For applicants
Insurance as a self-employed professional in dental care.
Four things need to be in place before your first invoice goes out. This is what each of them does, what the law requires and what is wise — without the sales talk, because we don’t sell insurance.
Incapacity for work: the biggest risk.
If you work with your hands and are laid up, you earn nothing. Disability insurance (an AOV) is not compulsory at the moment — the bill for a compulsory basic policy for the self-employed was sent to the Dutch House of Representatives in 2026, and it is not expected to take effect before 2030. Compulsory or not: this is the risk that touches your livelihood, not your margin.
What to compare: the waiting period (how long you bridge yourself), the benefit duration (until when it pays out) and what the insurer means by incapacity for work — your own occupation, or “suitable work”. A broodfonds or schenkkring — Dutch mutual sick-pay circles — can supplement the first months, but covers no long-term incapacity.
An AOV as a dental hygienist or dentist
You work with your hands, often bent over, and complaints of the neck, shoulders, back or hands are common in dental care. So check three things in every policy.
- Your own occupation insured. A policy that pays out when you can no longer do your own work as a dental hygienist or dentist protects you better than one that looks at "suitable" or "customary" work. The latter is cheaper, but pays out less readily.
- Existing complaints. If you have had neck or back problems before, the insurer may exclude them or charge a higher premium. Ask about this before you sign, and preferably take out your AOV before anything is going on.
- Waiting period and end age. A short waiting period and cover up to your state pension (AOW) age make the premium higher, but decide whether the policy really helps you. With a buffer for the first months, a longer waiting period becomes affordable.
As a rule you can deduct the premium from your income; a benefit is taxed. Under the bill, the compulsory basic insurance will be a safety net for long-term incapacity, with a waiting period of two years. So it does not replace a policy that insures your own occupation.
Professional liability, legal expenses and the Wkkgz.
Professional liability
Covers harm to patients caused by your professional actions. Practices that hire you ask for it as standard — without this insurance you won’t get to work as a self-employed professional in practice.
Legal expenses
Not compulsory, but worth considering: disputes over invoices or contracts, and support if a disciplinary complaint comes. That last one in particular is the reason for clinicians to look at this seriously.
Wkkgz complaints scheme
As an independent care provider you must have a complaints scheme and be affiliated with a recognised disputes body. This is a legal requirement, not a choice. You can join through your professional association, among other routes.
What salaried employment covers automatically.
For comparison, because this is half of the self-employed-or-salaried calculation: employed by a practice, your pay in case of illness is as a rule (partly) continued for two years, liability towards the patient generally sits with the practice, and pension contributions usually run automatically. Note: a disciplinary complaint is personal and can also hit a salaried clinician — when joining, ask how legal support for that is arranged.
Honestly: we don’t sell insurance and we don’t advise on it. What we do see is what goes wrong when it isn’t arranged — and that a well-organised self-employed professional stands stronger in the rate conversation with practices. For the specifics, get advice from an independent adviser.
The checklist before you start.
AOV or an alternative
Arranged, or a deliberate choice to carry the risk yourself — with a buffer.
Professional liability
Taken out before your first working day as a self-employed professional, not after.
Wkkgz in place
A complaints scheme plus affiliation with a recognised disputes body.
And beyond that: legal expenses insurance considered, and everything you take out priced into your hourly rate. Insurance is not a cost next to your rate — it belongs in it. How that calculation works is in the guide to self-employment or salaried employment.
Frequently asked questions.
Is an AOV compulsory for the self-employed in dental care?
No, not at the moment. The bill for a compulsory basic policy for the self-employed was sent to the Dutch House of Representatives in 2026; it is not expected to take effect before 2030. Compulsory or not: incapacity for work is the biggest financial risk you run as a self-employed professional.
What does an AOV cost?
That depends heavily on your age, your occupation, the waiting period and the benefit duration you choose. We deliberately name no amounts: request several quotes and compare not just the premium, but above all the waiting period, the benefit duration and what the insurer means by incapacity for work.
Which AOV suits a dental hygienist?
A policy that pays out when you can no longer do your own work as a dental hygienist, not only when you can no longer do any work at all. Also look at the waiting period, the end age and whether existing neck or back problems are excluded. Request several quotes and get advice from an independent adviser.
Is the AOV premium tax-deductible?
As a rule, yes: you deduct the premium from your income in box 1. A benefit is then taxed. Your accountant can work out what that saves in your situation.
What if I already have neck or back problems?
Then the insurer may exclude those complaints or charge a higher premium. Report them honestly when you apply: if you leave something out, you risk the insurer not paying out later. So preferably take out your AOV before anything is going on.
Am I insured for mistakes in salaried employment?
When you work in the employment of a practice, liability towards the patient as a rule sits with the practice and its insurance. Note: a disciplinary complaint is personal — it can also hit a salaried clinician. When joining, ask how this is arranged.
What exactly does the Wkkgz requirement involve?
As an independent care provider you must have a complaints scheme with a complaints officer and be affiliated with a recognised disputes body. This is a legal requirement, not a choice. You can join through professional associations and specialised providers, among others.
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