Starbend Commercial Capital, a small-business funding service in Las Vegas, NV, explains dental practice acquisition financing for Clark County, NV buyers: the seller's collections history, equipment age, lease assignment, staff and patient retention, working capital after closing, and how to get a dental practice loan.
What a dental practice purchase loan pays for
The price of a practice covers more than chairs and imaging. It includes the patient base, the schedule, the staff relationships and the right to operate at the location, often called goodwill. Dental practice acquisition loans are therefore sized against cash flow, not equipment value alone, and they can run longer than an equipment loan. They can be structured as term loans.
The seller's side of the file
- Production and collections by year, ideally three years
- Returns plus P&L statements for the same years
- Active patient counts and new-patient trends
- Payer mix: insurance plans, fee-for-service and membership plans
- Hygiene production as a share of total
- Equipment list with age and service history
Partners compare collections with deposits and tax returns. When the three agree, the file reads cleanly.
Equipment age and the hidden budget
A practice with ten-year-old chairs and film imaging may need a large equipment budget soon after closing. Partners notice this, and so should the buyer: a lower purchase price can be offset by near-term spending. The equipment financing page covers how chairs and imaging are financed separately from the purchase.
Lease assignment
The practice's value depends on staying at its location. Partners read the lease for remaining term, renewal options, rent escalations and whether the landlord must consent to assignment. A short remaining term without renewal rights can slow a deal down.
Working capital after closing
A new owner may see a dip in collections during the transition, while payroll and rent continue. Including working capital in the financing, or arranging a line alongside the term loan, covers that stretch. Plan the cushion up front rather than requesting it later.
Five moves toward a dental practice loan
- Get the seller's records and a letter of intent.
- Have the practice valued by someone who knows dental practices.
- Assemble your own records: income history, credit, licensure.
- Send the request with the purchase agreement and the seller's file.
- Compare offers on total payback, term and any personal guarantee.
Clark County, NV dental offices on the Census rolls
Clark County, NV had 964 dental offices with employees in 2023, with 6,834 employees, and 43.9% had fewer than five employees (CBP 2023). Nonemployer Statistics recorded 444 dental businesses without payroll in 2024. The dental practice page covers equipment and working capital; the Las Vegas, NV page has county context; more posts are on the blog.
By Starbend Commercial Capital · Updated