Dentists weigh debt repayment against practice ownership
Dentists typically see their take-home pay double to $400,000 or more when they own a practice, up from $180,000 as an associate.
This increase in earnings can be used to pay off student loans faster.
The current SBA rates of 5-10% are cheaper than the 6-8% federal student loan burden, making practice acquisition financing more attractive.
Buying a practice now can outpace paying off $450,000 in debt first over 7-10 years, which risks losing the practice acquisition window to other buyers