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Physician loans · Dentists

Home Loans for Dentists in Seattle and Washington State

Most physician loan programs include dentists, so a DDS or DMD can often buy with little or nothing down and no mortgage insurance. The exceptions show up in three places: dental residents, associates paid on production, and dentists who own or are buying a practice.

This page covers which programs include dentists, how dental income is documented, how a practice loan can affect a home loan, and what dental residency pays in Seattle. For physician loans in general, start with the main guide.

At a glance

  • Practicing dentistsMost national physician programs list DDS and DMD alongside MD and DO. A few are for physicians only.
  • Dental residentsCovered by fewer programs than medical residents; some limit their trainee tier to MD, DO and DPM.
  • AssociatesA signed contract with a fixed base salary is the simplest case. Production or 1099 pay usually needs a history.
  • Practice ownersUsually two years of self-employment, and a practice loan can count in the debt-to-income ratio unless the practice pays it.
  • Student debtClass of 2025: 82% had education debt, averaging $297,800 among those who borrowed.
  • Washington7,071 dentist licenses as of December 2024.

By Brian Huie, Principal Broker and Realtor, Compass · Updated · Figures as of November 2026

Do physician loans cover dentists?

Usually. Most national physician programs list DDS and DMD degrees with MD and DO, and several healthcare professional programs that serve Washington say they include dentists. The differences are in the details:

  • Time since training. Some programs cap how long ago training ended. BMO's program excludes doctors more than 10 years past training, Flagstar's requires being within 10 years of starting the profession and Truist's within 15 years of training.
  • Physicians only. A few programs are for MDs and DOs. Student Loan Planner reported in 2025 that U.S. Bank's program excludes dentists.
  • State. National programs don't lend everywhere, and some regional programs don't reach Washington at all.

Ask each lender to confirm the exact credential, the stage of career and that it lends in Washington before planning around a program. Brian is not paid by any lender, and this list is not a ranking.

The main guide covers who qualifies and how down payment tiers work, which apply to dentists the same way.

Dental residents and new graduates

Many new dentists go straight into more training: in ADEA's class of 2025 survey, 37% planned to start an advanced program right after graduation, and the general practice residency (GPR) was the program they applied to most. Seattle has several.

Seattle dental residency programs, as published November 2026
ProgramLengthStartStipendSource
UW School of Dentistry GPR12 months (optional second year), 8 first-year positionsJuly 1$87,708 (2026-27, first year)UW GPR
UW AEGD12 months, inaugural cohortNot shown$90,984 (2027-28, first year)UW AEGD
UW and Seattle Children's pediatric dentistry24 monthsNot shown$90,984 and $92,172 (2027-28)UW pediatric dentistry
VA Puget Sound GPR, Seattle12 months, 2 positionsJuly 1Offered; amount not listedADEA PASS
Swedish Medical Center GPR12 months, 5 positionsJune 14Offered; amount not listedADEA PASS

As published by each program. ADEA PASS lists the UW GPR as offering no stipend, while the UW's own page lists one; the table follows the UW page.

Lender coverage for dental residents is thinner than for medical residents. Truist's trainee tier covers only MD, DO and DPM residents, interns and fellows, so a dental resident would not fit it. Other programs say "residents" without naming dental residents, so ask.

A resident stipend near $88,000 to $92,000 supports a much smaller payment than an attending income, and a one-year GPR often ends with a move. The math on renting or buying near Seattle's hospitals and the calendar on residency timing apply here too.

A dentist reviewing dental X-ray scans on a light box

How a dentist's income is documented

Dentists are paid in more ways than most physicians, and each one is documented differently. These are Fannie Mae's rules for conventional loans; physician programs set their own, often a little more flexible.

Associate with a signed contract

A fully signed, non-contingent offer or contract that shows the position, pay and start date can support a loan before the first paycheck. For a conventional loan on a primary home, Fannie Mae allows a start date from 30 days before to 90 days after closing when the income is a fixed base salary, with extra reserves. Many physician programs allow longer windows.

Production, commission or 1099 pay

Pay that rises and falls with production is treated like commission or bonus income. Fannie Mae recommends a two-year history, accepts as little as 12 months when the rest of the file is strong, and averages the income. A contract with a guaranteed base is easier to qualify on than production alone.

Practice owners

An owner of 25% or more is self-employed. Fannie Mae generally wants two years of history, with exceptions when the latest tax return shows a full year in the current practice and earlier income in the same field. Physician programs set their own rules for owners, so ask each lender how much self-employment history it needs.

Practice loans and a home purchase

Many dentists buy into or buy a practice in the same years they buy a home, and the two loans can affect each other.

  • On the personal credit report. Under Fannie Mae's rules, a business debt that shows on the personal credit report, such as an SBA loan, counts in the debt-to-income ratio unless the practice has been paying it (for example, 12 months of company checks), the business cash flow accounts for it and it has no late payments.
  • Timing. A newly signed practice loan has no payment history yet, so it is more likely to count. Ask the mortgage lender how a planned practice loan would be treated before signing it.
  • Self-employment clock. Moving from associate to owner can restart the self-employment history a lender looks at.

Student debt and qualifying

ADEA's survey of the class of 2025 found that 82% of new dentists had education debt, and those with debt averaged $297,800, up 2% from 2021. How that debt counts depends on the loan type and the repayment plan: a conventional loan may count a deferred loan at a fixed percent of the balance, while many physician programs use the actual payment or leave out loans deferred well past closing.

The rules, the new federal plans for loans first borrowed after July 1, 2026 and a worked example are on how student loans count.

Questions dentists ask

Can dentists get a physician loan?

Most national physician loan programs include practicing dentists with a DDS or DMD, often under the same terms as physicians. A few programs are for MDs and DOs only, so confirm the credential with each lender, and confirm the lender serves Washington.

Can a dental resident get a physician loan?

Sometimes. Fewer programs cover dental residents than medical residents. Truist's trainee tier, for example, covers only MD, DO and DPM residents. Ask before planning around a resident tier.

Can an associate dentist paid on production qualify?

Often, with history. Fannie Mae's rules treat variable pay like commission: a two-year history is recommended, 12 months can be enough with strengths elsewhere, and the income is averaged. A signed contract with a fixed base salary is simpler to qualify on.

Do practice owners need two years of tax returns?

Usually. Fannie Mae generally wants two years of self-employment history for an owner of 25% or more, with exceptions for a shorter history in the same field. Physician programs set their own rules, so ask each lender.

Does a practice loan count against a home loan?

It can. Under Fannie Mae's rules, a business debt on the personal credit report is left out only when the practice has paid it, for example with 12 months of company checks, and the business cash flow accounts for it. Ask the lender before signing a practice loan.

How much student debt do new dentists have?

ADEA's survey of the class of 2025 found 82% of new dentists had education debt, and those with debt averaged $297,800. How that debt counts toward a mortgage depends on the loan and the repayment plan.

More for doctors and dentists buying in Seattle

Keep reading

Next steps

For a dentist thinking about buying in Seattle, the best start is a few months ahead: confirm which lenders accept the credential and stage of career, settle how the income will be documented, and plan the order of any practice loan and home loan.

Talk with Brian

This page is general information, not a loan offer or financial advice. Brian Huie is a real estate broker, not a lender, and Brian is not paid by any lender. Loan programs and terms change often; confirm everything with a licensed loan officer, whose license can be checked on NMLS Consumer Access. Figures as of November 2026.

Sources