Do You Need Professional Indemnity Insurance Run Off Cover When Retiring as a UK Dentist?

Run off cover is a specialised and specific insurance policy that provides protection against legal claims made after retirement or when a main insurance policy has come to an end. Whether or not a separate run off cover policy is needed depends entirely on the structure and terms of any existing dental indemnity arrangements as well as a few other key factors that we will unpack.

At a Glance: 

Whether professional indemnity insurance run off cover is needed depends on:

• Is a policy claims-made or occurrence-based?
• Are there run off terms embedded in your current policy?
• What is your patient demographic and what has been your treatment scope?
• Is this a partial or complete retirement?
• Did you own a practice and are therefore responsible for vicarious liability?

A Closer Look at Professional Indemnity Insurance Run Off Cover When Retiring from Dentistry

Is a policy claims-made or occurrence-based?

Whether your historical dental indemnity was provided on a claims-made or occurrence-based basis is critical when deciding if run off cover is required.

If a policy was claims-made, then you are only covered if a patient lodges a complaint or claim while the policy is active. The moment this policy has lapsed or is cancelled, you are no longer protected. This means that run off cover will be required in order to ensure you are protected.

With occurrence-based cover, however, you are protected based on the date the treatment causing the claim occurred. This means that run off cover is not required, because the policy that was active at the time of the treatment still applies and protects you indefinitely. 

With Densura’s contractual occurrence-based cover, you are protected from any claim arising from a treatment that happened while your policy was active, regardless of when the claim is made. This means that run off cover is not needed as the policy protects all work done indefinitely. Densura provides retroactive support for past work.

Are there run off terms embedded in your current policy?

If your policy is claims-made, it is important to check if there is any automatic run off cover included, as in some modern claims-made policies it is.

Another important note is that some insurers may require a separate lump-sum payment or an annual renewal when you exit your policy in order to activate any kind of automatic run off cover. 

What is your patient demographic and what has been your treatment scope?

Patient demographic and treatment scope are key factors to consider when evaluating the risk of future claims.

Regarding patient demographic, if you have treated young children, a claim could legitimately be brought more than 15 or 20 years after the procedure. This means that any dedicated run off cover you purchase would have to cover this time period if you have used a claims-made policy.

If you have specialised in higher-risk treatments such as implants or complex orthodontics, you are at a higher risk of claims arising at a later stage, especially in the case of treatments that could only present issues down the line. Again, the riskier the treatment, the more robust the professional indemnity insurance run off cover for retirement needs to be.

Is this a partial or complete retirement?

Another key factor to consider is whether you are planning on completely retiring or still being involved in some capacity in dental work. In the case of total retirement, you only need cover for previous work, but a possibility of part-time work would mean you still need an active indemnity policy to cover you.

Did you own a practice and are therefore responsible for vicarious liability?

The legal structure of your practice dictates who the claimant can pursue.

Former practice owners can face vicarious liability claims for work done by associates, hygienists or therapists even after selling or closing the practice. Run off cover must account for both your personal clinical liabilities and any vicarious claims in this case.

As a self-employed associate, however, you are primarily responsible for your own clinical work. This means that you are not held liable for the work done by other associates in your practice.

Ready to Get Started?

Densura UK offers trusted dental indemnity solutions with a robust contractual occurrence-based model and retroactive support for your past work, saving you stress and money with no run off cover needed.

Reach out to our team and request a quote today!

If you have any questions before you begin, our team is happy to talk you through the process. We understand the dental profession, and we’re here to make sure you’re properly protected.

Densura provides professional indemnity tailored to UK dental professionals. All quotes are subject to individual assessment and underwriting.

Written and reviewed on 12 August 2026