Dental hygienists work with dentists to promote good oral health. They take dental X-rays, remove tartar, and administer fluoride to the teeth.
You face risks as a dental hygienist. A patient can sustain injuries during a cleaning session. A piece of equipment in the dental clinic might get damaged. The best way to protect yourself and your business from perils is to purchase dental hygienist insurance. Everyone’s insurance needs differ, so this article will show the policies that fit well with your practice.
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 |
| Products and completed operations aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit | $300,000/$1,000,000 | $300,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Included | Can be included | No |
| Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included? | Yes | No | No | Can be included | Can be included |
| Equipment breakdown floater included? | No | Yes | Yes | Can be included | Can be included |
| Can you get a certificate of insurance online? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Consider a general liability policy. This dental hygiene liability insurance protects you and your business from third-party injury and property damage claims. Common situations include:
A patient slips and breaks their hip while in your care
One of your patient’s private property gets damaged while in your office
Your dental hygienist practice may benefit from add-ons coming from general liability insurance:
Non-owned auto liability–Helps cover the cost of accidents caused by a commercial vehicle you hired or borrowed
Employment practices insurance–Protects your medical practice in cases where employees allege workplace harassment and wrongful termination
Tools and equipment coverage–Protects your tools or equipment when damaged due to fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils
The coverage limit you will typically see for general liability insurance is between $1 million and $2 million.
No, in most cases, you will not be legally required to have general liability coverage to be a dental hygienist. However, just because it isn’t illegal doesn’t mean you should skip out on general liability insurance. General liability insurance can save you in a pinch or when you least expect it from damaging lawsuits.
| CoverWallet | NEXT | Thimble (Best) | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Yes | Can be included | No |
| HIPAA coverage included? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Sexual misconduct coverage included? | No | No | No | No | Can be included |
| License defense coverage included? | No | No | No | No | Can be included |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 | $500 | $50/$10,000 | $500 |
A dental hygiene malpractice insurance policy will protect your business from medical negligence, improper diagnosis, inaccurate advice, breach of contract, and other related offenses. This is sometimes called professional liability insurance for dental hygienists.
The best malpractice insurance for dental hygienists offers add-ons so that you are getting adequate protection: Here the most common:
Excess liability–Helps you get more coverage on an existing policy that doesn’t have enough coverage to get the protection you need
Extended reporting period–This gives you more time to file claims than your original policy would allow and still get covered
Malpractice insurance for dental hygienists will have a $300,000-$2 million per occurrence limit and a $500,000-$3 million aggregate limit.
The average dental hygienist malpractice insurance cost is $1,100 per year. This number will vary based on policy rates between insurers and your workplace location.
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| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $260,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 | $60,000 |
| Contents coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $22,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 | $60,000 |
| Outdoor signs | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
| Accounts receivable | Excluded | Excluded | $5,000/10,000 | Included | Excluded |
| Money and securities | Excluded | $2,500 | $1,000 | Included | Excluded |
| Lock and keys | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
| Business interruption floater | Excluded | Included | Included | Included | Excluded |
| Equipment breakdown floater | Excluded | Included | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
| Inland marine insurance floater | Excluded | Excluded | $10,000 | Excluded | Excluded |
| Employee dishonesty floater | Excluded | $5,000 | $2,500 | Included | Excluded |
Commercial property insurance is a policy that protects your business building and property. It applies protection for physically damaging events in situations like:
Theft
Vandalism
Fire
Lightning
Sinkhole collapse
Riot
Outdoor signs–This covers damage to signs outside your business property that gets damaged by a physical incident like fire or graffiti
Lock replacement–Helps with the cost of replacing keys and installing locks to help better protect your dental office
A typical commercial property coverage limit is $60,000 for your business building and $25,000 for the contents.
Yes. Your insurance premium will increase depending on the risk involved with your dental hygienist business. You can take steps to show that you are mitigating risk to lower the premiums you will have to pay. Maintaining all your electrical and fire safety systems, having a well-lit workplace, and teaching employees about job safety can all help reduce your risk profile to insurers.
| CoverWallet | Thimble (Best) | NEXT | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General liability aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $300,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 |
| Commercial property coverage limit | $50,000 | $500,000 | $260,000 | $25,000 | $75,000 |
| Optional policies can be added? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name additional insureds for free? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BOP discount? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
You will want a business owner’s policy because it combines the protection of general liability insurance, business interruption, and commercial property insurance. Examples coverage includes:
A member of the public visits your dental office but slips and hurts their back
Your dental office’s windows are broken in an act of vandalism
Cyber liability–This can help pay for damages to your business caused by a cyber attack or data breach
Employment practices–Insures your dental hygienist business against employee claims of discrimination, workplace harassment, and improper termination
BOPs will have between $1 million and $2 million in general liability coverage and between $15,000 and $50,000 in commercial property protection.
