Bottom Line
Bank of America Practice Solutions is one of the longest-tenured dental practice lenders in the US, with a dedicated dental and healthcare team. Best for: established practice acquisitions, fast conventional close, and combined practice + real estate financing. Rates from 8.5% APR — lower than SBA-only lenders. Trade-off: 680+ FICO requirement and 2+ years in business preferred for best terms.
Bank of America Practice Solutions Review (2026)
8.5%+
Starting APR (conventional)
$5M
Max practice loan amount
680+
Minimum FICO score
30–45
Days to close (typical)
Overall Rating
Editor's score
Among the best conventional dental rates available
Acquisition, startup, equipment, real estate, expansion
Long-tenured dental lending team; deep healthcare focus
30–45 days for conventional; faster than most SBA lenders
Strong credit (680+) and established practice preferred; less flexible for new graduates
Relationship-based with assigned dental loan officer
Top National Bank for Dental
See What BofA Offers — Compare Lenders
Pre-qualify with multiple dental lenders in one application. Soft credit pull.
About Bank of America Practice Solutions
Bank of America Practice Solutions traces its dental lending history back over three decades — making it one of the longest-tenured dental practice lending platforms in the US. The Practice Solutions division operates as a specialty lending group within Bank of America's broader Business Banking organization, with its own dedicated underwriting team, dental industry product specialists, and relationship managers.
Unlike Live Oak Bank's SBA-first approach, Practice Solutions emphasizes conventional bank lending alongside SBA when SBA is the appropriate structure. The conventional rates are often the most competitive available — BofA's cost of capital as the second-largest US bank by deposits allows aggressive pricing for high-quality dental borrowers. The trade-off is more conservative underwriting: BofA Practice Solutions wants well-credentialed dentists buying established practices.
The division serves the full healthcare professional spectrum (medical, dental, veterinary, optometry), with dental representing one of the largest segments by loan volume. The lending team includes dental-experienced relationship managers in major metro markets who work directly with dentists, dental CPAs, dental attorneys, and dental practice brokers.
Bank of America Dental Loan Products
| Product | Range | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice Acquisition | $25K–$5M | Up to 10 years | Conventional or SBA 7(a) |
| Practice Startup (De Novo) | $100K–$1M | Up to 10 years | Typically SBA-structured |
| Equipment Financing | $25K–$1M | 3–7 years | Section 179 friendly |
| Practice Real Estate | $200K–$5M+ | 15–25 years | Often combined with acquisition |
| Practice Expansion | $50K–$2M | 5–10 years | Working capital + equipment + build-out |
| Working Capital Line | $25K–$500K | Revolving | For established practices |
| Refinance | Up to $5M | Up to 10 years | Including consolidation of multiple loans |
The Practice + Real Estate Advantage
One of Bank of America's most differentiated capabilities: combining practice financing with real estate financing in a single integrated transaction. Many dental practice owners eventually buy the building they operate in, and BofA Practice Solutions structures these combination deals efficiently — often financing the practice through a conventional 10-year term loan and the real estate through a 15–25 year commercial mortgage at lower rates.
For a dentist buying a $750K practice plus the $600K real estate, a combined BofA structure might produce: $750K conventional at 9% APR over 10 years (practice cash flow services this) + $600K real estate at 7.25% APR over 25 years (building rent paid by practice services this). The combined monthly debt service of $13,790 is meaningfully lower than financing both through SBA 7(a) at 10-year terms.
Bank of America Underwriting Standards
The Practice Solutions credit committee evaluates applications against specific criteria:
| Criterion | Standard Requirement | Best-Tier Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| FICO score | 680+ | 720+ |
| Time in business / clinical exp | 2+ years | 5+ years |
| DSCR (target practice) | 1.25+ | 1.50+ |
| Down payment | 10% | 15–25% |
| Practice collections trend | Stable or growing | 5%+ annual growth |
| Practice EBITDA margin | 25%+ | 35%+ |
BofA Dental Loan Rate Examples (May 2026)
Indicative starting rates by borrower profile:
| Borrower Profile | Conventional APR | SBA 7(a) APR |
|---|---|---|
| 720+ FICO, 5+ years experience, $1.2M practice | 8.5–9.25% | 9.75% |
| 700 FICO, 3 years experience, $850K practice | 9.25–10% | 9.75% |
| 680 FICO, 2 years experience, $650K practice | 10–10.75% | 10.25% |
| 680 FICO, new graduate (with strong profile) | SBA only | 10.25% |
Pros
- Most competitive conventional rates in dental. BofA's cost of capital advantage produces some of the lowest pure-conventional dental practice loan rates available.
