Dental Practice Insurance

With nearly one million people employed and an industry revenue of over $125 billion in the United States, dentistry is a big business—but it's also a vulnerable one, because a single slip of the hand could cause damage that's not easily fixed. As a dentist, you're susceptible to issues like leaks of patient information, forgetting to properly update the patient's medical history, failing to adhere to standards of care when you're rushed, and failure to detect diseases when they first occur.

Dental practice insurance can help protect your practice from the high costs of malpractice suits and regulatory fines. In addition to the basic coverage that every dentist should have, consider the following and whether or not you might need extra coverage:

• Do you substitute for other Dentists? Most policies only cover one dentist at one location. If you perform work outside your normal office, you'll need to be sure your policy covers you at that location.
• Have you incorporated? Many dental practices incorporate after several years of operation, but don't realize they need to be insured using a corporate malpractice policy. If a lawsuit occurs, these practices often have no coverage when they thought they had enough, leaving them to pay all costs out of their own pocket.
• Do you perform high risk procedures? Some elements of dentistry—such as implants—are considered riskier than normal operations and require correspondingly higher coverage.

Dental Equipment Coverage

Equipment is the heart of the modern dental industry—and we know how expensive your tools and diagnostic machines can be. Equipment coverage provides an added layer of protection in case the supplies you've purchased fail or do not live up to the claims of the manufacturer.

New products enter the market on a regular basis, so consider talking to one of our agents whenever you purchase something you haven't used before. We'll help perform a risk assessment and determine whether or not you need additional coverage before you start using the equipment on patients.

Commercial Property Insurance

Commercial property policies are one of the most important elements of dental practice insurance. Falling trees, fires, and water damage are all potential threats to the place you work, and any of these could quickly destroy tens of thousands of dollars in equipment. Whether you're facing a minor interruption or a major loss, making sure your property is insured is of critical importance to any business owner, so call Westmoreland Insurance today to discuss covering your dental practice.

1. "Dentists in the US: Market Research Report." Dentists in the US Market Research. Accessed April 11, 2016. http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/default.aspx?indid=1557.

2. Abel, Martin G., DDS. "The Real Cost of Dentistry." Dental Economics. Accessed April 11, 2016. http://www.dentaleconomics.com/articles/print/volume-96/issue-9/features/the-real-cost-of-dentistry.html.