Dental Practice Insurance

Yes. The Dental Board of Australia requires all registered dental practitioners to hold appropriate professional indemnity insurance as a condition of registration. This applies to dentists, dental specialists, dental hygienists, dental therapists and oral health therapists. The cover must be maintained continuously, including for run-off claims after retirement.

Standard property insurance covers equipment damaged by external events like fire or storm but not internal mechanical or electrical failure. Machinery breakdown cover can be added to protect against sudden failure of dental chairs, compressors, suction systems, autoclaves, imaging equipment and other critical machinery. This endorsement is strongly recommended given the high cost of dental equipment.

If the failure is covered under a machinery breakdown endorsement, the insurer covers the repair or replacement cost. Business interruption cover replaces lost practice income during the downtime period. Given that specialist dental equipment can take weeks or months to order and install, adequate business interruption cover with a sufficient indemnity period is essential.

Yes. Professional indemnity covers claims arising from cosmetic dental procedures including veneers, crowns, teeth whitening, smile makeovers and cosmetic orthodontics. Cosmetic procedures carry a higher risk of patient dissatisfaction claims, so practices offering extensive cosmetic services should ensure their professional indemnity limits are adequate.

Cyber insurance is increasingly important for dental practices. Patient records contain sensitive health and personal information protected under the Privacy Act. A data breach or ransomware attack can result in regulatory penalties, patient notification costs, system restoration expenses and reputational damage. Cyber liability cover addresses all of these exposures.

This depends on the policy structure. If you engage locum dentists, they may need their own professional indemnity cover, or they can be covered under the practice's policy if it is structured on a practice basis rather than a named-practitioner basis. Discuss your locum arrangements with your Shielded broker to ensure there are no gaps in cover.

Yes. Multi-site dental practices and corporate dental groups can cover all locations under a single insurance program with separate sums insured for each site. This typically provides administrative savings and may result in more competitive premiums than insuring each practice individually. Shielded regularly arranges multi-site dental practice insurance programs.

Commercial property insurance covers a wide range of property types including office buildings, retail shops, warehouses, factories, shopping centres, hotels, motels, restaurants, cafes, medical centres, child care centres, gyms, salons, laundromats, churches, petrol stations, mixed-use developments and more. Whether you own a single tenancy or a multi-storey complex, we tailor cover to match your property.

Premiums vary based on building value, location, construction type, tenant occupation and risk profile. A small retail shop may cost $1,500 to $4,000 per year, a standard office building $3,000 to $10,000, and a large warehouse or industrial property $5,000 to $25,000+. High-risk tenancies (restaurants, manufacturing) attract higher premiums. Request a free quote through Shielded for an accurate indication.

Commercial building insurance covers the physical structure including walls, roof, floors, fixed fixtures, common areas, car parks, fencing and services (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) against fire, storm, flood, impact damage, malicious damage, theft and accidental damage. It typically also covers demolition and removal costs, professional fees (architects, engineers) and compliance with current building codes when rebuilding.

If you own a commercial building and lease it to tenants, you need commercial landlord insurance. This covers the building structure, landlord's contents (common area furnishings, HVAC systems), public liability for common areas, loss of rental income if the building is uninhabitable after an insured event, and plate glass. Your tenants are responsible for insuring their own contents, stock and fit-out.

Loss of rental income (also called business interruption for landlords) provides replacement income if your commercial property becomes uninhabitable after an insured event such as fire, storm or flood. It covers the rental income you would have received during the repair or rebuild period, typically for up to 12 or 24 months. This is essential for property investors who rely on rental returns.

Plate glass cover is usually an optional add-on, not included in the base building policy. It covers the cost of replacing glass shop fronts, windows, doors, display cases and signage glass that is accidentally broken or vandalised. For retail properties with large glass frontages, this is an important cover to include.

Generally, the landlord insures the building structure, common areas and landlord's fixtures. Tenants are responsible for insuring their own contents, stock, fit-out, trade fixtures and their own public liability. Most commercial leases clearly define these responsibilities. As a landlord, ensure your lease requires tenants to hold adequate insurance and provide certificates of currency.

Contact us at Shielded Insurance on 1800 97 98 99 or reach out to your insurer directly. We recommend notifying us as soon as possible after damage occurs, documenting everything with photos, securing the premises to prevent further damage, and keeping records of all emergency repair costs.

We compare quotes from leading Australian commercial property insurers including CGU, QBE, Zurich, Vero, Hollard, Allianz, AIG and others. The best insurer depends on your property type, construction, tenant occupation and risk profile. As brokers, we do the comparison work to find competitive and suitable cover for your property.

Review your policy annually at renewal, or whenever there are significant changes such as new tenants, renovations, extensions, changes in building use, or updated valuations. Building replacement costs increase over time - if your sum insured does not keep pace with construction cost inflation, you risk being underinsured at claim time. We recommend a professional building valuation every 3 to 5 years.