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Dental work can be a major expense — especially if you don’t have dental insurance or your insurance doesn’t fully cover your bill. But if you need to finance dental work, dental loans could help cover the cost.
Here’s what you should know if you’re considering loans for dental work:
- 13 dental loans to consider
- How to get a dental loan
- What do dental loans cover?
- Alternatives to a dental loan
- Dental financing with a personal loan can have you smiling again
13 dental loans to consider
Dental loans typically come in two forms:
- Unsecured personal loans that can be used to pay for dental loans
- Loans offered through dental offices that are specifically for dental work (sometimes called “dental financing”)
Here are Credible’s partner lenders that offer personal loans for dental work:
Lender | Fixed rates | Loan amounts | Min. credit score |
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![]() | 7.99% - 29.99% APR | $10,000 to $35,000 | Not disclosed by lender |
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![]() | 9.95% - 35.99% APR | $2,000 to $35,000** | 550 |
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![]() | 11.79% - 20.84% APR | $10,000 to $50,000 | 730 |
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![]() | 8.99% - 35.99% APR | $2,000 to $50,000 | 600 |
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![]() | 7.99% - 24.99% APR | $2,500 to $35,000 | 660 |
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![]() | 9.57% - 35.99% APR | $1,000 to $40,000 | 660 |
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![]() | 7.99% - 35.99% APR | $2,000 to $36,500 | 660 |
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![]() | 7.99% - 25.49% APR with autopay | $5,000 to $100,000 | 700 |
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![]() | 18.0% - 35.99% APR | $1,500 to $20,000 | None |
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![]() | 8.49% - 17.99% APR | $600 to $50,000 (depending on loan term) | 700 |
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![]() | 8.99% - 25.81% APR10 | $5,000 to $100,000 | Does not disclose |
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![]() | 8.49% - 35.99% APR | $1,000 to $50,000 | 600 |
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![]() | 5.2% - 35.99% APR4 | $1,000 to $50,0005 | 620 |
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How to get a dental loan
If you decide to take out a personal loan for dental work, follow these four steps:
- Research and compare lenders. Be sure to consider as many lenders as possible to find the right loan for you. Compare not only interest rates but also repayment terms and any fees charged by the lender. Your dentist might also offer in-office financing that you could also consider.
- Pick the loan option you like best. After comparing lenders, choose the loan option that best suits your dental financing needs.
- Fill out the application. You’ll need to complete a full application and submit any required documentation, such as tax returns or pay stubs.
- Get your funds. If you’re approved, you’ll need to sign for the loan so the lender can send you your money (often by direct deposit). The time to fund for personal loans is typically a week or less, though some lenders will fund loans as soon as the same or next business day after approval.
Another option to improve your chances of getting approved is applying with a creditworthy cosigner. Not all lenders allow cosigners on personal loans, but some do.
Even if you don’t need a cosigner to qualify, having one could get you a lower interest rate than you’d get on your own.
Before taking out a personal loan, it’s important to consider how much the loan will cost you over time.
This way, you can prepare for any added expenses. You can estimate how much you’ll pay for a loan using our personal loan calculator below.
Enter your loan information to calculate how much you could pay
With a $ loan, you will pay $ monthly and a total of $ in interest over the life of your loan. You will pay a total of $ over the life of the loan.
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Learn More: Small Personal Loans
What do dental loans cover?
A dental loan can typically be used to cover any type of dental work. This could be especially helpful if you’re facing a particularly expensive procedure.
Preventative and restorative procedures (like teeth cleanings or dental crowns) are considered medically necessary, while cosmetic procedures (like teeth whitening) are generally focused on appearance rather than medical need.
A dental loan can be used for any of these categories.
