Malpractice insurance designed for dental professionals
Your dental practice hinges on trust and care—but allegations of treatment errors or negligence can arise unexpectedly. Dental malpractice insurance protects your career from the financial and reputational impacts of claims, ensuring your focus remains on your patients.
Defending against allegations of harm can be costly. Dental malpractice insurance covers legal fees, settlements, and State Board complaints, safeguarding your practice at every turn.
A Risk Strategies advisor can help you select the right policy for your career stage. Request a complimentary risk assessment today!
What is dental malpractice insurance?
Dental malpractice insurance provides financial protection against allegations of errors, negligence, or misdiagnoses. Whether facing a lawsuit or a State Board complaint, the right policy preserves your professional integrity and practice’s future.
- Protects against the expenses of malpractice claims, preventing financial strain.
- Covers unexpected legal costs, including State Board complaints, for added confidence.
What does it cover?
- Legal defense
- Settlement costs and judgments
- Regulatory defense costs (including State Board complaints)
With this coverage, you can deliver exceptional care without being derailed by unexpected claims.
Example: A patient alleges a treatment error caused nerve damage. Your malpractice policy covers defense costs, settlements, and damages, supporting you to move forward.
Who needs dental malpractice insurance?
Dental malpractice insurance is essential for any dental professional involved in patient care. Those who benefit most include:
- General dentists – Protection against claims of procedural errors or oversights.
- Dental hygienists – Accountability for direct patient care.
- Specialists (orthodontists, periodontists, etc.) – Tailored policies for unique risks.
- Practice owners – Secures the entity and employees against negligence claims.
Your coverage must match your responsibilities. A Risk Strategies advisor offers personalized solutions for your situation. Contact us for a custom coverage evaluation.
Types of dental malpractice insurance
Individual professional liability for dentists
Even vigilant dentists face allegations of harm. Individual professional liability insurance protects your reputation and finances when claims arise.
Example: A patient claims harm from a routine root canal. Your policy covers legal representation, court fees, settlements, and judgments, letting you focus on your practice.
Why choose this?
- Protects against claims of negligence.
- Minimizes personal financial exposure.
- Meets licensing or employment insurance requirements.
Entity professional liability
For practice owners, lawsuits may target the entire business. Entity professional liability policies cover legal fees and damages when your practice is named in a claim.
Example: A patient alleges unsanitary conditions caused an infection. Your practice must respond, even if staff aren’t named directly.
Key considerations:
- Separate entity coverage is needed if you employ other dental practitioners (e.g., associates, hygienists), beyond adding your practice as an “additional insured.”
Group professional liability
Growing into a team-driven practice brings new challenges. Group malpractice insurance consolidates coverage for multiple providers, protecting the practice as a whole.
Example: A claim targets a hygienist, associate dentist, and the practice. A group policy streamlines coverage and shields your business from overwhelming legal costs.
Advantages:
- Simplifies policy management across your team.
- Eliminates coverage gaps as associates join or leave.
- Ensures consistent protection for all providers, safeguarding your practice’s reputation.
How to secure the right dental malpractice protection
- Begin with dental malpractice insurance
- This foundational policy covers legal fees, settlements, and State Board complaints.
- It’s the critical first layer of defense for any practice.
- Understand occurrence vs. claims-made policies
- Occurrence policies: Cover incidents during the policy’s active period, regardless of when the claim is filed.
- Claims-made policies: Cover claims made during the policy term, unless extended with tail coverage.
- Consult a professional risk advisor
- A Risk Strategies advisor evaluates your risks and aligns coverage with your career stage and practice goals.
Why your practice needs comprehensive dental malpractice insurance
Operating without adequate insurance is a significant risk. Litigation can arise long after patient care, and defending yourself can financially cripple unprotected professionals.
Ask yourself:
- Could you handle the costs of a malpractice lawsuit?
- Would your finances or practice be at stake without proper coverage?
- Does your current policy account for State Board complaints?
Why Risk Strategies?
Risk Strategies delivers unmatched expertise and custom insurance solutions designed specifically for the dental industry. We understand the unique challenges dental professionals face, and provide coverage that ensures your income, practice, and future are fully protected.
- Decades of dental industry experience:
With 30+ years of focused expertise in dental risk management, we offer a deep understanding of the specific challenges dental professionals encounter daily.
- Customized coverage options:
Every plan is designed to fit your needs with tailored insurance solutions, offering protection that suits your goals, instead of relying on generic one-size-fits-all policies.
- Proactive loss prevention:
We create cost-effective risk management strategies that focus on minimizing exposures, reducing potential disruptions to your practice, and avoiding unnecessary expenses. All steps that ensure every dollar works for you.
- Trusted by dental professionals nationwide:
Our longstanding partnerships with dentists reflect our proven ability to safeguard practices while providing support, knowledge, and peace of mind.
- Strong carrier partnerships:
Enjoy access to top-rated insurance companies that will provide the best coverage at competitive rates.
Partnering with Risk Strategies means more than having an insurance broker. It means gaining a dedicated ally in managing the risks that could impact your career or practice.
Schedule a consultation today to explore our tailored solutions built to protect your life’s work, so you can focus on delivering exceptional patient care with confidence.
