State of Dental Practice SBA 7(a) Lending¹

Dental Practices Rank as the
5th Largest Industry
in SBA 7(a) Loan Approvals

The U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loan program continues to be a vital resource for dental practice owners looking to grow and thrive. Recent data shows dental practices rank 5th among all industries in total loan approvals—an impressive achievement in a program that funded over $31 billion across all industries in its most recent fiscal year.

5th

Largest SBA 7(a) Industry
in Fiscal 2024

Averages at a Glance

Here are the average statistics for SBA 7(a) loans in the dental industry.

Detailed Loan Size Breakdown

Loan Amount	Breakdown
$250k and under	39%
$250k to $500k	14%
$500k to $1 million	17%
Over $1 million	30%

SBA 7(a) loans offer flexible financing solutions, ranging from under $100,000 up to $5 million, to support critical needs of your dental practice such as business expansion, equipment upgrades, real estate investments, and working capital. Learn more on our Dental Loan Page.

Who Knew?

75% of SBA 7(a) Dental Loan Approvals Go to Existing Businesses

While many dentists think of SBA loans as tools for starting a practice, the reality is that most funds go to established practices. The favorable terms—including competitive interest rates and long repayment periods—make SBA 7(a) loans an attractive option for improving cash flow and supporting long-term growth.

	Acquisition	6%
	Start Up	19%
	Existing Business	75%

The Future of SBA 7(a) Dental Practice Lending Looks Bright

As a growing industry, able to maintain profitability by raising prices, the near-term future looks bright.

Employment Growth

Since 2019, the dental industry has supported over 1 million jobs, with an annual growth rate of just under 2%.

Reference: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
(https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/IPURN621210W200000000)

Increase in Dental Service Costs

The average cost for dental services increased by approximately 4.5% in 2024 and has risen nearly 18% since 2019.

Reference: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
(https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/PCU621210621210)

Expansion of Dental Education

The number of dental schools in the U.S. has exceeded 70, and dental student enrollment has grown steadily to surpass 27,000.

Reference: American Dental Association
(https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dental-education)

References

¹All data presented is sourced from the SBA 7(a) Fiscal Year 2024, available at https://data.sba.gov/dataset/7-a-504-foia.

Naics Code 621210 was used to isolate the Dental Industry.