D

D

debridement: Removal of subgingival and/or supragingival plaque and calculus which obstructs the ability to perform an evaluation; removal of contused and devitalized tissue from a wound surface.

decay: The lay term for carious lesions in a tooth; decomposition of tooth structure.

deciduous:  Having the property of falling off or shedding; a term used to describe the primary teeth.

deductible: The amount of dental expense for which the beneficiary is responsible before a third party will assume any liability for payment of benefits. Deductible may be an annual or one-time charge, and may vary in amount from program to program. See family deductible.

deep sedation: See definition under anesthesia.

dental benefit organization: Any organization offering a dental benefit plan.  Also known as dental plan organization.

dental benefit plan: Entitles covered individuals to specified dental services in return for a fixed, periodic payment made in advance of treatment.  Such plans often include the use of deductibles, coinsurance, and/or maximums to control the cost of the program to the purchaser.

dental benefit program: The specific dental benefit plan being offered to enrollees by the sponsor.

dental enrollment credentialing: A formal process that defines the standards and requirements for participation in third-party programs.  The process verifies professional qualifications in order to allow licensed dentists to provide services to members of these programs.

dental home: The ongoing relationship between the dentist who is the Primary Dental Care Provider and the patient, which includes comprehensive oral health care, beginning no later than age one, pursuant to ADA policy.

dental insurance: A plan that financially assists in the expense of treatment and care of dental disease and, in some cases, accidents to teeth.

dental prepayment: A method of financing the cost of dental services prior to receiving the services.

dental prophylaxis: See prophylaxis.

dental service corporation: A legally constituted, not-for-profit organization that negotiates and administers contracts for dental care. Delta Dental Plans and Blue Cross & Blue Shield Plans are such organizations.

dentin: Hard tissue which forms the bulk of the tooth and develops from the dental papilla and dental pulp, and in the mature state is mineralized.

dentistry: The evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment (nonsurgical, surgical or related procedures) of diseases, disorders and/or conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and/or the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body; provided by a dentist, within the scope of his/her education, training and experience, in accordance with the ethics of the profession and applicable law.

dentition: The teeth in the dental arch.

adolescent dentition–In orthodontic coding, refers to the stage of permanent dentition prior to cessation of growth.

deciduous dentition–Refers to the deciduous or primary teeth in the dental arch.

permanent dentition (adult dentition) – Refers to the permanent teeth in the dental arch.

transitional dentition–Refers to a mixed dentition; begins with the appearance of the permanent first molars and ends with the exfoliation of the deciduous teeth.

denture: An artificial substitute for some or all of the natural teeth and adjacent tissues.

denture base: That part of a denture that makes contact with soft tissue and retains the artificial teeth.

dependents: Generally spouse and children of covered individual, as defined by terms of the dental benefit contract.

diagnostic cast: Plaster or stone model of teeth and adjoining tissues; also referred to as study model. Primarily for use in extra-oral examinations of relationships existing between oral tissues so as to determine how those relationships will effect form and function of a dental restoration or appliance being planned, or so as to determine whether subsequent pre-definitive impression tissue treatment or modification might be necessary in order to insure optimal performance of the planned restoration or appliance.

diagnostic imaging: A visual display of structural or functional patterns for the purpose of diagnostic evaluation. May be photographic or radiographic.

diastema: A space, such as one between two adjacent teeth in the same dental arch.

direct pulp cap: Procedure in which the exposed vital pulp is treated with a therapeutic material, followed with a base and restoration, to promote healing and maintain pulp vitality.

direct reimbursement: A self-funded program in which the individual is reimbursed based on a percentage of dollars spent for dental care provided, and which allows beneficiaries to seek treatment from the dentist of their choice.

direct restoration: A restoration fabricated inside the mouth.

discectomy: Excision of the intra-articular disc of a joint.

displaced tooth: A partial evulsion of a tooth; may be mesial, distal, facial, lingual or incisal.

distal: Surface or position of a tooth most distant from the median line of the arch.

downcoding: A practice of third-party payers in which the benefit code has been changed to a less complex and/or lower cost procedure than was reported, except where delineated in contract agreements.

dressing: Medication, bandages or other therapeutic material applied to a wound.

DRGs (diagnosis related groups): A system of classifying hospital patients on the basis of diagnosis, consisting of distinct groupings. A DRG assignment to a case is based on the patient’s 1) principal diagnosis; 2) treatment procedures performed; 3) age; 4) gender; and 5) discharge status.

dry socket: Localized inflammation of the tooth socket following extraction due to infection or loss of blood clot; osteitis.

dual choice program: A benefit package from which an eligible individual can choose to enroll in either an alternative dental benefit program or a traditional dental benefit program.