- Faster than SBA-only lenders. 30–45 day conventional close beats the 45–90 day SBA timeline, important when LOI exclusivity is short.
- Practice + real estate combination. Single-relationship financing for both the practice and the building when dentists own their property.
- National branch network. While dental lending is centralized, BofA's branch presence supports payroll, depository, and business banking relationships post-loan.
- Strong refinance offerings. BofA actively pursues refinance opportunities and structures consolidation of multiple loans (acquisition + equipment + LOC) into single relationships.
- Established dental team. Long-tenured dental relationship managers in major markets understand dental practice operations.
- Multiple banking products available. Beyond the loan: practice depository, merchant services, payroll, retirement plan administration — full banking relationship.
Cons
- 680+ FICO requirement excludes borrowers in the 640–679 range who might qualify at Live Oak or specialty lenders.
- 2+ years experience preference makes new graduate buyers a harder fit. New graduates can sometimes qualify but face tighter underwriting.
- Conservative de novo underwriting. BofA does fund de novo practices but is less aggressive than Live Oak. De novo borrowers may receive better terms elsewhere.
- Document-intensive process. BofA's underwriting is thorough, requiring comprehensive documentation. Incomplete files trigger 2–4 week delays.
- Less startup/working capital flexibility. SBA structures through BofA work but the bank prefers established practice deals over de novo + working capital combinations.
Real Bank of America Dental Loan Scenarios
Scenario 1: Established Practice Acquisition with Real Estate
An experienced associate (8 years post-graduation) acquires an established practice collecting $1.4M with the owner-occupied building included. Purchase price: $1.05M practice + $850K real estate = $1.9M total. BofA structures: $1.05M conventional at 8.75% APR / 10 years for the practice, $750K real estate mortgage at 7.5% APR / 20 years (buyer puts $100K down on real estate). Closing in 38 days.
Scenario 2: Practice Loan Refinance and Consolidation
A 5-year practice owner has three separate loans: $580K acquisition at 11% APR, $145K equipment at 12.5% APR, $80K working capital line at 10%. Total monthly debt service $11,200. BofA refinances and consolidates into single $750K conventional loan at 9% APR / 7 years. New monthly debt service $11,650 — slight increase in monthly payment but eliminates working capital line balance and consolidates relationship.
How BofA Practice Solutions Compares
| BofA Practice Solutions | Live Oak Bank | Wells Fargo PF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting rate | 8.5% | 9.75% (SBA) | 8.75% |
| Conventional speed | 30–45 days | N/A (SBA-focused) | 2–3 weeks |
| Min FICO | 680 | 650 | 680 |
| Min loan | $25K | $75K | $100K |
| Real estate combo | Strong | Good | Good |
| New grad program | Yes (tight) | Yes (strong) | Yes |
| Best for | Established + RE, fast conv | New grad, SBA, de novo | $100K+ established |
Who Should Choose Bank of America Practice Solutions?
- Established practice buyers with 680+ FICO — The 8.5%+ conventional rate is hard to beat.
- Practice + real estate buyers — BofA's combined practice/property structuring is industry-leading.
- Fast-close acquisitions — 30–45 day conventional close fits tighter LOI timelines.
- Existing BofA relationship customers — Relationship pricing for customers with existing depository or merchant services.
- Refinance and consolidation borrowers — BofA actively pursues these opportunities at competitive rates.
When to Look Elsewhere
- New graduate buyers — Live Oak Bank has stronger new-graduate programs.
- FICO under 680 — Live Oak (650+), Huntington (660+), or specialty lenders are better fits.
- De novo practice startups — Live Oak is the dental industry's strongest de novo lender.
- Quick equipment-only financing — Specialty equipment lenders close faster (1–5 days vs. 2–3 weeks).
Compare BofA Against Other Top Dental Lenders
One application, multiple quotes from BofA Practice Solutions and competing dental specialists. Soft credit pull only.
Get My Quotes →Related Resources
- All Dental Practice Lenders
- Acquisition Loan Comparison Guide
- SBA Loan Comparison
- Current Dental Practice Loan Rates