Why does summer slow down?
Patient and staff vacations, school schedules, and a tendency to postpone elective treatment until fall. Pediatric practices may see the opposite, with summer busier for school-age patients.
Look at your own history. Production by month over the past two or three years shows your real pattern, which may differ from general assumptions.
How do practices fill summer schedules?
Schedule recall patients before they leave for summer, promote cosmetic services like whitening, target students home for the summer, and coordinate team vacations to match patient demand.
Closing for a week when demand is lowest and everyone vacations together can be cheaper than running a half-empty schedule. Plan it early and tell patients in advance.
Summer can also be the best time for projects that would disrupt a busy schedule, such as replacing a chair, upgrading software or painting operatories. Doing them during low weeks reduces lost production, though it adds spending to a lighter month, which is another reason to plan cash flow ahead.
When does funding fit?
When summer reliably dips and fall reliably recovers, funding can cover fixed costs and a marketing push during the dip, repaid as fall production returns.
Size the funding to the actual shortfall from history, not a guess. Keep the term short enough that it is mostly repaid during the stronger fall months.
| Action | Timing | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-summer recall push | Spring | Full early-summer schedule |
| Cosmetic promotion | Early summer | Elective revenue |
| Coordinated vacations | Spring planning | Lower costs in low weeks |
| Reserve from spring | Spring | Cushion |
Worked example: a July-August dip
A general practice averaging $112,000 in monthly deposits sees July and August collections drop well below average and wants $20,000 to cover fixed costs and a whitening promotion. Using an illustrative factor rate of 1.20, $20,000 would mean $24,000 repaid over roughly 5 months: 22 weekly payments of about $1,091.
That works out to about $4,800 a month, or 4.3% of the $112,000 this business deposits monthly, and the total cost of the money is $4,000. The fall rebound, with recall and treatment returning, covers the payments.
For comparison, repaying the same $24,000 over 3 months would lift the monthly outlay to about $8,000, or 7.1% of deposits, so ask for both terms in writing; the shorter one frequently prices lower even though each payment is larger.
| Average monthly deposits | $112,000 |
|---|---|
| Amount funded | $20,000 |
| Factor rate (illustrative) | 1.20 |
| Total repaid | $24,000 |
| Cost of the funding | $4,000 |
| Term | about 5 months |
| Weekly payment (22 payments) | $1,091 |
| Payments as a share of deposits | 4.3% |
Who this fits
Usually a fit
- Practices with a predictable summer dip
- Offices running summer promotions
- Owners with strong fall history
When an office may want to wait
- Practices with year-round strong schedules
- Offices with reserves
- Startups without deposit history
What you’ll typically need
- Recent business bank statements
- Monthly production history
- Practice details
Frequently asked questions
Should I close for a week in summer?
Some practices do; compare savings with lost production.
Can funding pay for promotions?
Yes; working capital can fund marketing.
How quickly can money for the summer dip arrive?
Most dental practice files get a same-day decision once bank statements are uploaded, and approved money for the summer dip often lands within one or two business days.
Does a 500 credit score rule me out for the summer dip?
No. Applicants from 500 can be reviewed for the summer dip; the deposit history does most of the work, and better credit typically improves the terms you are offered.
Summer slowdown coming?
Apply and plan ahead.
Updated October 6, 2026