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Why One Leaky Pipe Can Threaten Your Entire Dental Practice
Dr. Renee Carter walked into her dental office in Lafayette on a Monday morning, ready to start a full day of patients. But...
4 min read
Levi Kastner
Jun 8, 2025 12:45:54 PM
Dr. Keller was halfway through her morning lineup in Alexandria when her digital X-ray machine suddenly stopped working. The screen went black, and the unit wouldn’t power back on. She called her technician, who diagnosed a failed circuit board. Repair cost: $5,000. Timeline: 4–6 business days.
Patients had to be rescheduled, treatments postponed, and a full day of production went out the window. The worst part? Her commercial property insurance wouldn’t cover it. Why? Because the damage wasn’t from a fire, theft, or storm. It was just a mechanical failure.
If she had equipment breakdown coverage, the outcome would’ve looked a lot different.
Most dental offices carry commercial property insurance—and that’s good. It covers damage from things like fires, storms, and vandalism. But when your most expensive tools stop working due to internal mechanical or electrical issues, property insurance often says, “Not our problem.”
That’s where equipment breakdown coverage comes in. It fills a big gap by covering the cost to repair or replace essential office equipment when something breaks down on the inside.
This coverage helps pay for repair or replacement of your business equipment if it fails due to things like:
Power surges
Short circuits
Motor burnout
Electrical arcing
Mechanical failure
It doesn’t just cover the cost of the repair—it also helps with lost income due to downtime, and even spoiled goods (like certain dental materials that require refrigeration).
Dental offices run on machines. A small failure can derail an entire day of appointments—or more.
Here’s what’s at risk if just one piece of your equipment fails:
X-ray and imaging systems
Dental chairs and delivery units
Autoclaves and sterilizers
Vacuum systems and air compressors
Lab equipment (grinders, polishers, etc.)
Office systems tied to HVAC or electrical panels
When these go down, patient care stops. Productivity drops. And the replacement timeline? Not quick.
This type of coverage is more than just a band-aid—it’s a full-on safety net for when your most important tools decide to quit.
Here’s what it can help with:
If a machine breaks down due to internal failure, this coverage helps pay to fix or replace it—even if the parts are expensive or custom-ordered.
Need to rent equipment while yours is being repaired? That can be covered too, helping you stay operational.
If downtime forces you to close or reschedule patients, this coverage can help cover the lost revenue.
If certain products or chemicals require refrigeration and go bad during an equipment failure, you may be covered for that loss as well.
This coverage isn’t a cure-all. Like every policy, there are limits.
Here’s what it doesn’t usually pay for:
Wear and tear or lack of maintenance
Cosmetic damage that doesn’t affect function
Software crashes unrelated to equipment hardware
Accidental physical damage (that’s property insurance territory)
That said, when it comes to the high-value machines that keep your practice humming, it offers protection where most policies stop short.
Let’s say your sterilizer overheats due to an electrical short. It won’t run, and your team can’t prep tools for procedures. You shut down for the afternoon while waiting on parts.
Without equipment breakdown coverage:
You pay out-of-pocket for parts and labor
You lose income from canceled appointments
You may lose patients who don’t reschedule
With equipment breakdown coverage:
The repair is covered
You receive partial compensation for lost income
You can afford to rent or borrow temporary equipment if needed
A lot of dentists assume this is part of their property insurance or business owner’s policy (BOP). Sometimes it is—but the coverage might be limited or excluded altogether.
Here’s how to check:
Review your commercial policy for “equipment breakdown” or “boiler and machinery” coverage.
Check the coverage limits and sub-limits.
Ask your insurance advisor if your most vital machines would be covered in case of internal failure.
If it’s not there, it’s time to consider adding it—especially if your practice relies on specialty tools or high-tech imaging systems.
Dental equipment isn’t cheap. Most practices in Louisiana have tens of thousands of dollars invested in machines that make daily operations possible.
When one fails, the cost of replacement can hit fast. But the cost of lost production hits even faster. One broken compressor can shut down your ability to treat patients entirely—and your coverage should reflect that risk.
If your dental office relies on high-value equipment—and it does—then equipment breakdown insurance isn’t optional. It’s one of the smartest and most overlooked tools in protecting your business from downtime, lost income, and expensive surprises.
At Kastner Insurance, we help dental practices across Louisiana—from Lafayette and Baton Rouge to Alexandria and New Orleans—get the right commercial protection for their office. We’re experts in building insurance solutions that actually fit the way your practice works.
Contact us today to review your coverage and see if equipment breakdown protection is missing from your plan. Don’t wait for something to break to find out.
Founded in 2017, Kastner Insurance Group is a full-service, independent insurance broker based in Lafayette, LA. Our insurance agents specialize in offering a variety of insurance products tailored to individual and commercial needs, making sure clients receive personalized and comprehensive coverage options from a variety of insurance companies/insurance carriers.
With over 43 years of combined experience, the team at Kastner Insurance Group is dedicated to providing expert advice and exceptional service. They proudly serve professional offices and businesses across Lafayette city/parish, Youngsville, Broussard, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Alexandria, Acadiana, and statewide in Louisiana.
Call us today or visit our website for a customized quote.
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