Dental Disputes

Every business faces the potential for conflict — and dental practices are no exception. In fact, some types of disputes are especially common within the dental sector. Below, we explore a few of the situations that most frequently give rise to disagreement and how they can be managed or avoided.

Disputes Between Business Owners

Whether you operate as a partnership, through a limited company, or simply share costs with another dentist or dental business, disputes between co-owners are not unusual.

When the relationship began, things likely looked positive and you may never have imagined disagreeing about the practice’s direction. However, over time, differing views or a breakdown in trust can lead to significant tension. Sometimes this means simply agreeing to part ways and untangling your shared interests — but in other cases, matters become much more complex.

The best protection against a costly and unpleasant dispute is having clear, well-drafted agreements in place from the outset. These should set out each party’s rights, responsibilities, and what happens if someone wishes to leave or the relationship deteriorates. While a formal agreement won’t necessarily prevent a disagreement, it will set out how any dispute should be resolved — potentially saving everyone involved thousands of pounds in legal fees.

If you are experiencing difficulties with a business partner or co-owner, contact our Healthcare Disputes team for a free initial consultation to see how we can assist.

Disputes Between Associates and Principals

When asked what the most common type of dental dispute is, the answer is clear — associate versus principal.

For practice owners, one of the best ways to prevent such disputes is to have comprehensive written associate agreements and clear internal policies. These should outline what’s expected of each associate and what they can expect in return. It’s also important to ensure that payment schedules are accurate — for example, capitation schemes are sometimes overlooked — and to clarify what happens to patient lists when an associate leaves.

Even with solid contracts in place, disagreements can still arise as circumstances change. Many issues can be resolved through open communication, but in other cases a solicitor’s letter can be an effective way to move things forward.

When resolution isn’t possible, legal action may become unavoidable. Engaging a solicitor experienced in dental disputes at an early stage can make all the difference — increasing your chances of settling the matter outside court or strengthening your position if proceedings do go ahead.

Post-Completion (Post-Sale) Disputes

If you’ve recently bought a practice and things aren’t as expected, you might have grounds to bring a claim against the seller for breach of the sale agreement.

Ideally, your purchase will have been handled by a specialist dental solicitor, meaning you should already have protections in place through warranties and, where appropriate, indemnities. We can review your agreement, explain your options, and take steps to recover any losses you may have suffered.

Of course, disputes work both ways. Sometimes sellers are unfairly accused of breaches that don’t exist — often conveniently timed to offset deferred payments or further consideration due under the sale.

If you sold your practice to a corporate buyer and are now being denied deferred consideration because the buyer has mismanaged the practice, that’s not acceptable — and there may be a strong legal basis to challenge it.

Contact us for a free consultation before matters escalate and while there’s still time to act.

Contract Tendering Disputes

Are you bidding for a new NHS contract?

Errors during the procurement or scoring process are not uncommon — but the deadlines for challenging them are extremely tight.

Typically, the NHS will notify bidders within 10 days of its intention to award the contract to the preferred bidder. Once that award is made, it’s final. While you might still be able to seek damages, you’ll have only 30 days from the date of notification to issue a claim in court — after that, you’ll be time-barred.

Procurement disputes are complex and fast-moving, and recent case law has made them even more challenging. In fact, there have been cases where claimants proved that marking errors cost them millions in lost contracts — yet the courts still ruled the mistakes were not “sufficiently serious” to justify damages.

If you believe there’s been an issue with the procurement process for a Dental or Orthodontic contract, contact us immediately for a free consultation — time is of the essence.

Other Commercial Disputes

Disagreements can also arise with suppliers, service providers, or other third parties involved in running your practice. Our Dispute Resolution team works hand in hand with the wider DR Solicitors Commercial team to handle these matters efficiently and strategically — taking the pressure off you so you can stay focused on patient care.

If you’re dealing with a business dispute, or suspect one may be developing, speak with our team for a free initial consultation to find out how we can help you achieve a successful resolution.