Business finance for dental practices

Why dental cash flow is capital-heavy

Dentistry is one of the most equipment-intensive trades on the high street. A surgery is a major capital item, and modern practices add intraoral scanners, CBCT imaging, milling for same-day crowns and a full decontamination set-up. Lab bills run continuously — crowns, dentures and aligners commissioned out and paid for before the patient's final fee is taken. Income comes part on NHS contract schedules and part on private terms, so even a fully booked practice has a steady gap between spending on a case and banking the fee for it.

Buying into or expanding a practice raises the stakes again: goodwill, equipment and a possible refit all hit before the acquired list starts paying through under new ownership.

Where the cash gets stuck

The drains are concentrated and large:

• Surgery equipment. A new chair, scanner or imaging unit is a serious single outlay that earns back over years.
• Lab bills. Cash goes to the lab before the restorative fee comes in, so heavy restorative months tie up working capital.
• Refits and acquisition. A surgery refurbishment or buying a second practice front-loads cost well ahead of the income it unlocks.

NHS UDA timing and private payment plans both add lag between treatment and cash, on top of the equipment and lab spend.

What dental practices use funding for

Common uses include buying or replacing a chair, scanner or imaging unit, refitting a surgery to add capacity or compliance, bridging lab bills through a heavy restorative period, and funding the working-capital side of acquiring or buying into a practice. The aim is to fund equipment and capacity that earn — a scanner that speeds throughput and opens new treatments, a refit that adds a working surgery — repaid as the resulting fees flow. Use the working capital calculator to size a case-load gap.

What to weigh before borrowing

Match repayments to your real income rhythm across NHS schedules and private terms, and check that a piece of equipment will be utilised enough to justify it. For very large capital kit, compare asset finance, which spreads cost over the equipment's working life. Ask for the total repayable, not just a headline rate; read how to calculate affordability and the asset finance guide. This is general information, not advice on your accounts.

How short-term company finance fits — no personal guarantee

Credicorp lends to the limited company, not to you personally, so there is no personal guarantee and your home is not pledged against the facility. As an exempt business lender, Credicorp provides working capital to UK companies rather than regulated consumer credit, keeping the assessment on how the practice trades. A business loan or the flexible Credicorp Flex line gives a practice a controlled pot to buy equipment, refit a surgery or bridge lab bills, repaid as fees flow. You can apply online.