DentistryManaging Risk Within A Dental Practice

When it comes to owning a dental practice within the medical industry, it is always wise to ensure that a practice is fully covered with the right insurance policies to avoid any claims against any health professionals and the services provided by the practice. Claims such as dental negligence and medical malpractice could be very detrimental to the practice and its reputation. With this in mind, it is paramount to seek advice from professional insurance brokers who can help find the most efficient policies to provide the right cover for a dental practice and dental practitioners.

Dental negligence claim

Dental negligence is a type of claim that can be made against a health professional if a patient has received inadequate care which may have resulted in injury, making an injury worse, or having an injury overlooked. All of which entitles a patient to compensation. As well as the inflicting of physical injury, a claim will also cover harm to a patient’s psychological wellbeing or the cause of financial loss.

The most common types of dental negligence include:

• Nerve damage
• Periodontal disease misdiagnosis
• Delay or incorrect diagnosis
• Cosmetic dentistry issues
• Restorative dentistry errors
• Mistakes that have lead to the loss or damage of teeth
• Extraction of the wrong tooth

Dental malpractice claim

In the more severe cases of dental negligence is where dental malpractice claims can arise. If health professionals intentionally act in such ways that can cause negligence then a patient is entitled to compensation. You can click here to learn more about personal injury claims. The critical difference between dental negligence and dental malpractice is that the medical practitioners were fully aware of the potential consequences of their actions and chose to still act regardless.

Although both dental negligence and dental malpractice claims can have adverse effects on a dental practice, negligence claims are much more common. However, dental malpractice is a severe claim and can often lead to a medical professional losing their license, which of course, can damage the reputation of the practice and be very costly.

Indemnity dental insurance

A tailored dental indemnity insurance policy for practice owners and dental professionals is the most appropriate policy which will grant cover against any dental negligence and malpractice claims. No matter how diligent a dentist may have thought they were being, there is always the chance that dentists will face allegations of negligence or malpractice. This is why it’s vital for practice owners and dental professionals to have the right indemnity insurance that will cover legal expenses or any successful payouts awarded to a patient.

What is commonly included in an indemnity dental insurance policy?

As most policies will differ between insurers, the standard indemnity dental insurance policy will typically include:

• Legal defence costs – Including; prehearing representation, criminal defence, coroners inquests, regulatory compliance, dental compliance, employee extra protection and court attendance. Usually covered up to around 250,000 but can differ between different insurance companies.
• Dental malpractice and clinical indemnity cover available for dental practitioners.
• Nil excess – common for malpractice and indemnity claims.
• Reputation costs – Will usually cover the costs of crisis management from a PR firm to protect the reputation of the practitioner and the practice.
• Flexible payment options – monthly instalment plans.
• Defence union rejection.

Dental Practice Safety Summary

When working within the dental industry you are surrounded by risk at all times, as a practice owner it’s crucial you manage this risk. By investing in a dental insurance policy you can be sure that your practice and employees are protected from a wide range of claims. Speak to a local insurance broker and create a tailored policy which provides total peace of mind.

This post has been sponsored by Digital NRG Ltd