Insurance for Dentists and Dental Offices

Dentists and dental offices are subject to a variety of risks – one of the most prevalent being the threat of a malpractice claim from an unhappy client. Some other common risks include clients suffering a personal injury while on your premises, the possibility of employees getting injured while on the job, or the risk of property damage to your building and business equipment. Having appropriate insurance coverages in place can help reduce the financial impact associated with covered claims.

Who Needs Dental Office Insurance?

Regardless of what area of dentistry you may specialize in, if you fit into one of the following categories, you may want to consider speaking with an insurance agent to discuss your insurance options:

• General Dentist
• Dental Hygienist
• Dental Assistant
• Dental Technician
• Dental Anesthesiologist
• Orthodontist
• Periodontist
• Prosthodontist
• Endodontist
• And more

What Insurance Should Dentists and Dental Offices Consider?

Dental offices face many risks and challenges. The following non-exhaustive list includes some common types of insurance coverage that are commonly considered by dental offices.

Professional Liability / Malpractice

Malpractice insurance (sometimes referred to as professional liability insurance) can provide coverage for claims that arise out of negligent errors and omissions occurring during the course of dental procedures. Potential examples may include errors such as a failure to diagnose, delayed treatment, improper documentation, or causing damage to teeth, gums, etc. Given the nature of dentistry work and the risks that are associated with it, all dentists and dental offices should seriously consider purchasing malpractice insurance.

General Liability

General liability insurance helps to provide your dental office with protection for certain third-party liability claims related to your business operations, such as someone who suffers bodily injury (such as a slip-and-fall accident) or property damage while on your premises. Some general liability policies also include coverage for certain types of personal and advertising injuries, such as claims for defamation or copyright infringement.

Commercial Property

When it comes to protecting your dental office against certain types of loss, either to your building or equipment, commercial property insurance may be able to help. Whether you own the building or lease the space, commercial property insurance is highly recommended. The following are some of the assets commercial property can help insure:

• Your office building
• Your furniture, such as tables and chairs
• The equipment that your business runs on, like dental instruments and tools, computers, and office supplies
• Outdoor signage, banners, and other materials
• Certain landscaping components

Cyber Liability for Dental Offices

As a dental office, sensitive client records are frequently accessed and stored electronically. Cyber-attacks are, unfortunately, becoming more prevalent.  Cyber liability insurance can help to provide your company with protection from data recovery costs, reputational damage, and income loss if your clients’ data and records are stolen and exposed.

Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ Compensation may be legally required if your dental office has employees. Workers’ comp can help cover medical bills for employees who are injured or become ill because of work related events. It can also help cover a portion of lost wages while they are unable to work due to their injury or illness.

Commercial Umbrella for Dental Offices

Commercial umbrella insurance can be a wise choice for a business of any kind. This product provides an additional layer of coverage to help with claims that may exceed the policy limits of certain liability policies, such as commercial general liability and commercial auto liability.

How Much is Insurance for a Dental Office?

Insurance premiums for dentists and dental offices are typically determined by a variety of factors. These factors may include, without limitation: the types of policies and amount of coverage you select; the types of dental procedures you offer; the building and equipment your business runs on; the location(s) of the dental office; and the frequency and severity of your claims history.

Insurance Quotes for Dental Offices

At Cross Insurance, we work with many different insurance carriers ranging from local companies based out of New England to nationally recognized names. To get a picture of what it could cost to insure your dental office, you can request a quote from us, or if you prefer to call someone to start the quoting process, you can find a list of phone numbers to all of our offices here.

 

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This article is for general informational purposes only and is not to be relied upon or used for any particular purpose. Cross Insurance shall not be held responsible in any way for, and specifically disclaims any liability arising out of or in any way connected to, reliance on or use of any of the information contained in this article. The information contained or referenced in this article is not intended to constitute and should not be considered legal, insurance, accounting or other professional advice, nor shall it serve as a substitute for the recipient obtaining such advice. The views expressed in this article are that of its author and do not necessarily represent the views of Cross Financial Corp. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (“Cross Insurance”) or Cross Insurance’s management or shareholders.