Dental practices
Dental practice financing for chairs, imaging and the insurance lag
A chair costs before it earns, imaging is a five-figure decision, and insurance pays on its own schedule. These are the financing products that fit a dental practice, and which one fits which need.
What financing is available for a dental practice?
Equipment financing covers chairs, imaging, sterilisation and CAD/CAM systems with the equipment as collateral. Receivables financing bridges the insurance-payment lag. Working capital loans and lines of credit cover a hire, a marketing push or the gap between production and collections. Practice acquisition, a second location or a real-estate purchase suits an SBA loan or term loan for a practice with two years of history and full financials.
Production versus collections
A dental practice produces revenue the day the work is done and collects it weeks later, when the insurer pays and the patient portion clears. That lag is the whole financing story. Underwriters look at deposits into the business account, which lag production, and at the aged receivables, which show what is coming. A practice that can show both is a strong file.
Which product fits which problem
| The problem | Product | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| New chair, imaging unit, sterilisation, CAD/CAM | Equipment financing | Full purchase amount; the equipment secures it; term set to its working life |
| Insurance pays in 30–60 days, payroll is every 14 | Receivables financing | Advances most of the claim value now; settles when the insurer pays |
| A hygienist hire, a marketing push, a software change | Working capital loan | Lump sum in 24–48 hours, repaid over months |
| Gaps between production and collections that recur | Business line of credit | Draw against collections, repay when they land |
| Buying a practice, a second location, the building | SBA loan or term loan | Longest terms and lowest cost for a multi-year investment |
Equipment first, because the asset carries the file
Dental equipment holds value and earns for years, which is why it is the product funders are most comfortable with. Because the chair or the imaging unit secures the financing, approval leans on the asset and the practice’s collections rather than on the dentist’s personal credit alone, and the payment is spread across the years the equipment earns. Get the supplier’s quote with model numbers; that document sets the amount and the term.
Acquisition and real estate
Buying a practice or its building is a multi-year investment with a multi-year payback, and it belongs on the longest, cheapest structure a practice can qualify for. That is usually an SBA loan, which wants two years of history, good credit, full financials and a longer process. A specialist will tell you up front whether the file is a realistic SBA candidate before you spend weeks on paperwork.
What a dental file needs
- Three months of business bank statements from the operating account.
- An aged receivables report if you are asking to finance the insurance lag.
- Equipment quotes with model numbers for anything you want to finance as equipment.
- Every open position, including existing equipment leases.
One application covers every product in the network. Check your options — about five minutes, three months of statements, and a soft inquiry only.
Common questions
Can a new practice get equipment financing?
Often, yes. Because the equipment secures the financing, a practice with a short history but a clear production plan can be approved on the asset and the dentist’s professional standing.
Is an advance appropriate for a dental practice?
Rarely as a first choice. A practice with insurance receivables usually has a cheaper option in receivables financing; an advance is for a short, specific gap when speed matters more than cost.
What are the minimum requirements?
For revenue-based products through RAN Funding: about six months of revenue deposited into a business bank account, consistent deposits, a credit score from 500, and the last three months of business bank statements (four in some states). Every product starts at $10,000. Lines of credit typically want a year in business and a 575+ score; term loans and SBA want two years, good credit and full financials.
How fast can I be funded?
Merchant cash advances and working capital loans commonly fund the same business day or within 24 to 48 hours of a signed offer. Equipment financing usually takes a few days because the invoice is verified. Lines of credit take days to open; SBA loans take weeks.
Does checking my options affect my credit?
No. Seeing what your file fits is a soft inquiry. A hard pull only happens if you go ahead with a credit-based product such as a line of credit, term loan or SBA loan, and you are told before it does.
Sources
- 2026 Report on Employer Firms: Findings from the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey — Federal Reserve Banks, 3 March 2026
- State Commercial Financing Disclosure Laws — Venable LLP, March 2026
See what you qualify for
One application, about five minutes, soft pull only. A funding specialist comes back with the offers you qualify for — and explains every term before you sign.