Best Dental Financing Programs
Going to the dentist can be both a pain in the mouth – and in the wallet! As a matter of fact, the cost of dental care is a major reason people avoid going to the dentist at all. Of course, this is not a wise decision, as most dental problems will only get worse, and more expensive to fix, over time.
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Even if you have good medical insurance, it often doesn’t cover dental expenses at all. Also unfortunately, most dental insurance plans often have a limit of only around $2,000 in coverage – which is not enough in many cases. This means even with dental insurance, you can get stuck having to pay out of pocket for your dentist’s bill. Therefore, many people in such a situation need to finance all or a big part of their dental expenses.
There are different ways to finance dental costs, but only a few of them are smart options. Below are discussed the best options for dental financing.
A 0% Credit Card
The credit card industry is very big and very competitive. One way they attract new customers is to provide new card holders zero interest on purchases made with their card, often for the first twelve months. So, if you obtain one of these cards and use it to pay your dental bill, you can pay it off over twelve months interest free. This is absolutely the best way to finance dental work, because of the cost savings of no interest added. Just make sure if you go with this option that you can afford the required monthly payments.
In-House Financing
Many dental practices offer some type of financing to help their patients pay for the bill (of course, this also encourages more business for the dentist). This is especially true for dentists who do cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics and other high price dental procedures. This type of financing is either provided directly by the dentist or by a financing company the dentist is affiliated with. In either case, the terms offered (such as interest rate and number of payments allowed) are usually better than what you can get on your own directly from a finance company. So, if the zero percent interest credit card option doesn’t work for you, then the in-house financing is the next best option.
If both of the above options aren’t good for you, then listed below are the five best third-party dental finance programs available.
LightStream
An online lender that offers loans for dental financing to borrowers with strong credit histories and credit scores.
– Interest Rate: Starting from 5.74% per year
– Fees: None
– Payment Terms: Between 2 – 7 years
– Minimum Credit Score: 660, with several years of positive credit history
– Other Qualifications: Enough income to pay existing debts plus the new LightStream loan
– Special Features: Include best rate program and satisfaction guarantee
Upgrade
Upgrade makes loans for dental expenses to persons with less than strong credit. They will finance between $1,000 – $50,000, depending on your qualifications.
– Interest Rate: Starting from 6.00% per year
– Fees: Origination fee between 2.9% to 8%
– Payment Terms: Between 2 – 7 years
– Minimum Credit Score: 560, with at least two active credit accounts
– Other Qualifications: Maximum debt-to-income ratio: 75%, including mortgage and new loan payment amount
– Special Features: Rate discount for direct payment from checking account
Upstart
This lender will accommodate people with little or no credit histories and will finance between $1,000 – $50,000 depending on your qualifications.
– Interest Rate: Starting from 5.50% per year
– Fees: Origination fee up to 8%
– Payment Terms: Between 3 – 5 years
– Minimum Credit Score: None, but must have a minimum of $12,000 annual steady income
– Other Qualifications: Personal US based bank account
– Special Features: Accepts borrowers new to credit and can fund loans within one business day
LendingClub
LendingClub has its name because it is a peer-to-peer lender that arranges dental financing for people with at least good credit.
– Interest Rate: Starting from 7.00% per year
– Fees: Origination fee between 1% to 6%
– Payment Terms: Between 3 – 5 years
– Minimum Credit Score: 600, with minimum credit history of three years.
– Other Qualifications: Debt-to-income ratio of less than 40%
– Special Features: Can pre-qualify with a soft credit check
OneMain
This lender caters to people who have poor credit who need help financing their dental work.
– Interest Rate: Starting from 18.00% per year
– Fees: Origination fee between 1% to 10%
– Payment Terms: Between 2 – 5 years
– Minimum Credit Score: None
– Other Qualifications: Average annual income of approved borrowers is $45,000
– Special Features: Able to fund a loan the same or next business day
