A dental practice which dates back to 1891 has been acquired by a private firm.
AR Fee Dental Practice, in Stoke-on-Trent, is thought to be the second oldest dental practice in England.
Now it is set for a £1 million investment programme after being taken over fellow North Staffordshire firm Synergy Dental & Implant Centre.
The acquisition follows 10 years of growth for Synergy Dental which specialises in advanced cosmetic and preventative family dental care.
From next month, AR Fee will go under the name of Synergy Dental @ Fountain Square.
Practice director Lesley Morgan Barlow said: “We are delighted to be able to make this announcement, which has been in the planning stage for over a year now. It marks an exciting new phase in the development of the company, which has enjoyed continued growth since we launched in 2009.
“Our driving force has always been to give our patients a confident smile by improving the customer experience, building strong relationships with clients, and working hard to eliminate many of the fears which are often associated with dentistry.
“Moving into an existing and highly respected practice in Stoke-on-Trent’s Mother Town is a perfect fit for us as a company, and we are confident that both new and existing patients will enjoy the many changes that the Synergy brand will bring.”
Resident surgeon Alistair Fee will remain at the practice as part of the acquisition, which will include an extensive refurbishment of the practice as well as the introduction of new start-of-the-art technology.