The DDU: guiding, supporting and defending dentists

Anne Budenberg, dento-legal adviser at the Dental Defence Union (DDU), explains how the DDU can support you throughout your career.

Regardless of what stage of your career you are at, it’s important to surround yourself with a strong support network that you can depend on for good advice, reassurance and help.

By renewing with the DDU every year, you can be sure that this includes unrivalled dento-legal expertise from an organisation of fellow professionals. Here are just a few of the reasons that thousands of dentists choose to renew with the DDU each year:

24-hour dento-legal advice and guidance

Our dento-legal team is available between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday and provides an on-call service for dento-legal emergencies or urgent queries 24 hours a day, 365 days a year so you can be sure a dento-legal adviser is available when you need help or guidance.

Calling the advice line does not affect your current or future subscriptions.

The DDU dento-legal team is staffed by specially trained dentists with real-life experience of the pressures and challenges faced in practice so they can offer practical and non-judgmental advice, whatever the situation.

As a not-for-profit mutual defence organisation, owned by our members, our sole purpose is to support dental professionals, and our only obligation is to our members.

Successfully defending members’ reputations 

Many dental professionals have concerns about facing a claim for compensation or a letter from the GDC. Indeed, during a 30-year professional career it is possible that a dentist might face a clinical negligence claim.

If you face a claim, you can be assured that the DDU understand how stressful this is and the importance to our members of mounting a solid defence of their position. If we can defend the claim, we will. We think it is vital to do this for the profession. 

What’s more, we have an enviable record of success in defending members’ reputations at the GDC.

Access to clinical CPD

DDU members have access to free clinical education from Red Whale, one of the UK’s leading healthcare education providers.

The 12-month programme offers over 10 hours of GDC verifiable CPD, covering the common clinical challenges you face in day-to-day practice. You’ll continue to have access to our dento-legal educational content to help you confidently manage your risk in practice.

Self-employed contract reviewing service

Our dento-legal experts can offer general advice on the wording of self-employed agreements, review contracts against best practice guidelines, and provide DDU model contracts, developed with specialist dental lawyers. Before signing a contract, you may wish to take advantage of this service. Call our advice line if you have any questions about your contract.

For DDU members who need specific legal advice in a contract dispute, we have negotiated competitive rates for DDU members who need specific legal advice in contract law.

Access expertise 24/7 with the DDU membership app

The DDU’s app is available exclusively for members. Customise the app to get tailored content, search frequently asked questions and read the DDU’s case studies, guides and articles whenever you want.

The app is available to download from Google Play and the Apple App Store.

The DDU is staffed by dento-legal experts, who are all experienced dental professionals. To learn more and to join the DDU visit www.theddu.com/join .

This article is sponsored by the DDU.