A business owner’s policy is a good fit because it allows you to get liability insurance with property coverage. With BOP, you enjoy comprehensive protection of both policies at an affordable rate.
| NEXT | Thimble | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate limit | $3,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | $15,000/$25,000 | $5,000-$10,000 |
| Covers hired and borrowed equipment? | $3,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | No | Yes |
| Miscellaneous equipment also covered? | $5,000/$10,000 | No | Yes | Yes |
| Offered as an endorsement to general liability insurance? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 | $0 | $0 |
Tools and equipment insurance helps protect your business equipment when damaged or stolen. Example coverage includes:
A dental tool is left unattended and gets stolen by someone walking by
A weather event causes some of your dental equipment to be repaired
Inland marine coverage–This policy can protect your tools and equipment when transported by a land vehicle or stored at another location
Equipment breakdown–Covers internal breakdowns of your dental hygienist tools and equipment
Tools and equipment insurance coverage limits vary between $5,000 and $20,000 to repair or replace equipment.
Tools and equipment insurance helps protect your business equipment when damaged or stolen. Example coverage includes:
A dental tool is left unattended and gets stolen by someone walking by
A weather event causes some of your dental equipment to be repaired
Inland marine coverage–This policy can protect your tools and equipment when transported by a land vehicle or stored at another location
Equipment breakdown–Covers internal breakdowns of your dental hygienist tools and equipment
Tools and equipment insurance coverage limits vary between $5,000 and $20,000 to repair or replace equipment.
This insurance policy is essential because tool and equipment theft results in billions of dollars in yearly loss. Getting your stolen tools and equipment back after someone has already taken them has a low chance of success. It is more efficient to replace a stolen tool.
You can utilize workers' compensation policies to protect employees when they become ill or injured while working. Workers comp pays for medical payments and lost income. Examples include:
An employee hurts their shoulders while carrying dental equipment
One of your employees develops a chronic neck condition while working
Yes, workers qualify for benefits regardless of who is at fault for the incident. This means that employee mistakes that cause injuries are covered as well. Exceptions include intentional injuries, fights among employees, and employees performing work duties while under the influence of substances.
Excess liability is an insurance policy that can boost another of your dental hygienist policies with additional coverage. Times to use this coverage include:
Your general liability policy runs out of coverage for an expensive lawsuit, and you need to get more coverage
A malpractice policy has used all the coverage, you get an excess liability policy so that you are still protected
An underlying policy is the initial insurance coverage you created to protect your business against losses. Excess liability insurance applies to this underlying policy to extend your coverage limits and guard against catastrophic claims.
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Deductible | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General liability insurance | $34 | $408 | $0-$500 |
| Professional liability insurance | $36 | $432 | $500-$1,000 |
| Excess liability insurance | $39.00 | $468 | $500-$1,000 |
| Commercial property insurance | $45 | $540 | $1,000-$2,000 |
| Business owner's policy | $60 | $720 | $1,500 |
| Tools and equipment insurance | $23 | $276 | $500-$1,000 |
| Commercial auto insurance | $49 | $588 | $500-$1,000 |
| Workers compensation insurance | $72 | $864 | $2,500-$5,000 |
The average dental hygienist insurance cost is $34 per month or $408 per year for a $1 million general liability insurance. Factors that affect premiums are claims history, business history, policy limits, deductibles, location, annual revenues, and number of employees. Here’s a table showing the cost of a $1 million general liability coverage from the best companies:
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEXT | $18 | $216 | Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for dental hygienists |
| The Hartford | $22 | $264 | Workers compensation insurance for dental hygienists |
| CoverWallet | $25 | $300 | Comparing dental hygienist insurance quotes online |
| Tivly | $27 | $324 | Comparing dental hygienist insurance quotes over the phone |
| Thimble | $29 | $348 | On-demand coverage for dental hygienists |
| Hiscox | $31 | $372 | Dental hygienist insurance with worldwide coverage |
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Here are the companies to consider for the best liability insurance for dental hygienist. Read some of the reviews below to know their pros, cons, and average rate for a $1 million general liability policy:
10% discount when bundling policies
Best overall
Issues an online proof of insurance instantly
Fastest general liability insurance for dental hygienists
Great customer service and reputation
Excellent rates
Outstanding value for money
Couldn’t find any
NEXT is an expert in business insurance that offers a plethora of helpful policies. You can find essential policies for your practice, like general liability, workers' compensation, business owner’s policy, and more. The company maintains an A- (excellent) rating with AM Best for its financial longevity.
Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for dental hygienists
Average cost: $18 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Quote online or through an agent
The claim tracking process is very intuitive
Renowned company for workers compensation insurance
Limited add-ons to general liability insurance
The Hartford has been a long-established provider of insurance with over 200 eyers of experience. Their direct premiums totaled more than $11 billion in 2022, and the company has served over one million small businesses. The Hartford has an A- rating from AM Best.
Best for: Workers compensation insurance for dental hygienists
Average cost: $22 per month
Our rating: 10/10
A convenient dashboard helps you easily keep track of policies
Easy online policy management
Compare rates with different providers
Not an insurance company but an insurance broker
CoverWallet is an online insurance platform that lets you compare rates with different providers. Dental hygienists will be happy to find an excellent malpractice insurance policy that meets your needs. Coverwallet provides policies in many states and has a good selection of insurance policies to choose from as well.
