Dental indemnity insurance covers clinical negligence claims arising from dental treatment, and it exists at two levels: the practice's arrangements and each registrant's own. Registration puts the obligation on the individual, which is why associates, hygienists, therapists and nurses each have a position of their own.
What the cover answers for
A patient's claim that treatment fell below a reasonable standard and caused harm, together with the cost of defending it. Dental claims are frequently about treatment planning, consent and record keeping as much as about the procedure, which is why defence costs are a large share of the total.
Practice arrangements and personal ones
A practice insures its own liability, including for staff acting in the course of employment. A registrant's own arrangement follows them: to another practice, into locum work, and into representation at a fitness to practise hearing, which practice cover frequently does not include.
Insurance or a defence organisation
Two routes exist in dentistry as in medicine: a contractual insurance policy with a limit, or membership of a defence organisation offering assistance that has historically been discretionary. Registrants should know which they hold, because the two behave differently when a claim arrives.
Scope of practice
Adequate means adequate for what you actually do. Adding implants, orthodontics, sedation or facial aesthetics changes the scope and the arrangement has to follow. This is the point at which most registrants find their cover was written for the work they used to do.
Questions people ask about dental indemnity insurance
Who needs dental indemnity?
Every registrant, as a condition of registration, plus the practice for its own liability. The two are separate arrangements.
Is a defence organisation the same as insurance?
Not necessarily. Some offer discretionary assistance rather than a contractual right, which matters when a claim arrives.
Does adding a new treatment change it?
Yes. Adequate means adequate for your actual scope, so a new procedure or specialism has to be notified.