Why dentists need income protection
In his 1999 number one hit Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen), one of the pearls of wisdom Baz Luhrmann dispenses is: “The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind – the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.”
Expectation is important in the human experience. When things happen that we don’t expect, we can experience the extremes of our emotions – everything from joy to heartbreak. The things that hit us hardest are often the things we least expect.
No one expects to be unable to work through ill health. Everyone thinks they’re indestructible. Until they’re not.
Suddenly, they’re blindsided at 4pm on some idle Tuesday with the news that they’re going to be unable to work and, consequently, unable to earn money for a significant period of time due to a serious health issue.
Planning for the unexpected
I’ve spoken many times in previous articles about the importance of planning. A lot of the time, it’s about planning for the future through saving and investing. It’s vitally important to plan for the worst, too. This is where protecting your income can come in.
Why dentists are particularly at risk
In Wesleyan’s income protection claims data for 2025, the most common claim from dentists was for musculoskeletal reasons (making up 38% of claims). By comparison, claims for the same reason by hospital doctors and GPs made up only 25% and 11% of their totals, respectively.
The reason for this is that dental work often involves repetitive movements, prolonged static postures and awkward positioning while treating patients. Musculoskeletal disorders are one of the most significant occupational health risks for dentists, with neck and back pain being particularly prevalent.
The next most common income protection claim from dentists at Wesleyan in 2025 was as a result of tumours, accounting for 13% of claims. Of course, this isn’t necessarily specific to dentistry. The equivalent claim figures for tumours among hospital doctors and GPs were 16% and 19%, respectively. But a tumour is something that can be diagnosed at any time, for anyone, so this underlines the general risk in this area.
The mental health factor
The third most common reason for claims from dentists was mental health.
Dentists aren’t necessarily uniquely predisposed to mental illness because of dentistry itself, but the profession combines several recognised psychological stressors: high-precision work, anxious patients, time pressure, business responsibilities, professional isolation and chronic physical strain.
Together, these factors can increase the risk of burnout, anxiety, depression and stress-related disorders, potentially leading to long periods of being unable to work.
What happens when the income stops?
For the vast majority of people, a loss of (or significant reduction in) income would have a major impact on their standard of living and their ability to support their loved ones.
The move away from NHS dentistry over recent years means that many dentists are no longer eligible for sick pay from the NHS, so that safety net has been removed. Many people would say that their house is their most valuable asset, but I would argue that it’s actually you – and your ability to earn money.
Your most valuable asset could be you
For example, if we look at a dentist over the course of a 35-year career, earning £100,000 a year over that period, that’s up to £3,500,000 of income that could be lost if that dentist were diagnosed with something serious and became unable to ever work again.
This, of course, doesn’t account for factors such as inflation, but it illustrates the point well. If you had a physical asset worth £3,500,000, would you insure it? I suspect that you would.
What’s your plan B?
Your income is vital to your standard of living. Given the increased risk of losing income due to accident or sickness posed by the nature of dentistry, it’s important to consider your plan B should life not go as you planned.
The decision to protect your income or not is entirely yours, of course. But, as food for thought, I’ll finish with a further quote from Baz Luhrmann’s song: “Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.”
The question is, do you want to take that chance?
To speak to a Specialist Financial Adviser from Wesleyan Financial Services, visit wesleyan.co.uk/dental or call 0808 149 9416.
Charges may apply. You will not be charged until you have agreed to the services you require and the associated costs. Learn more at www.wesleyan.co.uk/charges.
About Simon
Having built vast experience as a Specialist Financial Adviser (SFA) over the years, Simon Cosgrove is now a Dental Regional Manager at Wesleyan Financial Services, guiding a team of dental SFAs to support dentists, their families and their practices with expert planning to secure their financial future.
Wesleyan Financial Services Ltd (Registered in England and Wales No. 1651212) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: Colmore Circus, Birmingham B4 6AR. Telephone: 0345 351 2352. Calls may be recorded to help us provide, monitor and improve our services to you. VAT number 487282114.
