medical · Equipment & asset finance
Dental chair finance
A chair is rarely bought alone. We look at the whole surgery — chair, compressor, suction, imaging and fit-out — and fund it in a way that suits a practice ramping up.
What is dental chair finance?
Dental chair finance is funding for a dental treatment unit including the chair, delivery system, light and often the operator stool, secured against the equipment. Australian dentists commonly finance chairs as part of a wider surgery fit-out, and lenders in this space are used to funding practices with limited trading history.
A dental chair is the centre of the surgery, but it is only one component of a working operatory. Around it sit the compressor, suction plant, autoclave, cabinetry, x-ray and increasingly an intraoral scanner. Buying and financing these piecemeal is common and usually more expensive than treating the surgery as one project with one funding facility. Planning the full operatory upfront also avoids the plant capacity problems that appear when a second chair is added later.
Lenders that specialise in medical and dental equipment take a different view of risk to general business lenders. A qualified dentist opening a first practice can often be funded on the strength of the profession and the business plan rather than on years of trading figures. Some will also structure lower repayments for the first six to twelve months while the patient base builds. Your broker will identify which panel lenders offer that.
Dental chair finance at a glance
| Typical price range | $25,000 – $80,000 |
|---|---|
| Finance term | Up to 84 months |
| Useful life | About 15 years |
| New or used | New chairs are the norm because infection control, warranty and ergonomics matter; refurbished units from major brands are financeable and common in second surgeries. |
| Indicative rates (Medical equipment finance) | 6.6% – 13.5% p.a. · rate history |
| Finance structures | Medical equipment finance (recommended), Chattel mortgage, Fit-out finance, Finance lease |
How lenders assess dental chair finance
Medical and dental lenders treat qualified practitioners as low risk and will often fund equipment for a new practice with little or no trading history, sometimes without property security. Chairs, compressors, suction plant, autoclaves and imaging can be funded on one facility, and practice fit-out costs are frequently included. Repayment holidays or reduced initial repayments while a practice builds its patient base are available from some lenders. Terms of five to seven years suit equipment with a long service life.
Before you buy
- Decide on delivery style — over-the-patient, cart or rear delivery — based on how you and your assistant actually work, since it is hard to change later.
- Check the compressor and suction plant capacity against the number of chairs you plan to run, including future expansion.
- Confirm local service support and parts availability; a chair out of action stops the surgery entirely.
Commonly financed
A-dec 500 and A-dec 300 · Planmeca Compact i5 · Sirona Intego and Teneo · KaVo Estetica E70 · Belmont Clesta
Estimate dental chair repayments
- Number of repayments
- 60
- Balloon at end of term
- $10,600
- Total interest (est.)
- $14,124
- Total repaid (est.)
- $67,124
This calculator provides an estimate only and does not account for fees, charges or the specific terms a lender may offer. It is not financial advice or an offer of finance.
Key terms
What is dental chair finance?
Dental chair finance is a loan or lease used to buy a dental treatment unit, with the equipment as security. Terms commonly run 60 to 84 months and the chair is often funded alongside compressors, suction, autoclaves and surgery fit-out on one facility.
Can a new dental practice finance equipment?
Often yes. Specialist medical and dental lenders assess qualified practitioners on their profession, registration and business plan as well as trading history, so a start-up practice can frequently be funded. Some lenders also offer reduced initial repayments while the practice builds patient numbers.