What Business Finance Suits a Dental Practice?

How a dental practice ties up cash

A dental practice typically has money tied up in surgery equipment, imaging and a specialist fit-out. Dental practices carry high equipment and fit-out costs per surgery chair, with income split between NHS contract payments and private fees on different timings. That shapes which finance actually helps: funding a one-off asset is a different problem from bridging a recurring payment gap, and using the wrong tool for the job is how firms end up paying to borrow money they did not really need.

The facility that usually fits first

For most firms in this trade the natural starting point is asset finance for surgery equipment. It matches the shape of the need — a temporary, recurring gap rather than a permanent one — so the borrowing clears as receipts come in rather than lingering as a long-term liability. Read the full explainer before committing.

When a second tool makes more sense

Where the need is capital — replacing a major asset or funding a big one-off — a business loan for a new surgery or practice acquisition is often the better structure, spreading the cost over the working life of the asset or the receivable rather than draining working capital in one hit. Many firms in this sector run both: one facility for assets, one for the cash cycle.

Work the numbers before you borrow

Whichever route fits, size it against real figures. Our return on borrowing calculator and affordability calculator show what the repayments look like against your cash flow. Our dental practice sector page sets out how lenders view the trade, and when you are ready you can apply. Credicorp lends to limited companies and LLPs, not individuals, with no personal guarantee. This is general information, not a recommendation of any specific product.