In 1991 Graphite identified the opportunity to invest in the rapidly growing private dentistry market through the acquisition of Denplan. Dental payment plans were a relatively new concept which made private dentistry more affordable within the UK market place.

Denplan operated an independent scheme for providing dental care under which dentists agreed to maintain the teeth of their patients in return for a set monthly fee. The company had early mover advantage and had already built up a good and growing position in the UK market by signing up a large number of dentists offering payment plans to their customers.

With the NHS reviewing the way dentists were paid, many of them were looking for an alternative way to secure payment and provide a quality service to their patients. Denplan’s offered an innovative payment scheme, benefiting both dentists and patients. Denplan was founded by a dentist, who led a strong management team with substantial experience in dealing with dental practices.