A professional liability insurance policy (aka dental malpractice insurance policy) provides
coverage if someone alleges that you did not meet the standard of care while practicing
dentistry. Finding a professional liability insurance policy as a dentist can be overwhelming.
There are so many different options available to dentists, varying in coverages, risk
management resources, policy type, and more. There are some key factors that should be
contemplated when choosing which policy is the best fit for you.

Claims-made or Occurrence?

When purchasing a professional liability policy you will be given the choice between purchasing
an occurrence policy or a claims-made policy. A claims-made policy provides coverage for
claims reported while the policy is in force. The policy covers professional services provided on
or after either (1) the policy inception date or (2) an earlier retroactive date. For an occurrence
policy, coverage is provided for incidents that happen during the policy period, regardless of
when a claim is filed. Occurrence policies are typically more expensive than claims-made
policies. When a claims-made policy is canceled, it is necessary to purchase tail coverage or an
extended reporting period. Tail does not need to be purchased for an occurrence policy.

What limit of liability should I purchase?

The industry standard for dental professional liability policies is a $1,000,000 each occurrence
or claim and $3,000,000 aggregate limit in most states. This means that for each claim or
occurrence (this depends on policy type) you will have $1,000,000 of professional liability
insurance coverage. You can have three $1,000,000 claims per year because there is an annual
aggregate limit of $3,000,000.

Some states require dentists to have professional liability policies with specific limits. If your
state requires you to carry a specific limit, it is important to be aware of that limit. However, if
there is no required limit and you have no other requirements, the limit you choose is entirely up
to you. Some dental professionals choose to purchase a policy with a higher limit just because it
gives them peace of mind. You may find that the cost to increase your policy limits is very
reasonable.

How can an insurance company help reduce my risk of having a claim?

Many dental professional liability insurance carriers offer various resources for risk
management. This can include boilerplate consent forms and workflow examples to help
prevent claims. Many dental professional liability insurance carriers also offer risk management
courses. Sometimes taking these courses will allow you to receive a discount on your annual
premium.

How will they help if I have a claim?

A good dental professional liability insurance carrier will provide you with an expert defense
team in the event of a claim. The attorneys they provide are experienced in working with dental
professionals and will help guide you through the process of responding to any allegations.
Common Professional Liability claims against dentists:

● Tooth Extractions can lead to a variety of different professional liability insurance
claims against dentists. Extracting a tooth takes a significant amount of force and
maneuvering, which can result in the patient being injured. Some patients allege
their dentist damaged a nerve or even broke their jaw as a result of the strength
needed to remove the tooth. Tooth extractions can also leave patients vulnerable
to infections that can lead to lifelong discomfort or injury. Many patients have
claimed they developed an infection as a result of their dentist not informing them
of after-care or an error during the procedure.
● Procedures on the wrong tooth are common claims made against dentists. There
may have been confusion during the procedure and the dentist pulls out the
wrong tooth.
● Many patients will accuse dentists of failing to diagnose a disease or illness. An
example of this would be a dentist not diagnosing a patient’s periodontal disease
or oral cancer at their check-up. If periodontal disease is not diagnosed early,
teeth can be lost and the patient can develop infections.

InsureGen Brokers can help you find a dental professional liability insurance policy and answer
any questions that you have along the way. We can get free quotes for you from multiple
insurance companies to help you compare the options available to you.