Best for: Comparing dental hygienist insurance quotes online
Average cost: $25 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Representatives connect you with the right insurer
Solution-oriented insurance approach
Excellent customer service that many find responsive
You need to talk to a representative to get a quote
Another excellent insurance platform can be found in Tivly. The company has over 200 partners to pick your dental hygienist insurance. With so many policies, you are bound to find an option that works for you. Tivly won’t just leave you to your own devices, either. Their customer service focuses on finding insurance solutions to your problems and matching you with the best policies. Call now to compare quotes over the phone.
Best for: Comparing dental hygienist insurance quotes over the phone
Average cost: $27 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Quickly issues an estimate of your rates
Accredited by the Better Business Bureau
Sells a short-term general liability policy
Make sure to do your research so you don’t overpay for policies
Thimble is a highly rated insurer offering policies for dental hygienist insurance like general liability, equipment protection, commercial property insurance, and business owner’s policy. The company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Best for: On-demand coverage for dental hygienists
Average cost: $29 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Offers discounts for bundling multiple policies
An excellent mobile app that customers find easy-to-use
Worldwide coverage
Coverage is limited in Alaska
Hiscox offers specialized policies for medical professionals that address their needs. The company has policies like business owner's policy, cyber security, and medical malpractice insurance that you can utilize in your dental hygienist practice. Hiscox has over 100 years of insurance experience. This company has an A rating from AM Best and serves over 500,000 customers.
Best for: Dental hygienist insurance with worldwide coverage
Average cost: $31 per month
Our rating: 10/10
1 / 5
Use anyone except Employers. Period. They are non-transparent and shameful. After I complained long enough to warrant a call from a supervisor, the supervisor called back from a PRIVATE NUMBER (no caller ID), left a message that they are not reversing their decision (without any communication with me), and failed to leave a phone number for me to call back. She was hiding! They also fact find via email and phone calls, which is terrific for speed and communication. However, after setting a precedence of email or phone calls, they send time sensitive information via email, without any heads up... they are hoping you miss it and forfeit via expiration. Evil policies. Go elsewhere.
1 / 5
This place is an absolute joke of a company and should be ashamed of the way they conduct business. I was hurt on the job at the end of July and it took them just shy of 7 weeks to issue out a paycheck to me. Yes the amount was back dated but still. Not many have the luxury of not receiving a paycheck for almost 2 months. To top it all off, the original adjuster marked me down for the wrong state which caused a problem from the get go, I've had 3 different adjusters now since each one can't seem to figure out the simplicity of my claim. All my paperwork which includes, my job, house, and drs visits all are from the same state and city but yet some how I have been filed under a completely different state 1500 miles away. They do not answer your phone calls or emails no matter how many you leave. I've had to escalate my frustrations to the supervisors of each of these individuals in order to even get some kind of response. I've had more communication and information given to me about my claim from the customer service representatives then the actual adjusters.......... please tell me how that works?! A serious overhaul needs to happen here in order to serve your clients the way they deserve to be taken care of. 10/10 do not recommend this company to a single soul on earth
1 / 5
I have never had the displeasure of working with a more incompetent and disrespectful person in my life. I’m an injured worker and the adjuster that was assigned to my case was named Carrie Furgeson. In the past 6 weeks that I’ve been injured and out of work I have only been able to get ahold of her twice, not for lack of trying. I have left countless voicemails, countless emails, and she ignores them all. When I am finally able to get ahold of her I’m greeted with terrible customer service. She is rude, she talks over me and I’m hardly able to get a word in edgewise. She spelled my name wrong on my documents even after I spelled it for her properly countless times, this caused a whole new issue with my bank. I have bill collectors from the hospital calling me demanding payment and Carrie Furgeson won’t do a single thing to help, or to get them paid. All of my documentation is in Colorado, my job is in Colorado, my address is in Colorado, all my Dr offices and appointments have been in Colorado and Carrie still managed to hold my claim because she wasn’t sure what state she needed to file it under. It’s been 6 weeks since my Injury and my company still hasn’t received the wage paperwork to fill out so they can get me my correct wages. When she’s not ignoring me she’s answering my questions with “I don’t know” well I don’t know how she got this job, because apparently she doesn’t know anything about it. She is a disgusting morose individual inside and out and I genuinely wish her the worst in all of her future endeavors. I highly recommend you don’t use this company. Please if you are a business owner and your looking into this company please don’t use them. I’m sure they have the cheapest payment and that’s why companies use them in the first place, but you will be doing your employees a grave disservice by forcing them to venture into this absolute dumpster fire of a company. I would rate 0/5 if possible but 1 was the lowest I was allowed.
5 / 5
Their general liability insurance purchase process is simply the best online experience I've ever had in my life!
5 / 5
As long as they cover your line of business, you're literally covered! best rates, best coverage, best online experience, best professionals, can't be happier that I chose them!
Not all those who wander are lost.
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