Quick answer
Knights Dental Group, founded by dental surgeon Dr Paul John Jones in Merthyr Tydfil, now runs ten practices across Wales, and its newest, a refurbished building in Gwaelod-y-Garth, Cardiff, was equipped with finance from Siemens Financial Services, which published the case study. Dentists rarely buy a surgery’s equipment outright. Chairs, X-ray units, microscopes and decontamination kit are usually funded with hire purchase or leasing secured on the equipment, the building work with a loan or refurbishment finance, and the early months with working capital. Lenders look closely at how the existing practices trade, because they carry a new site until it pays its way.
How did one Welsh dentist grow to ten practices?
According to a case study published by Siemens Financial Services, Dr Paul John Jones started with a single practice in Merthyr Tydfil and has expanded Knights Dental Group to ten practices across Wales, offering NHS and private treatment. The others are in Chepstow, Abertillery, Brecon, Brynmawr, Ferndale, Radyr, Pontypridd, Rhoose and Gwaelod-y-Garth.
The latest project turned an ageing building in Gwaelod-y-Garth, near Pentyrch in Cardiff, into a modern practice. The funding covered the refurbishment and specialist equipment, including dental chairs, microscopes, X-ray machines and sterilisers. The case study says more than £600,000 of dental equipment has been financed for the group in total.
Dr Jones told Siemens that the arrangement “has allowed me to scale much faster than would otherwise have been possible”, and that the speed of funding is especially valuable for equipment, because it lets each practice get up and running with minimal delay.
What does a new or refurbished dental surgery need to fund?
Every site is different, so there is no standard figure. The costs fall into the same groups, and pricing each one is the first thing a lender will ask you to do.
- Surgery equipment. Dental chairs and delivery units, lights, intraoral and panoramic X-ray, cone beam CT for some practices, microscopes and intraoral scanners.
- Decontamination. Autoclaves, washer disinfectors and the room layout to go with them.
- The building. Plumbing, suction and compressed air, electrics, flooring, accessibility and reception.
- IT. Practice management software, imaging software and patient booking.
- Registration and opening costs. Check what your regulator needs for a new location before you commit, as this can affect your opening date.
- Working capital. A new site usually takes time to build its patient list, so budget for running costs and wages before it breaks even.
Our refurbishment finance and practice expansion finance pages explain how the building and the growth are usually funded, and our growing a practice page covers the wider steps.
Should you lease, use hire purchase or take a loan for dental equipment?
Each suits different kit and different practices.
- Hire purchase spreads the cost and you own the equipment at the end. It is common for chairs, X-ray units and decontamination equipment you expect to keep for years.
- Leasing keeps the monthly cost down and can make upgrading easier, which can suit fast-moving technology such as scanners and imaging software.
- A loan can cover equipment and building work together, but it is not secured on the kit, so lenders look harder at the practice’s accounts.
Tax treatment differs too. GOV.UK says that for equipment bought on hire purchase you can claim capital allowances for the payments you will make under the contract once you start using the item, but not for the interest, and the Annual Investment Allowance is currently £1 million (GOV.UK, Annual Investment Allowance). Your accountant can confirm what applies to your practice.
Our guide to hire purchase, leasing or a loan sets out the differences, and practice equipment finance explains the options for dental kit.
What do lenders look at when a dental group adds a site?
For equipment finance, the kit itself is the main security, so new equipment from well-known makers can be easier to fund. For the wider expansion, lenders tend to look at the following.
- two or three years of accounts and recent management figures for the existing practices;
- the mix of NHS and private income, and how secure the NHS contract income is;
- the plan for the new site, including the lease, the build timetable and when it is expected to break even;
- finance the group already carries, and how the new repayments fit alongside it;
- the experience of the owners and clinical team.
Our guide to preparing a practice finance application lists what is normally asked for. If you are buying an existing practice rather than opening one, see our guide to buying a dental practice.
What does dental equipment finance cost, and what should you do next?
Rates depend on the lender, the equipment, the practice’s accounts and the term. As a guide, lenders on our panel publish equipment and asset finance over 3 years at 8% to 16% a year, and practice purchase loans at 10.25% to 25% a year. These are indicative published ranges from October 2026, and your rate depends on your circumstances.
- Get quotes for each piece of equipment and the building work, then add a margin for delays.
- Decide which items suit hire purchase or leasing and which need a loan.
- Have recent accounts and a plan for the new site ready before you speak to lenders.
- Keep a working capital buffer for the months before the new site pays its way.
We are a broker, not a lender. We search the market across 300+ lenders and approach those that understand dental practices. Instant Quotes shows your matches in minutes, with no credit check.
Common questions
Can I get finance for dental equipment for a new practice?
Often, yes, subject to status and lender criteria. Hire purchase and leasing are secured on the equipment, which can make them easier to arrange than a loan. Lenders will still look at your experience and how your existing practices trade. See practice equipment finance.
Can I claim capital allowances on equipment bought on hire purchase?
GOV.UK says you can claim for the payments you will make under a hire purchase contract once you start using the item, but not for the interest. Ask your accountant how this applies to your practice.
Is it better to lease or buy a dental chair?
It depends on how long you will keep it and how you want to treat it for tax. Hire purchase suits equipment you expect to keep for years, while leasing can make upgrades easier. Our guide to hire purchase, leasing or a loan compares them.
Does checking my options affect my credit file?
No. Instant Quotes involves no credit search. A lender only runs its own checks, with your permission, if you choose to apply.
Official sources
Published 26 October 2026. Figures and dates are taken from the sources named and were correct on that date. This article is for general information only and should not be treated as legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Funding availability and lender requirements depend on individual circumstances.
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