Here are a few common expenses that a dental loan might cover:
- Tooth filling: $50 to $450
- Tooth crown: $500 to $3,000
- Dental implants: $1,000 to $3,000 (per tooth)
- Invisalign braces: $3,000 to $8,000
- Dental veneers: $500 to $1,300
- Teeth whitening: $300 to $1,000
Dental insurance often pays for preventative care (such as annual or semiannual exams), but it might pay for only a portion of basic dental work (like fillings) and major dental work (like crowns). Cosmetic dentistry typically isn’t covered at all.
If you decide to take out a personal loan for dental work, be sure to consider as many lenders as possible to find the right loan for you. Credible makes this easy — you can compare your prequalified rates from multiple personal loan lenders in two minutes.
Ready to find your personal loan?
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Check Out: How to Get a $5,000 Personal Loan
Alternatives to a dental loan
If a dental loan doesn’t seem right for you, here are a few other options to consider:
In-house dental financing
Some dentists offer their own financing, either through in-house payment plans or loan options.
These loans typically come with low rates and little to no down required payment as well as fast approval decisions, which could help you get quickly the dental care you need.
Be sure to consider your other loan options as well — you might get a better deal on a personal loan.
Health Savings Account
With an Health Savings Account (HSA), you can save money to cover medical or dental expenses in advance, tax-free.
To qualify for an HSA, you’ll also need to be covered under a high-deductible health care plan, which comes with a deductible of $1,400 for an individual or $2,800 for a family.
Flexible Spending Account
While similar to an HSA, an Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is arranged by your employer.
If you sign up for an FSA, you’ll designate how much you want to set aside from each paycheck up to the limit set by your employer. Like with an HSA, this money is tax-free.
You’ll also have immediate access to however much you expect to spend that year — for example, if you want $1,000 in your FSA, you can immediately use that $1,000 while paying the money back to your account throughout the year. Your employer might also make contributions.
Credit card
A credit card could be a simple way to pay for dental care, especially if you need to pay for recurring expenses.
Some credit cards also offer 0% APR introductory periods, which means you won’t have to pay any interest if you can repay your balance by the time this period ends.
Just keep in mind that if you can’t pay off the card in time, you could be stuck with hefty interest charges.
Learn More: Personal Loan vs. Credit Card
Dental financing with a personal loan can have you smiling again
Dental work can be expensive, but a personal loan can help you manage the cost.
Remember to consider all of your financing options before deciding which is best for your needs — and to save as much money as you can in the long run.
If you decide to take out a personal loan for dental work, compare as many lenders as you can to find a loan that works for your situation. Credible makes this easy — you can see your prequalified rates from multiple lenders in two minutes.
Ready to find your personal loan?
Credible makes it easy to find the right loan for you.
Find My Rate
Checking rates won’t affect your credit
About Rates and Terms: Rates for personal loans provided by lenders on the Credible platform range between 4.60%-35.99% APR with terms from 12 to 84 months. Rates presented include lender discounts for enrolling in autopay and loyalty programs, where applicable. Actual rates may be different from the rates advertised and/or shown and will be based on the lender’s eligibility criteria, which include factors such as credit score, loan amount, loan term, credit usage and history, and vary based on loan purpose. The lowest rates available typically require excellent credit, and for some lenders, may be reserved for specific loan purposes and/or shorter loan terms. The origination fee charged by the lenders on our platform ranges from 0% to 10%. Each lender has their own qualification criteria with respect to their autopay and loyalty discounts (e.g., some lenders require the borrower to elect autopay prior to loan funding in order to qualify for the autopay discount). All rates are determined by the lender and must be agreed upon between the borrower and the borrower’s chosen lender. For a loan of $10,000 with a three year repayment period, an interest rate of 7.99%, a $350 origination fee and an APR of 11.51%, the borrower will receive $9,650 at the time of loan funding and will make 36 monthly payments of $313.32. Assuming all on-time payments, and full performance of all terms and conditions of the loan contract and any discount programs enrolled in included in the APR/interest rate throughout the life of the loan, the borrower will pay a total of $11,279.43. As of March 12, 2019, none of the lenders on our platform require a down payment nor do they charge any prepayment penalties.