Dental Practice Financing
Explore finance for dental equipment, practice improvements and working capital, based on the way your practice receives and spends money.
Dental Practice Business Finance Made Simple
Dental practice finance can support a defined investment without leaving the practice short of everyday working capital. A treatment chair, scanner or surgery refurbishment needs a budget that includes installation and time out of use.
Private patient card payments, plan income and NHS-related receipts should be shown separately. The timing of those payments matters when wages, laboratory bills and premises costs continue throughout the month. Finance for the practice is also different from credit offered to patients for treatment.
PDQ Funding helps UK businesses explore business loans and merchant cash advances. The available route depends on the business, its payment channels and the provider’s assessment.
Before choosing a repayment structure, compare merchant cash advances versus business loans and review merchant cash advance costs.
What could the funding cover?
- Dental chairs, imaging equipment, scanners and associated installation costs.
- Surgery refurbishment, decontamination facilities and practice systems.
- Staff training and implementation costs linked to a specific investment.
- A forecast working-capital gap while work is completed or income is collected.
Check whether the premises and supporting systems are ready for new equipment. Include building work, software integration, staff training and commissioning where applicable. Extra clinical capacity only produces income if the practice has the staff and appointments to use it.
Compare the funding structure
Dental Practice business loans
A business loan may cover a wider practice project, while asset finance can be compared for identified equipment. Review the agreement’s treatment of maintenance, upgrades, ownership and early settlement. An acquisition or partnership buy-in may require a separate specialist assessment.
A loan provides an agreed sum repaid over a set term, with interest and fees. Ask for the payment schedule and full cost before deciding whether it fits the business.
Funding linked to qualifying card sales
A card-sales advance may be relevant to qualifying private patient card receipts. Other practice income, including ordinary bank transfers, is not automatically included. Give a clear breakdown rather than presenting total practice turnover as card sales.
A merchant cash advance provides upfront funds, collected through an agreed percentage of qualifying card receipts. Collections can vary with those receipts. Check any minimum payment, reconciliation or other contractual requirements.
Plan for installation and clinical downtime
Forecast the period before a new surgery or machine contributes income. Include ongoing wages, laboratory costs, rent and existing borrowing. Test affordability against fewer appointments or a slower build-up in the new service, rather than assuming full capacity from opening.
Compare net funds received, fees and total repayable across quotations. For an advance, the collection percentage is different from the funding fee: a smaller percentage taken from sales does not necessarily mean cheaper funding.
Review security, personal guarantees and early settlement terms. Unsecured funding can still involve a personal guarantee, creating personal liability if the business cannot pay. Consider independent advice before accepting an agreement.
Eligibility and information to prepare
Have recent accounts, bank statements, an income breakdown and current borrowing details ready. For equipment, include a supplier quote and implementation dates. Explain whether the application concerns an established practice, new site, acquisition or ownership change.
Providers may assess trading history, financial records, credit information, existing commitments and affordability. Requirements vary; an enquiry does not guarantee an offer, amount or completion date. Tell us about other applications or finance already in place so the overall commitment can be considered.
Dental Practice finance questions
Is this finance for patients’ dental treatment?
This page concerns business funding for the dental practice. Patient credit arrangements are a separate service with their own provider terms and requirements.
Can I fund a dental chair or scanner?
Equipment can be a business funding purpose, subject to the provider’s assessment. Compare the complete installed cost and a suitable asset finance quotation as well as a business loan.
Can a practice with mixed income apply?
Explain each income source and how it is received. Loan affordability and eligibility for card-sales funding are assessed differently; total practice income is not automatically qualifying card turnover.
Discuss your funding requirements
Tell us what you need to fund, the amount required and how the business receives income. Complete the online enquiry form or call 01246 233108 to discuss the next steps.
PDQ Funding is a broker, not a lender. We do not charge for using our brokerage service and receive lender commission following a successful introduction. There is no obligation to accept an offer.
For related information, see healthcare business finance.
Your funding enquiry
Share your business details and funding needs.