prosthetics.
For more information, please visit: centreslapointe.com.
About 123Dentist
123Dentist is a leading dental support organization in Canada. It has grown from a single practice in Vancouver, owned by CEO Dr. Amin Shivji and two partners, to more than 250 supported practices and 3,500 team members.
123Dentist was founded on two key principles: putting patients above all else; and that supported dentists and staff are the most important factors in keeping patients happy. 123Dentist’s vision is to be the dental support community all Canadian dentists and dental professionals want to belong to. 123Dentist offers alternative partnership models to meet the needs of each individual dentist, including the opportunity to retain ownership of the clinic.
This unique model enables supported dentists to focus on providing optimal care to patients, while an experienced team provides a wide range of support services.
For more information, please visit: 123dentist.com.
