A message from Dentists’ Provident

Of the 13,000 dentally qualified practitioners who are members of the Dentists’ Provident, on average 1,600 make claims each year because they are unable to work due to an accident or illness. Of these some 200 will not return to work and will receive benefits from the Society until they reach retirement age.

 

Many dentists and Maxillofacial surgeons also work in the private sector  and are most at risk if they are unable to work because of an accident or sickness resulting in loss of income.

 

Salaried surgeons will also suffer loss of income in these circumstances, once their employers stop paying their salaries, after what is often a very short period.

 

The first aim of Dentists’ Provident membership is to ‘provide you with a regular income if, because of an illness or injury, you are unable to work and suffer a loss of income.’ It also allows you the choice of deciding how soon this income is paid, to allow for any period of illness when you expect your earnings to continue.

 

If you are a Maxillofacial Surgeon either as a consultant or in training, you need to calculate how much money you will need both in the short and long term if you are unable to work either temporarily or permanently. Many surgeons now work in mixed practice with income from both NHS trusts and private patients, so you must take into account your earnings from both sources.

 

Conclusion

 

Now is the time to look at both your hospital contract, to clarify whether you will be paid if you are unable to work through sickness or accident, for how long and whether you will be able to cover your private practice expenses, and also your income protection insurance to ensure that you have sufficient cover.

 

Taking good care of your finances means peace of mind throughout the rest of your career.

Dentistry in all its aspects, including maxillofacial surgery, is physically and mentally demanding, so it is no surprise that surgeons suffer health problems during their career.