South Africa
Membership information +27 11 484 5288
Dentolegal advice 0800 014 780
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Membership information +27 11 484 5288
Dentolegal advice 0800 014 780

New Members

  • What does membership include?
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    23 July 2021
    Your membership offers comprehensive protection through advice, support and assistance with clinical negligence claims*, HPCSA matters, support with complaints, disciplinary proceedings, inquests and criminal investigations arising from clinical practice, 24/7 medicolegal advice, risk prevention, CPD and more.
    Find out more about your benefits

    *for private practice members
  • Why is the flexibility that discretionary indemnity provides so important?
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    21 July 2021
    Read our article to find out why discretionary indemnity and the flexibility it offers is important.
  • How is my subscription calculated?
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    21 July 2021
    Dental Protection is committed to ensuring that your subscription rate is reflective of the work you carry out. Read more
  • Why do some other indemnity providers and insurers charge less than Dental Protection?
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    21 July 2021
    Dental Protection has been supporting healthcare professionals for more than 60 years in South Africa. During that time other providers of professional protection have entered the healthcare market.

    Globally, we have seen new entrants often offer cheaper products in the short-term – even if this means making a loss initially because they want to enter the market. Unfortunately, such pricing is rarely sustainable, and a number of these providers have ended up exiting the market, or limiting the service and thus increasing the obligations a practitioner must assume. Historically we have seen how this has left practitioners unprotected.

    Similarly, insurance providers from other fields enter the clinical negligence market – due to pressures in their existing market – looking to generate a profit without fully understanding the risks and challenges that healthcare practitioners can face. Such a move is often opportunistic and is rarely part of their core business. As a result, products are designed and managed to ensure profit objectives are met – when this is not the case, or the risk has been insufficiently provisioned for, they can exit, leaving practitioners unprotected.

    Given that it can be many years between an incident happening and a claim being made, it is crucial that dental professionals ask themselves whether their provider of professional protection is offering a long-term solution.

    Dental Protection has four decades of experience in dealing with complex clinical negligence cases in Malaysia, which is a highly specialist area. We’re able to use this experience to more accurately predict the true price of risk. Whilst no process can be an exact science, we are the best placed to set subscriptions that accurately reflect the full cost of protection.

    A long time can elapse between an adverse incident occurring and the resulting claim being settled. Because of this delay, a number of factors can have a significant impact on the size of settlements, such as changes in legislation and unexpected changes in claims inflation. Practitioners need to be confident that their provider has the resources reserved in order to be able to accommodate these factors.
  • How much profit does Dental Protection make?
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    21 June 2021
    We are a not-for-profit organisation owned by members. We exist purely for the benefit of our members. There are no dividends to be paid to shareholders and all subscriptions are used for the benefit of the membership.
  • Does Dental Protection have a policy to try and settle claims as soon as possible rather than defend the member?
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    21 June 2021
    It is a common misconception that we settle claims as quickly as possible because it is cheaper and easier for us to do so. This is simply not true – indeed, in the long run this would just encourage more claims. Rather, we take into consideration all of the evidence and information that we have available – including your record-keeping notes and consent documents, and give you our considered view on the relative merits of settling or defending a claim, based upon our experience and expertise in these matters.
  • In addition to clinical negligence, will Dental Protection assist with other liability arising from my practice?
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    21 June 2021

    Extended liability

    Dental Protection membership grants the right to request indemnity in relation to your own clinical practice.

    However, as an owner or partner in a practice you may be responsible for liability arising from other elements of the business, for example:

    • vicarious liability for the acts and omissions of other healthcare professionals or staff at your practice;
    • liability for products that are sold at your practice;
    • liability in relation to the safety of the practice environment; and
    • liability for non-clinical matters such as taxes and the performance of contracts entered into by or on behalf of your practice.

    It is important to understand that the subscription for an individual Dental Protection member is calculated on the basis of the risk represented by that member alone. 

    In the interests of fairness across the membership as a whole, where you are exposed to additional liabilities (such as those listed above), you do not have the right request indemnity for matters beyond your own clinical practice, unless your membership grade is expressly extended to cover these. 

    Note that Dental Protection offers corporate membership and other bespoke arrangements for members who require indemnity for the clinical negligence of their staff. Please contact your local membership office for further information.

