Dental hygienists provide invaluable oral care and hygiene to patients, but that doesn’t mean their job is risk-free. In fact, as medical professionals, dental hygienists face many risks every day. That’s where dental hygienist insurance comes in. With the right insurance policy, you can protect your dental hygienist practice against everything from property damage to lawsuits alleging negligence, bodily injury, and more. To learn more about how dental hygienist insurance from ALIGNED can protect you, keep reading.
Definition of dental hygienist insurance
Dental hygienist insurance is for dental hygienist practices looking for financial protection. Though coverage varies, the purpose of dental hygienist insurance is to safeguard your business against common damages and losses that may arise from lawsuits, property damage, and more.
Why purchase dental hygienist insurance
The main benefit of dental hygienist insurance is the protection it offers. Without this type of insurance, one lawsuit alleging negligence or bodily injury or a single incidence of property damage could put a serious financial strain on you and/or your clinic. But with the right coverage, dental hygienist insurance can prevent financial ruin in the event of a loss.
Common risks faced by dental hygienists
Medical professionals, such as dental hygienists, face many risks each day. From being sued by a patient for negligence to a fire breaking out and damaging expensive dental equipment, it’s important for dental hygienists to be financially protected against a variety of potential scenarios. Thankfully, dental hygienist insurance exists to do just that – prepare you for unforeseen circumstances. Some of the most common risks dental hygienist insurance can protect against are listed below:
- Property damage: A fire breaks out at your clinic and damages expensive dental equipment.
- Third-party bodily injury: A patient slips on a wet floor in the lobby of your dental hygienist clinic and insures themselves.
- Lawsuits: You fail to detect periodontal disease in a patient and they sue you.
- Cyber attacks: A hacker breaches your online system and steals confidential financial and medical information about your patients.
Recommended insurance coverage for dental hygienists
Dental hygienist insurance policies vary, which means your policy may not include all the coverage listed below. That said, these are some of the insurance coverage types we recommend for dental hygienists.
- Professional liability insurance: Professional liability insurance, also known as malpractice insurance or errors and omissions insurance, is important for professionals whose clients depend on their advice, such as dental hygienists. This type of coverage will pay for legal fees (e.g. defence costs, settlements) if a claim of negligence, error, omission, misconduct, or failure to deliver an advertised service is brought against you or your clinic, regardless of the lawsuit’s outcome.
- Commercial general liability insurance: Commercial general liability insurance, sometimes referred to as “slip-and-fall insurance,” protects against the day-to-day risks that come with operating a dental hygienist practice. With this type of coverage, your clinic may be compensated in the event of a third-party property damage or bodily injury claim. Specifically, your insurer may cover the cost of medical expenses, repair bills, and even legal fees up to the policy limit.
- Product liability insurance: If your dental clinic sells products, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental flossers, and more, then you should consider product liability insurance. Even if you didn’t manufacture these products, you could still be held liable if a patient buys a product from you and it later causes bodily injury or property damage. But with product liability insurance, your insurance provider might cover you in the event of a lawsuit.
- Commercial property insurance: Protect your dental hygienist clinic against unforeseen circumstances like theft, vandalism, fire, water damage, etc with commercial property insurance. When you add commercial property coverage to your dental hygienist insurance policy, your insurance company may pay for repairs or replacements if your clinic or its contents are stolen or damaged due to an insured peril.
- Cyber liability insurance: If your dental hygienist practice stores confidential data online (e.g. patients’ medical histories or financial information), then cyber liability insurance is important. With cyber liability coverage, if a hacker steals important data, your insurance provider will help cover the associated costs, such as credit monitoring, crisis control, patient notification, and more.
- Sexual misconduct insurance: One claim of sexual misconduct can have serious repercussions for your entire practice. Sexual misconduct insurance can help pay for the legal expenses associated with defending your business or an employee against allegations or claims of sexual harassment or any form of sexual abuse.
Key considerations for dental hygienist insurance
- Coverage: It is up to each dental hygienist to decide what coverage they want to include with their insurance policy. Before making this decision, you will need to assess your risk level. Commercial general liability insurance, professional liability insurance, and commercial property insurance are fairly standard for most dental hygienist insurance policies. However, you will need to consider whether others, like cyber liability insurance or sexual misconduct insurance, are worth the cost (more on that below).
- Cost: The next key consideration when purchasing dental hygienist insurance is the cost. The cost of insurance is one of the most important factors for policyholders. No one wants to spend more money on dental hygienist insurance than they have to. If you’re looking for an affordable dental hygienist insurance policy, contact ALIGNED. We shop around on your behalf to find you the best coverage at a competitive rate. You can also get in touch to learn more about the cost of dental hygienist insurance or to request a quote. (Ultimately, how much your dental hygienist insurance policy costs will depend on several factors, like the size and location of your clinic, the number of employees, the coverage types, policy limits, deductibles you choose, and more.
- Insurance broker vs. insurance company: Finally, before buying a dental hygienist insurance policy, you will need to decide whether you want to purchase it directly through an insurance company or through a broker. There are benefits to both, though working with an insurance broker is the best way to ensure you are getting a great rate for your policy since we compare quotes on your behalf.
How insurance rates are calculated for dental hygienists
Insurance companies consider all kinds of factors when calculating insurance premiums for dental hygienists. For example, an insurance company may ask about the location of your dental hygienist practice, the specific services you offer, your years of experience and training in the field, the annual and projected revenue of your practice, the number of employees at your practice, and your insurance claims history. Beyond these details, the final cost of your dental hygienist insurance policy will also be influenced by the coverage types, limits, and policy deductibles you choose. Ultimately, the best way to find out how much dental hygienist insurance will cost you is to contact ALIGNED. An expert insurance broker can explain in greater detail how insurance premiums are calculated for dental hygienists and even provide you with an accurate and competitive quote.
Are you ready to ALIGN your business with top-notch dental hygienist insurance?
Then you’re in the right place. ALIGNED is here to help you find a great insurance policy that protects your dental hygienist practice. Get started today by giving us a call and explaining your insurance needs. A friendly and knowledgeable ALIGNED broker will take the time to understand your unique needs so that they can find you a fantastic dental hygienist policy. The ALIGNED team works tirelessly to match our clients with top-notch insurance policies. Simply sit back, relax, and let us do the heavy lifting. We’ll get back to you with some great options in no time. For a hassle-free insurance experience and innovative insurance solutions, ALIGNED is here. Contact ALIGNED to learn more about dental hygienist insurance today or click here for a free quote.
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