Dental Intelligence Glossary

Learn what frequently-used terms and phrases mean

Erika Gardner avatar
Written by Erika Gardner
Updated over a week ago

A

Active Patient

Analytics considers patients as active if they meet both of the following qualifications:

  1. Are marked "active" within the Practice Management Software (Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental, etc.)

  2. Have had a completed appointment in the past 18 months

Engagement considers patients as active if they meet any of the following qualifications:

  • Are marked as "active" inside your Practice Management Software, regardless of when they were last seen

  • Are marked inactive inside your Practice Management Software but have an appointment(s) scheduled

  • Are marked inactive inside your Practice Management Software but completed an appointment within the last 30 days

  • Are marked inactive inside your Practice Management Software but is a guarantor or guardian for an active patient

  • Are marked inactive inside your Practice Management Software but has sent new communication within the last 30 days

ADA Code

An ADA code refers to a standardized coding system established by the American Dental Association. Each ADA code corresponds to a specific dental procedure or service, along with associated descriptors and guidelines for proper usage. Dentists use these codes when submitting claims to insurance companies or when documenting treatments in patient records.

Admin

Admin is an abbreviation for Administration. In Engagement, Admin refers to the permission level that a user must have in order to access and configure certain features, such as:

  • Forms and consents

  • Email campaigns

  • Payments

Users can adjust permissions by accessing Engagement Settings. Click here to learn more.

ANA

ANA is an abbreviation for Analytics. See Analytics.

Analytics

Analytics is a data-driven solution by Dental Intelligence that provides the insights you need to find growth opportunities in your practice. Available features include:

  • Performance Board

  • Collections Board

  • Provider Pulse

  • Profitability Formula

  • Morning Huddle

  • Patient Finder

  • Schedule

  • Call Insight

  • Follow Ups

  • Reports

Click here to login to Analytics.

Note: Some features may require additional access and setup.

Appointment

An appointment is a block on the schedule. The Appointments metric is measured on the Performance Board in Analytics. Click here to learn more about the Appointments metric.

Appt

Appt is an abbreviation for Appointment. See Appointment.

AR Aging

AR Aging refers to "Accounts Receivable Aging" and is a financial management tool used to analyze and manage a location's receivables. The AR Aging metric is measured on the Collections Board. Click here to learn more about AR Aging.

AR Days

AR Days is the average number of days your dental practice waits to receive payment from patients and insurance. A low number means quick payment; a high one may signal delays. The AR Days metric is measured on the Collections Board. Click here to learn more about AR Days.

AR Ratio

The AR Ratio is the average amount of money patients owe you (Average Accounts Receivable) divided by the money you expect to collect (Net Production) during the same time. The AR Ratio metric is measured on the Collections Board. Click here to learn more about AR Ratio.

Archive

An archive typically refers to the process of moving patient records, documents, or other data from active or visible areas of the into a separate storage location for long-term retention. In the Engagement Inbox, you can choose to "archive" notifications to Archived Storage. Archiving notifications in the Engagement Inbox is often helpful to maintain the organization and efficiency of the Inbox while ensuring that historical patient information remains accessible for reference.

In Engagement Payments, all OpenDental, Eaglesoft, and Dentrix users can toggle their Engagement Payments settings to automatically archive payments and refunds that have been posted to the ledger in their Practice Management Software. The default setting for this option is toggled to Off, however this can be adjusted in Engagement Settings > Practice Setup > Payments.

Article

An article is a written guide in the Knowledge Base that provides step-by-step instructions and explanations about Dental Intelligence software features and processes. May include pictures and videos as additional resources.

Attrition

Attrition refers to the gradual reduction in the number of patients visiting a practice over time. Attrition can occur for several reasons, including:

  • Relocation

  • Change in insurance coverage/finance considerations

  • Life events/health status

  • Satisfaction levels

Automated Consent

An automated consent is a consent that has been linked to a specific procedure code and does not contain custom placeholders. Placeholders in automated consents are not mandatory. However, consents with placeholders can only be automated if they include any of the three following placeholders that can be filled automatically:

  • {{tooth_or_site}}

  • {{provider}}

  • {{appointment_date}}

B

Benchmark

A benchmark is a standard or reference point against which other things can be measured or compared. Dental industry benchmarks are standards we calculate so you can know how you stack up against the dental industry across the country. Learn more.

Birthday Message

A birthday message is a message template in Engagement that can be personalized using placeholders. When enabled, this message is automatically sent to patients on their birthday. Click here to learn more.

Blocklist

The blocklist in Engagement is a list of designated emails and phone numbers that do not have access to request an appointment using your location's online scheduling portal. Click here to learn how to add contacts to the Blocklist.

Bulk Action

A bulk action is any action that allows the user to contact a group of multiple patients at once. The Bulk Action feature in Engagement allows you to create patient lists, send mass emails, texts, voicemails, review requests, forms/consents, and more.

To send a mass communication to multiple patients at once, filter the patients list and then click the ☑️ checkbox to select all. Click on Bulk Actions and then click on the desired communication type from the dropdown list to open the task window.

C

Call Insight

Call Insight is a software that connects your phone system with your practice management system so your team can see everything you need to know about a patient while they are on the phone with them.

Cancellation

A cancellation is an appointment that was broken more than 24 hours prior to the originally scheduled appointment time. The Cancellations metric is measured on the Performance Board. Click here to learn more about Cancellations.

Claims Aging

Claims Aging is the amount of estimated money owed to your practice by the patients' insurance company. The Claims Aging metric is measured on the Collections Board. Click here to learn more about Claims Aging.

Consent

A consent is the document a patient signs prior to undergoing treatment or a procedure acknowledging that they understand the terms of the treatment/procedure that will be performed.

