Unsecured business loan · Dental practices
Unsecured business loan 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 an unsecured business loan works for dental practices
An unsecured loan covers the things that are urgent rather than capital: a marketing push to fill a new associate’s book, a staffing gap, a tax bill, or covering the months between committing to a fit-out and the new surgery generating income. Approval is fast and documentation light, and the cost reflects that. It is the wrong tool for a chair or a scanner — those belong on secured equipment finance at roughly half the rate and twice the term.
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
Unsecured business loan for dental practices: the numbers
| Typical amounts | $5,000 – $500,000 |
|---|---|
| Term | 3–36 months |
| Indicative rates | 9.9% – 29.5% p.a. |
| Repayments | Daily, weekly or monthly |
| Speed | 24–72 hours after documents are received |
| 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 an unsecured business loan?
An unsecured business loan is finance provided to a business without a specific asset held as security. Approval is based on trading history, bank statements and cash flow. Most lenders still require a personal or director’s guarantee.
How is an unsecured business loan repaid?
Repayments are usually daily, weekly or monthly direct debits over 3 to 36 months. Some lenders quote a factor rate (total payable ÷ amount borrowed) rather than an annual interest rate, so always compare the total cost.
Who is eligible for an unsecured business loan in Australia?
Typical minimums are an active ABN, 6 to 12 months of trading and monthly turnover above roughly $10,000, but each lender sets its own criteria. Lyft Money checks fit across the panel before anything is submitted.
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.