Croatian Dental Medicine Among the Leaders in the EU – Adria Dental Group Plans Expansion in the Region

The demand for Croatian dental medicine in foreign markets, as well as domestically, is continuously growing, which is why the dental sector is recording continuous growth and positive business results. A huge opportunity in this regard for Croatia is dental tourism, as patients coming to Croatia for dental services often wish to explore the country’s tourist offerings. Among foreigners seeking top-notch service, Croatia has positioned itself highly due to more affordable prices. On the other hand, Croatians rank low in awareness of oral health according to all research, making education about the impact of healthy teeth on overall individual health extremely important.

The growth and significance of the dental industry in Croatia were the topics of today’s briefing held at the Dentum Polyclinic, a member of the Adria Dental Group, which sees an equal number of domestic and foreign patients, most often Italians, Belgians, and Germans of Croatian descent. The founder of ADG is the domestic private equity fund Provectus Capital Partners, and in just over three and a half years since its establishment, it has become the largest dental group in Croatia and Southern and Southeastern Europe, with over 700 employees, an annual revenue of 60 million euros, the largest dental laboratory in the region, and plans for further growth in the broader region, both organic and through acquisitions. Additionally, ADG has initiated the consolidation of the domestic dental sector, in which 60 million euros have been invested so far.

Like many other industries, dental medicine is rapidly digitalizing, changing the way the entire sector is organized and operates, noted Gordan Muškić, CEO of ADG.

– Modern dental medicine is based on digital technologies that significantly increase productivity and service quality on one hand, but on the other hand require huge investments in technology and people, which can only be supported by financially strong companies. At ADG, we have invested in the best clinics, technologies, and equipment, and we can proudly say that we have service quality that is at the highest level, and we can measure ourselves against the most developed markets in the world. We see much room for growth, both in the domestic market and in the markets of the broader region. We are pleased to have shown that Croatian dental medicine, which is of very high quality in the EU, can also make a business breakthrough and position itself as a strong and innovative regional leader – added Muškić.

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Poliklinika Dentum, Adria Dental Group

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Specialized in Complex Procedures

ADG encompasses 13 dental clinics at 16 locations, nine dental laboratories, and more than 150 modernly equipped dental offices, and has a direct presence in the markets of Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy. Through their offices, over 55,000 patients pass through annually, and over 240,000 different dental procedures are performed each year. ADG consists of Arena Dental, Salona Dental, Rident, Dentum, Fiziodent, Dentex, Dragaš Dental Design, Primadent, Dental Center dr. Kovačič, Implant Center Frankić, Kalmar Implant Dentistry, and Implant Centre Martinko. In April of this year, ADG opened a dental laboratory in Kastav, which has an annual production of over 12,000 crowns.

The clinics perform procedures of varying complexity, but are specialized in the most complex procedures, noted Andrija Petar Bošnjak, Chief Medical Officer of ADG.

– The surgical technology applied here exceeds the capacities of similar groups worldwide. Our digital protocols significantly shorten the time patients spend in the office, and reduce the number of necessary visits by 50 percent. Due to the high quality of service, we are recognized as a center of excellence in this part of Europe, and our offices and the new dental laboratory in Kastav have the status of reference centers for testing the latest materials and technologies from the most eminent manufacturers in dental medicine – explained Bošnjak.

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Poliklinika Dentum, Adria Dental Group

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Corporate Structure in Dental Medicine

All members of the group have retained their own brands, but are now stronger in business than they were when they joined the group. ADG is, in fact, the only dental service organization (DSO) in Croatia and the broader region, which provides corporate umbrella services to the clinics in its group, while the clinics focus solely on the quality of service they provide to patients. This model is now predominant in the dental sector in developed markets.

– Our great strength is that patients can receive the same quality of service, as well as the best materials and technology at all our locations, in Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy. By introducing the DSO model, we have brought a corporate structure to dental medicine in the region. Such an organization brings numerous advantages, primarily to our employees and patients, as our clinics are equally focused on a high-quality working environment for employees and top-notch service for patients, both domestic and those coming from European countries – emphasized Ivana Murati Petrović, Director of Operational Business at ADG.

At ADG, they strive to be good employers, so in addition to material conditions that are above the market average, they also invest in educating people through training, scholarship programs for dental medicine students, and the internal ADG Academy, where they plan to educate dental professionals outside their group.

– Investing in the education of domestic professionals can unlock Croatia’s potential as one of the important exporters of dental services in the EU – concluded Bošnjak.

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Andrija Petar Bošnjak, Ivana Murati Petrović, Gordan Muškić

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