The Scope: Providing Real-World Risk Management Advice for the New Practitioner

This article by Tammie Smeltz about our Dental Residency Programs was originally printed in our Third Quarter 2020 issue of The Scope: Dental Edition. Read more articles from the publication here.

MLMIC Insurance Company has always valued its relationships with practicing dentists throughout New York State. As the dental community continues to grow, MLMIC has recognized the need to connect with and educate soon-to-be dentists.

Over the years, MLMIC has reached out to dental residents in New York to provide informative risk management programs geared to new dentists. MLMIC’s Dental Residency Programs are one-hour risk management presentations providing cutting-edge, up-to-date tools to reduce risk and improve patient relationships.

Here are the presentations we offer.

• “Welcome to the Jungle”:  This webinar covers common claims seen not only by general dentists, but also seen by oral surgeons, orthodontists and endodontists.  Learn strategies to avoid common claims seen in dentistry.  This program also discusses occurrence vs. claims made coverage and which coverage requires a tail.  Crucial information for new dentists!
• “The Devil is in the Details”:  This program will cover the different types of employment that exist in dentistry, as well as how to negotiate an employment contract.  Learn about key provisions that appear in a contract and how they will impact your employment.  This is an excellent introduction to employment contracts for new dentists starting their career.
• “Professional Liability & Defensive Dentistry”:  This webinar will cover many real world experiences in the dental office such as (1)  establishing a doctor-patient relationship; (2)  documentation including informed consent; (3)  how to handle a dissatisfied patient; (4)  dealing with unanticipated outcomes; (4) patients with special needs and (5) how to discharge a patient from care. 
• “Common Claims Against Dentists and How to Avoid Them”:  This webinar devotes an entire hour on common claims seen by dentists in all specialties and provides essential risk management tips to avoid them.

MLMIC’s presentations have been well received by these young dentists, and we continue to increase our outreach to bring this valuable information to many more residents. Unfortunately, our programs scheduled for Spring 2020 were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We would like to thank all of the Residency Directors who assisted us in scheduling our programs this year and look forward to providing them either in-person or virtually in 2021.

As always, residents graduating and practicing in New York State may qualify for MLMIC’s New Dentist Discounts. These incredible discounts include a flat-rate premium of $50 for the first year, with discounts available for years two through four. To schedule MLMIC Dental Residency Programs contact tsmeltz@mlmic.com. To learn more about our New Dentist Discounts contact lfernandez@mlmic.com.