This article was provided by Lockton Affinity, the administrator for the AAO-Endorsed Insurance Program. Available insurance products include student group disability insurance, group term and level term life insurance, group disability insurance, critical illness insurance, cyber liability insurance, business overhead expense and more. Lockton Affinity is focused on enhancing the insurance program to ensure it continues to meet the changing needs of residents and orthodontists. To learn more, contact Lockton Affinity at (844)-893-9888 or visit AAO-Insurance.com.

Protect Your Financial Future
If you were to be injured or become ill while in school and were unable to practice as an orthodontist, your life would be greatly affected. Could you pay your living expenses, bills and student loans? How would your future change?

Many residents turn to student disability insurance to help plan for the unexpected, as it helps protect your income and repay your loans should you become disabled and unable to begin your career as an orthodontist.

Why Student Disability Insurance May be Critical for Residents
You may think you don’t need insurance as an orthodontic resident— Perhaps you are healthy and take good care of yourself. Perhaps you are single and will be the only person relying on your future income. Perhaps you have a large emergency fund saved or receive financial support from family members. Perhaps you think disability insurance is just for accidents and that your career is low risk.

Despite this line of thinking, there are many reasons for orthodontic residents to consider Student Disability Insurance, including:

  • Your extensive education and highly specialized skills. The average student loan debt between 2008 and 2017 for an orthodontic resident was $418,7221—a number that continues to rise. Though orthodontists typically incur high student loan debt, the median salary for orthodontists is $208,000—much higher than the median annual wage of $39,810 for all workers2. You expect to earn a higher income as an orthodontist for decades, and student disability insurance helps ensure your expectations come to fruition, should you ever experience a disability.
  • The odds of experiencing a disability are higher than you may think. According to the CDC3, 1 out of 4 American workers experience a long-term disability.
  • There are varying disabilities that may prevent you from working as an orthodontist. The Council for Disability Awareness shared the most common reasons for long-term disability claims, a majority of which are illnesses rather than accident-caused disabilities4:
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (29%)
    • Cancer (15%)
    • Pregnancy (9.4%)
    • Mental health issues, including depression and anxiety (9.1%)
    • Injuries such as fractures, sprains and strains of muscles and ligaments (9%)
  • Your life could be greatly impacted. If you experienced a disability and were unable to begin your career as an orthodontist, your life would be greatly affected. Could you pay your living expenses, bills and student loans? How would your future change?

Finding Coverage as an Orthodontic Resident  
Help protect your financial future with Student Disability Insurance.

The AAO understands the importance of Student Disability Insurance for orthodontic residents. See how the AAO-Endorsed Insurance Program can help protect your career and future at AAO-Insurance.com.

1. American Association of Orthodontists. “2017 Orthodontic Workforce Report.” American Association of Orthodontists Member Site, Apr. 2018.

2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Outlook Handbook”, September 1, 2020.

3. “CDC: 1 in 4 US Adults Live with a Disability.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Aug. 2018.

4. Integrated Benefits Institute, Health and Productivity Benchmarking 2016 (released November 2017), Long-Term Disability, All Employers. Condition-specific results.

Visit AAO-Insurance.com for information, including features, costs, eligibility, renewability, limitations, and exclusions.

The AAO-Endorsed Insurance Program is administered by Lockton Affinity, LLC d/b/a Lockton Affinity Insurance Brokers LLC, Affinity Administrator Services, LLC in California Insurance License Number 0795478, and in Arkansas Insurance License Number 100108685. Coverage may not be available in all states and is subject to actual policy terms and conditions. Policy benefits are the sole obligation of the issuing insurance company. American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) will receive a royalty fee for the licensing of its name and trademarks as part of the insurance program offered to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Coverage is underwritten by New York Life Insurance Company, 51 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010 under Group Policy No. G-14242-3 on Policy Form G-14242-3/GMR-FACE.

New York Life Insurance Company is licensed/authorized to transact business in all of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Canada. However, not all group policies it underwrites are available in all jurisdictions. Please check the eligibility sections for current availability. New York Life Insurance Company’s state of domicile is New York, and NAIC ID is #66915.