What You Should Know Before You Read:
- Dentists face unique challenges when filing long term disability claims because their work requires a rare combination of fine motor skills, concentration, physical stamina, and precision.
- Insurers often dispute disability claims from dentists by arguing that the dentist can still perform modified duties or that subjective symptoms do not prevent all aspects of dental practice.
- Understanding how to document your limitations and how insurers evaluate the duties of your occupation as a dentist is critical to a successful claim.
- Dabdoub Law Firm focuses exclusively on disability and life insurance claims, representing dentists and other professionals nationwide with proven success in federal court.
Understanding Long-Term Disability Claims for Dentists
Dentistry is a highly specialized profession that relies on physical stability, manual dexterity, visual focus, and the ability to maintain difficult positions for extended periods. Conditions that affect the hands, neck, back, vision, nerves, or cognitive function can prevent a dentist from practicing safely and effectively.
Because dentists are often insured under own occupation policies or individual disability insurance policies, their claims involve unique considerations. Insurers closely scrutinize these claims due to the high benefit amounts and the specialized nature of dental work.
Strong documentation, detailed occupational descriptions, and careful communication are essential. The following do’s and don’ts provide clear guidance for dentists filing long term disability claims.
1. Do Provide a Detailed Description of Your Occupational Duties
Dentistry involves far more than simply treating patients. Your occupation requires:
- Precision use of both hands
- prolonged standing or forward leaning
- Fine motor movements
- Visual focus
- Concentration and cognitive stamina
- Repetitive motions
- High physical demands during procedures
Insurers often try to generalize your occupation as “dentist” using broad descriptions that ignore the physical and cognitive realities of your work.
Do:
- Provide a detailed narrative of your daily tasks, including procedures performed and physical demands.
- Highlight duties that require precision, posture, endurance, and repetitive movements.
- Work with your practice manager, colleagues, or staff to ensure accuracy.
Do Not:
- Allow the insurer to rely on a generic job description that fails to reflect the true requirements of dental practice. This mistake is one of the most common reasons dentists see their claims denied.
2. Do Document How Your Condition Prevents Safe and Effective Practice
A medical diagnosis alone is not enough. You must show how your symptoms prevent you from performing high risk tasks safely.
Do:
- Ask your treating providers to describe functional limitations such as reduced grip strength, tremors, impaired vision, pain with leaning or rotating, or cognitive fatigue.
- Explain how your symptoms cause risk to patients, such as loss of control during procedures or inability to maintain proper posture.
Do Not:
- Assume the insurer will understand the safety implications of your condition. Insurers often argue that you can continue practicing even when doing so is unsafe.
3. Do Gather Objective Support When Available
Many conditions affecting dentists can be supported through objective evidence.
Do:
- Discuss with your doctor whether nerve conduction tests, imaging, grip strength testing, or functional capacity evaluations are appropriate.
- Obtain opinions from specialists such as orthopedists, neurologists, or occupational medicine physicians.
- Include clinical notes documenting pain, numbness, weakness, or post exertional symptoms.
Do Not:
- Depend solely on subjective descriptions of pain or fatigue. Objective findings strengthen your claim and counter insurer skepticism.
4. Do Communicate Consistently With Your Doctors and the Insurer
Dentists often minimize their struggles due to pride, concern for their practice, or fear of appearing weak. In disability claims, this can be harmful.
Do:
- Speak honestly about pain, loss of function, fatigue, and reduced precision.
- Ensure that your medical records reflect the actual limitations you experience day to day.
- Clarify that attempting to work through symptoms can compromise patient safety.
Do Not:
- Downplay your symptoms or say you are “fine” on good days. Insurers can and will use inconsistent statements to question credibility.
5. Consult Our Team Early in the Process
Long term disability claims involving dentists are among the most scrutinized and high value claims in the industry. Insurers often challenge these claims aggressively.
Do:
- Consult a disability attorney at Dabdoub Law Firm before filing your claim or immediately after any sign of insurer pushback.
- Allow our attorneys to communicate with the insurer to prevent misinterpretations of your statements or medical evidence.
- Protect yourself from surveillance, biased evaluations, and occupational misclassifications.
Do Not:
- Attempt to manage the entire claim on your own. Dentists face unique challenges that require targeted legal strategy from the beginning.
How Dabdoub Law Firm Can Help
Dentists often struggle to obtain long term disability benefits even when their conditions clearly prevent them from practicing safely. Whether your issue involves hand dysfunction, musculoskeletal problems, chronic pain, neurological symptoms, or cognitive impairment, your claim deserves careful expert handling.
Dabdoub Law Firm represents dentists and other medical professionals nationwide. We assist with:
- Filing long term disability claims under own occupation or IDI policies
- Appealing denied or terminated LTD claims
- Negotiating lump sum settlements
- Litigating disability claims in federal court