Fit-out finance · Dental practices
Fit-out finance for dental practices
Dental practice finance is equipment-led lending for chairs, imaging and surgery fit-outs, alongside acquisition and premises funding, priced on the strength of recurring patient billings and practitioner registration.
How fit-out finance works for dental practices
The works around the chair often cost as much as the chair. Suction and compressed-air reticulation, lead-lined walls where required, cabinetry, dedicated hand-hygiene basins and compliant sterilisation flow are all bespoke to the tenancy and cannot be recovered if you leave. Fit-out finance spreads that across the lease so the practice keeps its cash for hiring the clinician who will fill the new surgery. Term should track the lease including options, and any landlord incentive needs to be documented before settlement.
The cash-flow pattern we plan around
Consistent weekly billings from routine and restorative work, with occasional very large capital outlays each time a surgery is added or imaging is upgraded.
What dental practices typically fund
- Dental chairs and delivery units
- OPG, CBCT and intraoral imaging
- Surgery fit-out and infection-control compliance
- Buying a practice or a partnership share
- CAD/CAM and milling equipment
Fit-out finance for dental practices: the numbers
| Typical amounts | $20,000 – $1,500,000 |
|---|---|
| Term | 12–60 months |
| Indicative rates | 9.5% – 22% p.a. |
| Repayments | Monthly |
| Speed | 3–10 business days |
| Documents dental practices usually need | ABN and AHPRA dental registration · Practice financials or personal tax returns · Equipment or fit-out quote from the supplier |
Rates are indicative, change without notice and depend on the lender, product, asset, term and your credit profile at the time of application. They are not an offer of finance. Comparison rates, where shown, are true only for the example given.
Key terms
Dental equipment finance
Dental equipment finance is secured lending for dental chairs, imaging systems, milling units and sterilisation equipment, usually written over five to seven years and available to registered dentists with limited financial documentation.
Surgery fit-out funding
Surgery fit-out funding is finance covering the non-removable works needed to commission a dental surgery — services, cabinetry, plumbing and compliance zones — repaid across the term of the practice lease.
What is fit-out finance?
Fit-out finance is business lending used to fund the construction or refurbishment of commercial premises, including joinery, flooring, lighting, signage and the equipment installed. It typically combines secured equipment finance with an unsecured component for fixed works.
Can leasehold improvements be financed?
Yes, but usually not as secured equipment finance, because fixed improvements attach to a building the borrower does not own. Lenders fund them through unsecured facilities or specialist fit-out products, priced above standard asset finance.
How does a lease term affect fit-out finance?
Lenders will not normally amortise fit-out debt beyond the remaining term of the premises lease, including exercisable options. A five-year lease generally means a fit-out loan of five years or less.
Questions from dental practices
How is a new dental surgery financed?
Chairs, delivery units, imaging, sterilisation, cabinetry and the fit-out are funded together under one facility, with suppliers and the builder paid as the surgery is built and the loan repaid over five to seven years. Registered dentists usually qualify for professional packages with no deposit and lighter documentation.
Can I finance the purchase of a dental practice?
Yes. Practice acquisition finance funds the purchase of an existing practice or a buy-in against its billings and goodwill, often at up to 100 per cent of the price for registered dentists, with the equipment and premises financed alongside. Lenders look at the practice’s financials, patient base and the selling dentist’s transition.
Can a newly graduated dentist get practice finance?
Yes. Several lenders fund new dentists buying or setting up a practice with little trading history because the profession’s income is reliable, usually with a business plan, AHPRA registration and a clean personal credit file. Rates and terms improve further once the practice has a year of billings.
Can I add imaging such as a CBCT or intraoral scanner with finance?
Yes. Imaging upgrades are financed as equipment over three to five years, with software and installation included when quoted with the unit, and the loan can be set up alongside existing chair finance. Many practices finance a scanner from the additional billings it generates.