Insured indemnity for cosmetic procedures
In response to member requests and in the interests of patients, we are now able to offer insured indemnity for certain cosmetic procedures.
Publication date: 2 December 2008
Frequently asked questions
Tooth bleaching
I am a dentist and want to undertake tooth bleaching. Do I need to pay an extra supplement for this type of work?
No. Tooth bleaching is included in our standard subscription rates, and we do not charge a supplement to dentists who undertake tooth bleaching as part of their dental practice.
I am a dental hygienist/therapist and would like to know if the DDU provides indemnity for tooth bleaching?
Yes. Tooth bleaching is included in our subscription rates, and we do not charge a supplement. A dental hygienist or therapist who undertakes tooth bleaching must ensure they have a prescription or treatment plan from a dentist who has assessed the patient and decided the patient is suitable for the treatment.
Any dental hygienist or therapist who wishes to undertake tooth bleaching must be suitably and adequately trained and should provide the DDU Membership Department with full details training undertaken.
Will the DDU definitely cover me if I am doing tooth bleaching with more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide?
The DDU will consider each complaint or claim on its merits, as would any other dental defence organisation. Because no dental professional has yet been prosecuted for tooth bleaching using a substance containing more than the permitted level of hydrogen peroxide, there is no legal precedent, and nobody can be sure whether or not such a prosecution would be successful and the dental professional would be convicted.
Botulinum and dermal filler procedures
The GDC issued a statement on
10 July 2008 that non-surgical
cosmetic procedures such as
botulinum toxin and dermal fillers
are not the practice of dentistry.
As a dentist, can I no longer
undertake these procedures?
The latest GDC statement suggests
that the use of non-surgical procedures
around the mouth may be legitimate
additions to dentistry, whereas their
use away from the perioral area is not.
It adds that advertisements placed for
the practice of dentistry must be
separate from those for non-surgical
cosmetic procedures and that dentists
should make clear to patients that such
treatments are not being provided in
their capacity as a dentist.
The DDU urges dentists to exercise caution in the way that they market and provide these treatments, particularly as it is not yet clear what might lead the GDC to take action against a registrant. We suggest dentists review their advertising and practice procedures to ensure the provision of facial cosmetic treatments is clearly separated from their practice of dentistry.
Does the DDU indemnify dentists for procedures such as botulinum and dermal filler injections?
Yes. In response to members’ requests,
and in the interests of patients, the DDU
has introduced an insurance supplement
for botulinum toxin and non-permanent
resorbable dermal fillers performed to the
lips or the face but excluding the neck
or any other part of the body. Dentists
wishing to undertake such procedures
must be suitably and adequately trained.
Does the DDU provide indemnity to DCPs for procedures such as botulinum toxin and dermal filler injections?
The GDCs current position is that only
dentists are competent to carry out
these procedures. Until the GDC
alters its position, the DDU continues
to advise DCP members not to
undertake such procedures.
Generally, any DCP who wishes
to undertake a procedure outside
the 'normal' duties of their group
should provide the DDU membership
department with full details of
the procedures that they wish to
undertake and full details of their
training for such procedures.
How much will my subscription be if I wish to undertake botulinum toxin and dermal filler injections?
Insurance for such procedures is through a supplement to a dentist's subscription, which varies according to the gross income received from patients for these treatments per membership year. Members who pay a subscription for maxillofacial surgery, may be able to include some of the specified cosmetic procedures within their current subscription but must first contact the DDU membership department for guidance.
I am a recently qualified dentist. How much will my subscription be if I want to undertake botulinum toxin or dermal filler procedures?
As above.
I work part-time and only undertake a small amount of facial cosmetic work, how much will my subscription be?
As the supplement is based on the amount of facial cosmetic work you intend to undertake, working part time will not affect the supplement payable.
How are the supplements for cosmetic facial work calculated?
All of our subscriptions and supplements are set after our actuaries and risk managers have made a careful assessment of the levels of risk involved.
We provide the actuaries with data on all the claims and potential claims that have been notified to us, and that have given, or might give rise to an indemnity payment. This includes data relating to recent settlements and legal costs. Using this data, the actuaries make financial predictions and advise on the total subscription needed. Subscriptions are then set bearing in mind the individual risk elements for different categories of dental work and a subscription is calculated for each type of dental member.
* Subject to the terms of the policy arranged through MDU Services Ltd (MDUSL) and underwritten by SCOR UK Company Limited and by International Insurance Company of Hannover Limited.
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