Dental Practice Management Glossary
103 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
Osseointegration
The direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing implant, which must be confirmed before a final prosthetic restoration is attached.
Endodontic Treatment
A category of dental procedure addressing diseases of the dental pulp and periapical tissues, most commonly root canal t...
EOB
A statement issued by a dental insurer detailing the services billed, amounts allowed, and patient financial responsibil...
EOD
Abbreviation for 'Evidence of Insurability' or, in scheduling contexts, 'End of Day'; editors must resolve the intended...
Fee Schedule
A complete list of dental procedures and the corresponding fees a provider charges or an insurer allows for each.
FMX
A comprehensive set of intraoral radiographs—typically 14 to 21 periapical and bitewing images—capturing the entire dent...
Furcation Involvement
A clinical finding indicating that periodontal bone loss has extended into the area where a multi-rooted tooth's roots d...
Gross Production
The total value of dental services rendered before any adjustments, discounts, or write-offs are applied, calculated at...
Guarantor
The individual legally responsible for paying a patient's dental account, who may or may not be the patient themselves.
HIPAA
US federal legislation establishing standards for the protection of patient health information and governing its use and...
Informed Consent
A legally and ethically required process in which a patient (or guardian) is provided with sufficient information about...
Interproximal
Relating to the contact areas or surfaces between adjacent teeth; used to describe the location of caries, restorations,...
Least Expensive Alternative Treatment
An insurance policy provision under which a plan pays only for the least costly clinically acceptable procedure when mul...
LEAT
Acronym for Least Expensive Alternative Treatment; an insurance clause limiting reimbursement to the cost of the least c...
Ledger
The running financial account record for an individual patient or guarantor, showing all charges, payments, adjustments,...
Missing-Tooth Clause
An insurance plan provision that excludes coverage for the replacement of teeth that were already absent at the time the...
Narrative (Insurance)
A written explanation accompanying a dental insurance claim that provides clinical justification for a procedure, partic...
NPI
A unique 10-digit identification number assigned to each licensed dental (and other health) provider in the United State...
Occlusion
The relationship between the upper and lower teeth when the jaws are closed, encompassing both static contact and dynami...
Odontogram
A diagrammatic chart of the full dentition used to record the existing condition, restorations, and pathology of each to...
Open Enrollment Period
A designated annual window during which employees may elect, change, or waive dental benefit coverage for the upcoming p...
Open Panel
A dental benefit plan structure in which patients may visit any licensed dentist and still receive plan benefits, withou...
Orthodontic Banding
The clinical procedure of cementing metal bands around posterior teeth to anchor orthodontic appliances such as brackets...
Osseointegration
The direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing implant, which mus...
Overhead Percentage
The proportion of a dental practice's gross or adjusted production consumed by operating expenses, expressed as a percen...