July 22, 2021
Agency
Recommended Business Insurance Coverages for Dentists
Running a dental practice that keeps customers smiling is your priority as well as ours. G & H Financial Insurance provides diverse commercial insurance solutions to fit your needs. From taking care of patients to handling sensitive patient information, your practice faces unique risks. That’s why having dental office insurance is an essential risk management technique that no practice should go without.
Common Coverages for Dentists 
Dental offices are like any other business. It’s important to explore common commercial insurance options and create the right set of coverages that can make it easier to protect the most critical aspects of your practice.
Many dental practices start their coverage with a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP). Also known as small business insurance, this is a foundation of insurance protection customized for smaller operations. The coverage included in a BOP usually encompasses:
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General liability—Helps protect your business if someone claims that your dental office injured them or damaged their property. This coverage would help pay for any of the patient’s medical costs.
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Business property—Protect your owned or rented office space along with the equipment used to run your dental office, including:
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Patient chairs
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Dental lights
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Sterilization equipment
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Tools and instruments
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Dental x-ray equipment
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Business income—This can insure your dental office’s lost income if you can’t open because of covered property damage.
Other coverage options to consider include employment practices liability insurance, commercial auto insurance, workers’ compensation insurance and cyber liability insurance, among others. In some cases, you can add these coverage options to your BOP, while in others you will have to buy separate policies.
Dental Malpractice Insurance
Besides having a BOP, dental malpractice insurance may be required to become a licensed practicing dentist. This coverage is essential because it ensures you are protected if someone were to name your business as part of their malpractice claim. Even if you are not found personally liable for wrongdoing, your practice could still be responsible for damage to a client. As part of dental malpractice insurance, you are provided a legal professional to stand on your behalf against invalid allegations. The National Practitioner Data Bank said in November of 2018 that $79,000 is the average payout in dental malpractice cases. They also advised that 3,900 dental professionals are named as defendants in U.S. malpractice lawsuits each year.
What Is Covered Under Malpractice Insurance?
Individual plans are based on specific needs and might differ from one dental practice to another. However, the following aspects of a malpractice suit may be covered in some form:
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Damages, should you be found liable for malpractice
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Expenses associated with either settling or defending malpractice suits
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Settlement costs
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Arbitration costs
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Medical damages
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Compensatory and punitive damages
If a malpractice lawsuit includes any of the following allegations, however, it is likely not covered under the policy:
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Inappropriate alteration of medical records
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A criminal act of some sort
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Sexual misconduct
With dental office insurance, you can have peace of mind knowing you have coverage to help protect you from different risks. Contact us at 281.395.5497 or request an online quote right now!