Profession loans · dentists
Dentist home loans — 95% LVR with no LMI.
AHPRA-registered dentists qualify for the same 95% LVR LMI waiver as medical practitioners — the dental profession sits alongside medicine in the specialist medical-lender programs. The harder question for dentists isn't the waiver: it's how the lender treats practice-ownership income, associate contracts and locum work. The right lender choice swings borrowing capacity by $300,000-$500,000 on an established practice file.
Run the LMI break-even → Self-employed capacity →Most working dentists are part-PAYG, part-self-employed — and the mix changes over a career. New graduate associates at a practice on a service-fee contract are usually sole-trader ABN income (treated as self-employed). Established associates may shift to full PAYG. Practice owners are company / partnership / trust income. Many dentists hold multiple income streams in parallel — some practice ownership, some associating, some locum days.
Mainstream lenders score this mixed shape conservatively. Most apply the lower-of-two-years averaging on the self-employed portion; some shade locum at 60-80%; many discount practice income through aggressive add-back exclusion. Specialist medical/dental lenders treat dental practice income as a known shape — full add-back acceptance on depreciation, super contributions and owner salaries; locum and associate income accepted at face value with reasonable history. The borrowing capacity gap between mainstream and specialist treatment runs $300k-$500k on most established files — bigger than the LMI waiver itself.
Who qualifies for the dental package
AHPRA registration through the Dental Board of Australia is the eligibility document. Registration types and career stages accepted across the panel:
- General dentists — full AHPRA general registration. Universal acceptance across the dental/medical lender panel.
- Dental specialists — oral surgery, orthodontics, paediatric dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics, endodontics, oral medicine, oral and maxillofacial radiology. All accepted at the 95% LVR tier; established specialists in the 100% LVR tier at BOQ Specialist and similar.
- Associate dentists — working at a practice on service-fee, revenue-share, or PAYG contract. Accepted with 12-24 months of income history on the current contract shape; specialist dental lenders accept newer associate income more readily.
- Practice-owner dentists — solo practice, partnership, or company structure. Two years of practice returns is the cleanest shape; specialist dental lenders accept newer ownership history with stronger evidentiary support.
- Locum dentists — accepted with 6-12 months of consistent locum income pattern. Specialist dental lenders treat locum income materially more favourably than generic lenders — at face value rather than 60-80% shaded.
- Overseas-trained dentists — accepted once AHPRA registration is final through the ADC pathway. Dentists in supervised practice awaiting full registration are typically declined on the waiver until registration completes.
What the waiver is worth — worked example
A typical Gold Coast / Brisbane purchase by an established associate dentist. The LMI saving stays in the loan permanently.
Example — established associate dentist, $1,100,000 purchase, 5% deposit
- Purchase price
- $1,100,000
- Deposit (5%)
- $55,000
- Stamp duty (QLD owner-occ)
- ~$37,200
- Conveyancing & other
- ~$2,500
- Total upfront cash
- $94,700
- Loan amount
- $1,045,000
- LVR
- 95%
- LMI if no waiver
- ~$34,000 (capitalised or paid)
- LMI under dental package
- $0
Panel-typical dental package — comparative table
Selected lenders that write the dental-professional waiver. Specific eligibility rules vary by file. Specialist medical/dental lenders shown alongside the major banks for comparison — the specialist tier is usually the right routing for practice-owner or locum-heavy income shapes.
| Lender | Max LVR no LMI | Panel note |
|---|---|---|
| BOQ Specialist | 100% | Strongest dental program. Locum and practice-owner income treated favourably. Established consultants regularly approved 100% LVR. |
| Medfin (NAB-owned) | 95% | Specialist medical/dental lender. Strong on associate-to-practice-owner career arc. Practice-purchase finance also available. |
| Macquarie | 95% | Competitive package rates; well-priced for PAYG-employed associates with established income history. |
| CBA | 95% | Universal AHPRA-dental acceptance. Cleanest associate dentist application process across the Big 4. |
| Westpac | 95% | Standard 95% waiver; locum-income shading slightly more conservative than specialist medical lenders. |
| NAB | 95% | Profession package; Medfin sister-brand handles specialist-dental workflow directly. |
| ANZ | 95% | 95% waiver; income shading methodology on associate-ABN income more conservative than specialist lenders. |
| ING | 95% | Lean package fee structure; competitive rates for established dental practitioners. |
| Bankwest | 95% | Strong for WA + QLD AHPRA-dental registrations. |
Practice income? Model the file first.
For dentists working as associates or running a practice, the borrowing capacity calculator runs the income shape across the panel — same returns, lender-by-lender result, methodology shaded per policy. Often the panel spread is bigger than the LMI saving itself.
Self-employed capacity → LMI break-even →File-shape pitfalls — where the dental package gets messy
- Mixed associate + practice owner income. Common shape for established dentists. Mainstream lenders sometimes refuse to combine both shapes cleanly; specialist dental lenders treat it as standard. Lender choice matters most here.
- Recent practice purchase or partner buy-in. Dentists who've just bought into a practice (or just bought one) present with a short ownership history. Specialist dental lenders accept newer practice ownership with stronger evidentiary support (forecast cashflow, vendor records); mainstream lenders typically want 2 years of post-acquisition returns.
- Specialist registration in progress. Dentists completing a college specialist program (orthodontics, oral surgery, etc.) sometimes have limited registration during training. The waiver applies under general dental registration; specialist registration completion strengthens the file.
- Investment property under the dental package. Most lenders cap the investor waiver at 90% LVR; a small number of specialist lenders extend the 95% waiver to investor for established practitioners. Worth modelling on investor files.
- Practice loan + home loan from the same lender. BOQ Specialist and Medfin both do practice finance + personal home loans. A combined relationship can produce a meaningful rate / fee package vs separate lenders — worth modelling against the alternative.
Quick FAQs
What LVR can a dentist borrow to without LMI?
95% LVR at most lenders running a dental-professional package. 100% LVR at a small number of specialist medical/dental lenders (BOQ Specialist most consistently) for established practitioners.
How much is the waiver worth?
Roughly $30,000-$38,000 on a $1.04M loan at 95% LVR. Stays in the borrower's equity instead of being paid to the LMI insurer.
How is practice-ownership income treated?
As self-employed under standard lender methodology. Mainstream lenders apply the lower-of-two-years averaging plus add-back rules; specialist dental lenders treat established practice income materially more favourably. Lender choice swings borrowing capacity by $300k-$500k on practice files.
How is associate dentist income treated?
Most associate dentists working on service-fee contracts are treated as self-employed (sole-trader ABN income). 12-24 months of history is the typical lender threshold. Specialist dental lenders accept newer associate income shapes more readily than mainstream lenders.
Can the waiver be used for investment property?
Most lenders cap the dental waiver at 90% LVR for investor. Specialist medical/dental lenders extend the 95% waiver to investor for established practitioners with strong asset position.
Does AHPRA registration matter?
Yes — universally. Registration through the Dental Board of Australia is the eligibility document. General registration, specialist registration in the recognised dental specialties, and overseas-trained-dentist ADC pathway completions all qualify.