SBA 7(a) Dental Office Feasibility Study in Kentucky

Kentucky dental offices: the smallest loans against the country

Kentucky dentists borrow at less than half the national scale. A $220,000 median is 0.45x of the nationwide reading, and the interquartile range reaches from $81,500 to $700,000. The cell recorded 65 loans and $43.5 million in the years FY2017 to FY2026, Kentucky is 29 among states, and dental offices stand 7 of 39 in the state, a strong local position. No loan carries a franchise tie, with the share at 0.00%. The lender list, led by The Huntington National Bank with 13 loans worth $8.3 million and Live Oak Banking Company at $15.6 million over 11 loans, shows two quite different loan sizes.

Other holders and geography

Community Trust Bank, Inc. is shown with 8 loans worth $1.2 million, U.S. Bank, National Association with 5 worth $3.2 million and First Financial Bank with 5 worth $2.4 million. These are the holders in SBA's data and nothing in this page judges any of them. Fayette County has 10 loans, Jefferson 8, and Boone, Kenton and Oldham 7 each, with Hardin at 4. The annual series is lumpy: 10 loans and $7.8 million in FY2018, a year with no loans recorded in FY2024, then 12 loans and $13.1 million in FY2025, and 3 loans and $1.6 million in FY2026.

Outcome floors

Cancellation reached 8.0% of approvals through FY2024 on both readings. The 35 loans funded early have a clean record: no charge-off to date (0.00%) and none across five years (0.00%). Because other loans remain open, those figures are floors and not promises.

A study for a Kentucky dental office has to say whether the project buys a practice, builds a new one or expands, and test the case that goes with it. For an acquisition, the seller's collections, patient retention and the transition plan matter most. For a new office, the study should count dentists per resident across Lexington, Louisville and northern Kentucky suburbs, nearby offices, and population growth. Operatory count, hygienist availability and insurance participation set the revenue limit. Because typical loans are small relative to the nation, equipment and build-out costs should be checked against collections per operatory, and debt service should hold with slower first-year production. An appraiser separates practice value from property, and the study should follow suit.