    Find out more about the limitations of Dental Protection membership here.

Current Members

  • I have lost my membership certificate. Do you charge for sending out a duplicate?
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    25 July 2021
    No, we can issue a duplicate certificate to you free of charge. Please email SADA -[email protected] or SAMA - [email protected] or [email protected]
  • How can I get in contact with Dental Protection to see if they would like to sponsor an event or make a request for a speaker?
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    22 July 2021
    Please complete the online form to request sponsorship or request a speaker. You can do this here. Please note that we need at least four months' notice in advance of the event to be involved in any activity. 
  • What should I do if I receive a complaint?
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    22 July 2021
    We are here to help you. Please read our article to find out what to do next.
  • What if I think I am on the wrong grade for my membership? How do I maintain the correct protection that meets the health service I provide?
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    22 July 2021
    If your scope of work has changed and you think you may be on the wrong grade please contact us by emailing SADA - [email protected] or call +27 11 484 5288 or SAMA - [email protected] or call 0800 225 677 so that your membership can be updated.
  • I have just been on an implant training course and want to know when I can start to place implants?
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    21 July 2021
    You will need to make sure that your membership grade includes specific procedures, even if your implant work is restricted to the restoration of implants placed by another colleague you will still need to obtain a membership grade that include indemnity for the provision of specified procedures. f you need any further information you should contact SADA in the first place at [email protected]
  • I have just been on a short training course for short term orthodontics, when can I start treating patients?
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    21 July 2021
    There are no restrictions and indemnity for all orthodontic procedures is included in our general dentistry grades.
  • I place implants in the maxilla and sometimes I need to place a little bone graft material just under the sinus lining. Which category do I need to be in?
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    21 July 2021
    This procedure would be classified as a sinus lift irrespective of the technique used and therefore your membership grade must include maxillofacial procedures for you to have appropriate indemnity.
  • Does requesting advice affect my annual membership subscription?
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    21 June 2021

    Dental Protection does not use the number of requests for advice as part of its risk assessment of a member. This includes determining their membership subscription. We actively encourage members to contact us for advice to provide peace of mind and to help prevent a concern or problem escalating.

    In exceptional cases, where a request for advice involves facts or circumstances of a highly unusual or unique nature it might trigger a general review of an individual’s risk profile.

    However, we stress that this would be very unusual. So, if you want to discuss a dento-legal issue or need advice on how to prevent a concern or problem escalating, please do let us know - we are only a phone call away.

  • I will be taking a career break/going on maternity leave/retiring soon. How does this affect my membership?
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    21 June 2021

    Members who retire, take a career break or who otherwise stop practising dentistry voluntarily - either temporarily or permanently (excluding holidays), can request to retain Dental Protection membership in the retired/deferred category.

    As a retired or deferred member you pay no subscription, but can still apply for Dental Protection assistance with any dentolegal problems arising from a “Good Samaritan act”.

    However, if you decide to leave Dental Protection, then you will not be entitled to any assistance in relation to a Good Samaritan act if the incident occurs after your membership has ended. You must also inform us before you resume practice, so that we can ensure you are placed in the correct category of membership.

  • I don’t carry out these Specified Procedures very often. Can I continue to pay the basic subscription, and ‘top up’ my subscription payment each time I carry out these procedures?
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    31 March 2016
    No. Our subscriptions are calculated to apply to a full membership year, so if at any time during that year you will be carrying out Specified Procedures (see grade sheet for definition), you need to be in the correct membership category for that entire year. 
  • If I am paying insufficient subscriptions and a claim is made, what assistance can I have?
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    31 March 2016
    In order to benefit from membership it is imperative that you are in the correct membership category. The entitlement to make a request for assistance is only valid if you are paying the correct subscription. It is very unlikely that a request for assistance when a member is in the incorrect category will be authorised.
Expand all

  • I have been invited to participate in mediation. What do I need to do?

  • I want to work in the UK as a locum – what membership grade do I need?

  • What grade do I choose if I wish to carry out a treatment involving Botox for cosmetic purposes?

  • How do I know if I need to pay a maxillofacial subscription?

  • I am placing some implants and intend to undertake some bone harvesting. Should I pay a maxillofacial subscription?