SBA 7(a) Dental Office Feasibility Study in Idaho

Idaho dental loans run above the national median

A median of $769,150 gives 1.56x the nationwide figure, with loans in the middle of the range spanning $184,000 to $1.8 million. Idaho dentistry took 78 loans worth $84.2 million from FY2017 to FY2026, ranking 27 among states, while the class stands 6 of 39 in Idaho. None of the loans is tied to a franchise, so the share is 0.00%.

One lender stands out

Live Oak Banking Company holds 23 loans worth $42.2 million, the largest holder by a wide margin. U.S. Bank, National Association has 6 worth $2.7 million, Washington Trust Bank has 5 worth $8.3 million, Glacier Bank has 5 worth $3.7 million and 5 more worth $1.1 million sit with Zions Bancorporation, National Association. Entries of this kind only record who holds a loan now. Ada County has 29 loans, Kootenai 14 and Canyon 11, with Twin Falls at 5. Approvals were 25 loans and $14.4 million in FY2017, only 1 loan worth $63,000 in FY2022, and 3 loans but $8.9 million in FY2025; FY2025 had only 3 loans yet $8.9 million, a much larger average than FY2017.

Cancellations and charge-offs

Cancellation claimed 18.6% or more of approvals through FY2024, and the count with undisbursed loans lands on 18.6% too. That is a heavy toll. Of 41 early funded loans, 4.9% show a charge-off to date and 4.9% inside five years. Loans still open make both figures minimums.

A study for an Idaho dental office should say whether the project is an acquisition, a new office or an expansion, because the risk differs. For an acquisition, the study should examine the seller's collections, patient base and the likelihood of retention across the handover, and for a new office it should measure dentists per resident across the trade area and show where population is actually growing. Operatory count, hygienist availability and insurance participation drive revenue. A larger loan means more at stake in real estate or goodwill, so the study should separate them and test coverage when production is slower for the first year. The appraisal will value the practice and the property apart. Approval is the lender's decision, not ours.