Your treatment plan is clinically right. The patient agrees it’s needed. Then they see the out-of-pocket total after insurance, and the conversation turns to “I’ll call to schedule once I’ve looked at my budget.” Many of those patients never call back, and the problem they came in with gets worse.
Offering patient financing gives those patients a way to say yes today. Below are four benefits for your dental practice, an example of how it works chairside, and how to set it up without taking on any lending risk.
1. Higher treatment acceptance
The biggest benefit is simple: more patients accept the care you recommend. Insurance often covers only part of major work such as implants, crowns, bridges, orthodontics and full-mouth restorations. The remaining balance is where treatment stalls.
When a patient can choose a monthly payment instead of paying the full balance at once, cost stops being the deciding factor. A $4,500 out-of-pocket balance becomes $375 a month on a 0% promotional plan, or about $229 a month over 24 months on a standard plan. Patients who would have postponed treatment can start now, which is better for their oral health and for your schedule.
2. Attracting new patients
Patients comparing practices look at more than location and reviews. Many look for a practice that makes cost manageable. Offering financing, and saying so clearly on your website, in your ads and at the front desk, gives prospective patients a reason to book with you.
This matters most for elective and cosmetic care. Patients shopping for clear aligners, veneers or whitening often decide based on how affordable the monthly cost feels. A visible financing option can be the difference between a consultation booked with you and one booked down the street.
3. Faster payment and better cash flow
When a lender funds the treatment, your practice is paid upfront, minus that lender’s merchant fee, and the patient repays the lender. You aren’t carrying patient balances, sending statements or making collection calls on large accounts.
If you prefer to offer in-house payment plans, Client Financing’s LMPP lets your practice run its own plans with your own terms. There’s no merchant fee: you keep 90% of what’s collected, paid weekly, and our team handles agreements, billing and collections, including bilingual servicing. Your front desk stays focused on patients, not on payment plans.
4. Long-term patient relationships
Patients who get the care they need without financial stress tend to stay. They come back for hygiene visits, follow-up treatment and future work, and they refer family and friends. Financing removes one of the most common reasons patients leave a practice: a bill they felt they couldn’t handle.
Why one lender isn’t enough
Many practices already offer a single patient financing company. The problem is that every lender approves a certain range of credit profiles and declines the rest. A patient who is declined usually leaves without scheduling, even though they still need the care.
With Client Financing, one application moves the patient through 10+ BNPL and consumer lenders, from prime to near-prime and sub-prime, then to Everyone Is Approved programs. A patient declined by the first lender can still be approved further down the waterfall, without a second application or a second awkward conversation.
An example
Illustration only. Real offers depend on the lender or program and the application.
A patient needs an implant and crown, and after insurance the balance is $4,500. The treatment coordinator presents the plan with the monthly option included and sends the application link to the patient’s phone.
The first lender declines because the patient has limited credit history. The application continues automatically, and a near-prime lender approves 24 months at 19.99%, about $229 a month. The patient signs in the operatory and schedules the first appointment before leaving. The practice is paid upfront by the lender, minus its merchant fee.
How to present financing chairside
- Present the monthly payment with the total. “Your portion after insurance is $4,500, and most patients choose a monthly plan, which can be around $229 a month.”
- Bring it up before the patient raises cost. Financing presented as a normal option feels very different from financing offered after a patient hesitates.
- Let patients apply in the office. Applying takes a few minutes on a phone, and patients see their options right away, so they can schedule before they leave.
- Train the whole team. Treatment coordinators, front desk and hygienists should all know how to explain the option. Our onboarding team helps train your staff.
Where to show financing in your practice
Patients can’t use an option they don’t know about. Mention financing at every point where cost comes up:
- Your website: add a short patient financing section to your treatment and new-patient pages, with the application link.
- Treatment plan printouts and emails: list the monthly option next to the out-of-pocket total.
- Unscheduled treatment follow-ups: include the link when you reach out to patients with treatment still pending. Many were waiting only on cost.
- The front desk: a simple sign or card at checkout reminds patients the option exists.
How to get started
- A real person on our team calls within one business day to set up your practice’s lending waterfall. There’s no long-term contract and no minimum volume.
- You get an application link and embed code to add to your website, treatment plan emails and text reminders.
- Applications, approvals and contracts across every lender appear in one merchant portal, so your team can follow up with approved patients who haven’t scheduled.
- Patients manage their plans, check balances and pay off early in their own self-service portal.
What it costs
Lender-funded treatment is paid to you upfront, minus that lender’s merchant fee, which varies by lender and program. LMPP plans have no merchant fee: you keep 90% of what’s collected and Client Financing keeps 10%. Interest rates to patients range from 0% to 29.99% depending on the lender, program and credit profile.
Ready to offer financing? Client Financing provides customer financing solutions for businesses through one application that reaches 10+ lenders. See how it works for your business: patient financing for dental practices.
FAQ
Can dental patients with bad credit get financing?
Yes. Applications move from prime lenders to near-prime and sub-prime lenders, then to Everyone Is Approved programs, so patients with limited or challenged credit can still get an offer.
Does patient financing replace dental insurance?
No. Financing covers the out-of-pocket portion that insurance doesn’t, such as deductibles, coinsurance and treatment beyond annual maximums.
What dental treatments can patients finance?
Implants, crowns, bridges, dentures, orthodontics and clear aligners, veneers, cosmetic work and other treatment with an out-of-pocket cost.
Does our practice take on any risk?
Not on lender-funded plans: the lender funds the treatment and the patient repays the lender. On LMPP, your practice owns the plans and our team handles servicing and collections.
See patient financing for medical, dental and cosmetic practices, or get started.