24-Hour Pre-Approval for Dental Practice SBA Loans — 3A Lending

24-Hour Pre-Approval for Dental Practice SBA Loans — 3A Lending

Dental practice deals move on short timelines. When a practice goes to market, strong buyers submit letters of intent within days. When a commercial property is listed, competitive buyers act immediately. Without pre-approved financing, you're watching opportunities close while you scramble to get a term sheet.

3A Lending pre-approves dental SBA loans in 24 hours.

What a Dental Practice Pre-Approval Covers

In 24 hours, we assess your deal and give you a written pre-approval that includes:

• Program: SBA 7(a) for acquisitions/de novos, SBA 504 for real estate, or a combination


• Maximum loan amount: Based on your income, credit profile, and deal specifics


• Estimated rate and term: Current SBA rates, likely term for your use case


• Down payment required: Almost always 10%, sometimes lower with seller carry


• Lender fit: Which lenders in our healthcare-experienced network fit your deal


• Identified issues: Any credit, documentation, or deal-structure concerns to address early

This gives you confidence to move quickly and credibility with sellers.

The 24-Hour Evaluation Process

Step 1: Submit the basics


• 2 years personal tax returns


• 2 years business returns (if you currently own a practice)


• Description of what you're buying/building: practice name/location, purchase price or estimated project cost


• Brief professional background (years in dentistry, current role, specialty)

Step 2: Soft credit pull
We pull your credit report (no impact on your score). We're checking for:


• FICO 680+ (700+ preferred for dental)


• No open judgments, tax liens, or unresolved public records


• No pattern of late payments in the last 24 months


• Existing debt load that might affect your SBA eligibility

Step 3: Income analysis
We calculate your adjusted gross income, total debt obligations, and available cash flow for debt service. For dental associate buyers, W-2 income is straightforward. For practice owners, we add back depreciation, excess owner compensation, and one-time expenses to get "adjusted EBITDA" available for debt service.

Step 4: Deal viability check
We check your proposed purchase price against typical market multiples for your practice type. An offer at 5x EBITDA for a general practice is above market and may not appraise — we flag this before you submit an LOI.

Step 5: Pre-approval letter issued
Written pre-approval with the above specifics, valid for 90 days.

Dental-Specific Items We Assess

Licensing: You must be a licensed dentist in the state where the practice is located. We verify you have (or are eligible for) the required state license before submitting to a lender.

Malpractice history: We ask upfront. Any history gets disclosed with context. A single small claim years ago is different from an active pattern. Lenders need to know; better to address it early than have it surface in underwriting.

Student loan debt: Medical/dental school debt is expected. We add your student loan payments to your total debt obligations and make sure your income still supports the loan. For most dentists with $150–350K in student debt and $150K+ in income, this is manageable.

Current employment: Where are you currently practicing, and are you restricted by a non-compete? If your current employment agreement has a geographic restriction, it affects where you can open or buy a practice without triggering a lawsuit.

After Pre-Approval: What Comes Next

Day 1–5: Pre-approval issued. You use it to make a credible offer or LOI on a practice or building.

Days 5–20: Purchase agreement signed. Documentation gathering begins. We send you a complete checklist — practice financials from the seller, equipment list, lease review, personal financial statement.

Days 20–45: Full lender underwriting. Appraisals (practice and/or real estate) are ordered. Insurance credentialing conversation begins in parallel (important: start this now).

Days 45–60: Closing. Funds disbursed. Practice transfer and transition period begins.

Why Work with 3A Lending for Dental SBA

We're not a generalist broker who handles dental as one of fifty industries. We finance medical and dental practices specifically. Our lender network includes healthcare-dedicated SBA lenders who understand:

• How to read a dental practice P&L


• How hygiene production supports base revenue


• How to value goodwill in a practice acquisition


• Dental real estate appraisal nuance

Sending your deal to the wrong lender wastes months. We get it to the right one on the first submission.

Start your 24-hour dental pre-approval at 3A Lending → | (260) 201-1112