Dental practice insurance questions, answered

It depends on the state. Colorado, Connecticut, Florida and Pennsylvania require dentists to carry professional liability coverage or, in some cases, another approved form of financial responsibility, with minimums set by statute or board rule. Elsewhere it's usually not a legal requirement, though group practices, DSOs and hospitals where you hold privileges commonly ask for proof, and without a policy you pay your own defense costs. Your state page covers the rules where you practice.

An occurrence policy covers treatment during the policy period, whenever the claim is made. A claims-made policy covers claims made while it's in force, for treatment after its retroactive date, so leaving it usually means buying tail coverage or getting prior acts coverage on the next policy. Read the full explanation

Tail coverage (the policy calls it an extended reporting period) keeps a window open after a claims-made policy ends, so a claim about care you gave while it was active can still be reported. Dentists most often need it when they retire, sell, switch carriers or leave a group. Some policies include it at no charge in certain situations, such as retirement after a set number of years; check your policy's terms.

It varies widely. Your malpractice premium depends on your specialty and the procedures you perform, the limits you choose, where you practice, whether the policy is claims-made or occurrence and how long it has been in force, and your claims history. See what drives the price

It may. Many dental professional liability policies can cover employed hygienists and assistants under the owner-dentist or the practice entity, while some team members carry their own policies. Our team confirms who is named before each renewal.

The board reviews or investigates it, and you'll usually respond in writing, often with help from an attorney. Many dental professional liability policies offer license defense coverage, often as a sublimit, to help with those legal costs. How license defense coverage works

A BOP typically combines property coverage for your building or build-out and contents, general liability for non-clinical accidents, and business income after covered damage. It doesn't cover malpractice, workers' comp or most cyber events. More on BOPs

Usually not. Most general liability policies on a dental office exclude professional services, so treatment-related injuries go to your malpractice policy. GL handles non-clinical accidents, like a fall in the parking lot or waiting room.

In most of our states, yes, once you have employees, though several set a minimum headcount (Florida's is four for non-construction employers) and Texas lets private employers opt out. Ohio employers buy comp only from the state fund.

No, the insurer is the company that issues your policy. We're the independent agency in the middle, a brand of The Allen Thomas Group. We compare options, explain them and place the coverage you choose with the insurer.

Filling in the form is a two-minute job. A licensed agent reaches out within one business day (requests sent on a weekend are answered the following Monday) to confirm details, then we compare options. Timing depends on how quickly we can gather current policy information, so starting before your renewal helps.