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Funding for your situation

Dental practice revenue-drop recovery: a bridge sized to the comeback, not the dip.

How a dental practice can fund a recovery after a down stretch, what funders want explained, and a worked example.

✓ Checking what you qualify for does not affect your credit score.

Where the cash gap comes from

When deposits fall, fixed costs do not. For a dental practice, insurance reimbursements arrive in batches, with patient-paid card revenue between them. The bridge has to be sized to the recovery, not to the worst week.

Merchant Fund Express is a funding marketplace: you apply once, and the file is matched to the structure that fits it. The sections below show what this situation usually costs, how a funder reads it, and what to prepare.

Typical useA recovery bridge after a down stretch
TimelineSame-day decision on a complete file; funding typically the next business day after signing
CreditMinimum FICO is 500; better credit means better offers
DocumentsAbout three months of business bank statements and a short application

Insurance reimbursements arrive in batches, with patient-paid card revenue between them. A reviewer sees that pattern in the statements before reading a word of the application.

Equipment is part of the picture. A failure such as a compressor replacement or a x-ray sensor can run $6,800 to $7,200 and interrupt revenue while it is down.

The documents that usually matter most for a dental practice are an equipment quote and patient volume or production reports, alongside the bank statements.

Insurance year-end and the back-to-school months draw patients; late summer and holidays are softer. For a dental practice, that rhythm decides when a funding request reads best and how it should be repaid.

What a recovery bridge usually covers

Fixed costs not covered by deposits for 8 weeks ($48,000)

Due at signing, so it comes out of cash before the space earns anything.

Supplier catch-up or deposits to restore terms ($22,500)

Due at signing, so it comes out of cash before the space earns anything.

Deferred maintenance: compressor replacement ($6,800)

A fixed purchase with a quote you can put in front of a funder.

Marketing or outreach to rebuild volume ($12,000)

The spend that fills the new capacity, which is why it belongs in the plan.

Cash buffer to avoid negative days ($15,000)

A real cost of the move that is easy to leave out of the first estimate.

A worked example: sizing a recovery bridge

Cost itemIllustrative amount
Fixed costs not covered by deposits for 8 weeks$48,000
Supplier catch-up or deposits to restore terms$22,500
Deferred maintenance: compressor replacement$6,800
Marketing or outreach to rebuild volume$12,000
Cash buffer to avoid negative days$15,000
Cushion for overruns and slow early weeks (about 10%)$10,500
Recovery bridge to size$114,800

Sizing check. If the full repayment shown in an offer were $150,000 over about 26 weeks, the weekly debit would be about $5,769. Against illustrative monthly deposits of $90,000 (about $20,769 a week), that is roughly 28% of weekly deposits. Your own offer states the real repayment amount in dollars; run your numbers on the factor rate calculator before you accept anything.

Source: worksheet by Merchant Fund Express. Illustrative only: these figures are not an offer, and real amounts depend on your file and the funder.

What decides the answer

A clear explanation of the drop and the dates it started
Whether the most recent weeks show a floor or are still falling
Negative days and NSFs, since they matter more in a dip
Insurance remittance timing and receivable aging
Equipment already financed

These are the same factors described on revenue and deposit requirements and time in business. Merchant Fund Express walks you through how your own file reads before you apply.

Gather these first

Three months of business bank statements
A completed application
A government-issued ID for the owner
An equipment quote
Patient volume or production reports
A short written explanation of the drop

A complete file is what makes a same-day decision possible. If something is missing, tell us and we will work around it.

Where owners go wrong

Waiting until the account has repeated negative days
Sizing the request to cover all history instead of the recovery period
Taking daily debits that are heavier than the weakest week can carry

Compare before you decide

Revenue-based financing: Repayment follows revenue, which can feel lighter in slow weeks.
Working capital loans: Lump-sum capital sized on your deposits, for a defined need with a clear payback.
Business line of credit: A reusable pool you draw on and repay, useful when costs arrive in pieces.
Merchant cash advance: Repaid from future revenue; fast, and priced as a fixed total, so read the full repayment amount.
How funders read a dental practice: Industry-specific notes on what the file needs.
Dental practice funding guide: The full industry guide, with every product and topic.
Dental practice funding in Florida: State-level funding page for this industry.
Funding with declining revenue: A closely related situation, explained in detail.
Negative days and NSFs: A closely related situation, explained in detail.
Average daily balance: A closely related situation, explained in detail.
Factor rate calculator: Run your own numbers before accepting an offer.
More funding situations: Other growth, operating and recovery moments.

Common questions

Can a dental practice get funded after a revenue drop?

Often yes, if recent deposits show a floor and the explanation is credible. Options include revenue-based financing and working capital.

What do funders want to see?

A short written explanation, the most recent statements and any evidence of the recovery: new contracts, restored supply, reopened locations.

Does Merchant Fund Express look at only the last few weeks?

We look at three months or more, and the explanation matters. A file with a clear cause and a visible floor reads differently than a trend without one.

What credit score do I need?

The minimum FICO is 500, and better credit means better products and terms. See credit score requirements for how the tiers work.

See what you qualify for

Merchant Fund Express gives a same-day decision on a complete file. Applying takes a few minutes and will not affect your credit score.

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