Malpractice insurance for new dentists: carriers and first-year pricing

How we handle this page: no malpractice carrier pays us, and we don’t sell insurance. There are no paid links and no pick here. The carriers below are named because many new dentists get quotes from them, with facts taken from their own sites.

This page is general education, not advice on a specific policy. Read the policy language itself, and ask the carrier or a licensed agent about your state.

Who pays: associate or owner

If you’re an associate, the practice may add you to its policy, pay for your own policy, or expect you to buy one. Your contract should say which. “You’re covered” in an email isn’t enough.

If you own the practice, you need a policy for yourself and a plan for everyone who treats patients there. That includes associates and hygienists. Ask your carrier how employees and the entity itself are covered.

If you’re a 1099 associate, assume you buy your own unless the contract clearly says otherwise.

What to check in employer-provided coverage

1. Are you named? Get a certificate of insurance that lists you, not just the practice.
2. Is it occurrence or claims-made? This decides what happens when you leave (see below).
3. Who pays for the tail? If the policy is claims-made, the contract should say who buys tail coverage when you leave. Unpaid, it’s often your bill.
4. Are the limits shared? A practice policy may cover several dentists under one limit. Ask whether you have your own limit.
5. Does it include license defense? Board complaints are separate from lawsuits (see below).
6. Do you have consent to settle? Ask whether the carrier can settle a claim in your name without your agreement.

Occurrence vs claims-made

This is the biggest difference between policies. MedPro’s guide explains it plainly:

• Occurrence covers incidents that happen while the policy is in force, even if the claim comes years later. When you leave, nothing extra is needed for that period.
• Claims-made covers claims brought while the policy is in force. When the policy ends, so does the protection, unless you buy a tail.

New-dentist pricing is often tied to a claims-made policy. TDIC’s new-dentist rates, for example, are for its claims-made policy.

TDIC and The Doctors Company both say they sell both types. TDIC notes occurrence coverage “not available in all states.”

Tail coverage

A tail, formally an extended reporting endorsement, keeps you covered for claims made after a claims-made policy ends. You’d need one when you switch carriers, change jobs, or stop practicing.

MedPro says tail coverage can cost “sometimes double or triple” your current annual premium. That’s why the question of who pays belongs in your associate contract.

Some carriers waive it at retirement. MedPro offers free tail at retirement if you meet its criteria. The Doctors Company lists “free retirement tail coverage for eligible members.” Check each carrier’s conditions.

If you switch carriers but keep claims-made coverage, ask the new carrier about covering prior acts. That can replace buying a tail from the old one.

Consent to settle

A consent clause decides whether the carrier can settle a claim without your agreement. A settlement is made in your name, so this clause matters.

MedPro says it offers “pure consent with no exceptions.” The Doctors Company says it will “never settle a claim without your written consent, subject to your policy terms and applicable law.” MedPro’s “no exceptions” wording is a hint that some consent clauses do have exceptions. Read the exact wording in any policy you’re offered.

Limits

Limits are written as two numbers, such as $1 million/$3 million. The first is the most the policy pays per claim. The second is the most it pays for all claims in a policy year. TDIC’s new-dentist rates are quoted at $1M/$3M.

Higher limits cost more. Ask whether your employer, or any network or hospital you work with, requires a minimum before you choose. Ask whether defense costs are paid in addition to the limit or come out of it.

License defense

A board complaint isn’t a malpractice claim. MedPro describes board complaints as administrative proceedings about professional conduct. They can lead to fines, required training, or suspension or revocation of your license.

MedPro lists “administrative hearing defense” among its included coverages. It also warns that most policies don’t cover disciplinary measures. Any “fines imposed will be at the dentist’s expense.” Ask every carrier how much it pays for board defense, and whether that’s inside or on top of your limits.

First-year pricing, as carriers post it (as of Sept. 26, 2026)

These are the new-dentist programs we found on carriers’ own sites. We’re reporting what each posts, not comparing policies. Your price depends on your state, specialty, procedures and the policy you choose.

Carrier	What its site says for new dentists	Conditions it lists
TDIC	$0 first-year premium in Arizona and Illinois; $50 in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington. Then a 45% discount in year 2 and 25% in year 3.	New and never-practiced dentists licensed within the last 12 months; $1M/$3M claims-made policy. TDIC sells only in these 15 states.
MedPro Group	“Our $50 first-year policy”	Must qualify for both new-to-practice and new-to-company credits
The Doctors Company	Premium discounts “for part-time practitioners and those new to practice”	No first-year price posted on the page we checked

Fortress is another dental-focused carrier. We couldn’t load its site securely on Sept. 26, 2026, so we’ve left out its terms.

The first year is cheap on purpose. The real cost shows up in years two to five, as new-dentist discounts step down. TDIC’s schedule shows that pattern. Ask each carrier for the premium you’d pay in year four, not only year one.

What to do next

1. Read your associate contract for the six questions above. See associate pay, production and collections.
2. Get the policy type in writing: occurrence or claims-made, and who pays the tail.
3. Get two or three quotes if you’re buying your own. Compare consent, tail terms, limits and license defense, then price.
4. Put the premium in your budget for years one through five. See your first associate paycheck budget.
5. Protect your income, too. Malpractice covers claims; it doesn’t replace pay if you can’t work. See disability insurance for new dentists.