D

Dashboard

A dashboard is the feature listed in the left sidebar menu of each Dental Intelligence product. Clicking on the left hand feature directs to a landing page or "dashboard" with actions and information specific to that feature (ie, Inbox dashboard, Morning Huddle dashboard).

Delivery Channel

The delivery channel is the method in which communication is delivered to patients (email, text, mobile app).

Dental Coach

A dental coach is a professional who provides guidance, support, and mentorship to dentists and dental teams with the aim of improving various aspects of their practice. The primary goal of a dental coach is to help dental professionals enhance their skills, achieve their professional objectives, and optimize the overall success of their dental practice.

Dental Intelligence

Dental Intelligence is the only end-to-end practice performance solution in the dental market. We help practices increase production, number of visits, and collections while decreasing overhead using actionable insights and automation. Our products include:

Dental Service Organization

A Dental Service Organization ("DSO") is a type of management and administrative support structure that provides services to dental practices. DSO's are businesses that offer non-clinical services, allowing dentists to focus on patient care while the DSO manages various aspects of the practice's operations, such as administration/HR, financial management, marketing, and more.

Dentrix

Dentrix is a type of Practice Management Software.

DI Payments

DI Payments is the payments feature available within Analytics. Click here to learn more about DI Payments.

Direct Message

A direct message is also known as a text message, sent to a patient's mobile phone number. In Engagement, direct messages can be sent individually or in bulk.

DSO

A DSO is an acronym for Dental Service Organization. See Dental Service Organization.

E

Eaglesoft

Eaglesoft is a type of Practice Management Software.

ENG

ENG is an abbreviation for Engagement. See Engagement.

Engagement

Engagement is a communication-based solution that prioritizes the patient experience so you can enjoy faster, more frequent responses that eliminate hundreds of hours of desk work. Available features include:

  • Inbox

  • LiveOps

  • Patients

  • Patient Chat

  • Online Scheduling

  • Swell Integration

  • Email Campaigns

  • Communication Tracking

  • Payments

  • Eligibility

  • Rewards

Click here to login to Engagement.

Note: Some features may require additional access and setup.

Engagement Payments

Engagement Payments is the payments feature available within Engagement. Click here to learn more about Engagement Payments.

F

Form

A form is a document with blank fields or options for patients to complete/select.

G

Guide

A guide is also known as a Knowledge Base article. See Article.

H

HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.

Hygiene Pre-Appointment %

Hygiene Pre-Appointment % is the percentage of active patients who are scheduled for a future hygiene visits. This number is calculated by dividing the number of patients who have a hygiene visit on the schedule for a future date by the total number of active patients.

I

Inbox

The Inbox dashboard in Engagement where all patient activity notifications are received. Filter notifications by appointments, forms, payments, financing, rewards, messages, marketing, and online scheduling.

Incremental Sync

The Incremental Sync is a data synchronization that occurs only when enabled by special request, approximately every 4 hours. During the Incremental Sync, Dental Intelligence syncs data with your Practice Management Software so that each system remains up to date. Unlike the Nightly Sync, the Incremental Sync does not update insurance claims being opened or closed throughout the day or the "Yesterday" tab of the Morning Huddle.

Click here to learn more about Incremental Syncing.

K

Kiosk

A kiosk is an in-office tablet or laptop that is used to allow patients to complete forms, sign consents, or check-in for their appointment.

Knowledge Base

The Knowledge Base is a fully-searchable resource site that includes all step-by-step customer support instructions in the form of written articles, as well as videos and links to on-demand webinars. Click here to visit the Knowledge Base homepage.

L

Live Webinar

A live webinar is a scheduled 30-60 minute session that occurs during a live broadcast on a set date and time via Zoom. Webinar attendees can interact with the webinar host(s) in real time to get answers to questions or discuss product features.

Click here to register for our upcoming live webinar(s).

LocalMed

LocalMed is an online scheduling platform that allows patients to request or book an appointment at your location from anywhere, 24/7. LocalMed provides custom filters to allow your practice to show your schedule online exactly as you see it in your practice management software. Click here to learn more.

Location

A location is a single practice or office.

M

Modento

Modento is now Dental Intelligence Engagement. See Engagement.

Morning Huddle

The Morning Huddle is a daily routine integrated directly into the Dental Intelligence Analytics software. The Morning Huddle dashboard provides insight into Yesterday's performance, Today's opportunities, and a chance to prep for Tomorrow all in one centralized overview. The Morning Huddle is a tool that we encourage all practice owners use to ensure that their dental team is aware of expectations and are empowered to own the results. Click here to learn more.

N

Nightly Sync

The Nightly Sync is the default data synchronization that occurs nightly around 8pm. During the Nightly Sync, Dental Intelligence syncs data with your Practice Management Software so that each system remains up to date.

Click here to learn more about the Nightly Sync.

No-Show

A no-show is an appointment that was broken less than 24 hours prior to the originally scheduled appointment time. The No-Shows metric is measured on the Performance Board. Click here to learn more about No-Shows.

NPI

The National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Administrative Simplification Standard. The NPI is a unique identification number for covered health care providers. The NPI is a 10-position, intelligence-free numeric identifier (10-digit number). This means that the numbers do not carry other information about healthcare providers, such as the state in which they live or their medical specialty.

As outlined in the Federal Regulation, The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), covered providers must also share their NPI with other providers, health plans, clearinghouses, and any entity that may need it for billing purposes.

O

On-Demand Webinar

An on-demand webinar is a pre-recorded 30-60 minute session that can be watched at any time. Viewers cannot interact with webinar hosts. Click here to browse our on-demand webinar library.

Open Dental

Open Dental is a type of Practice Management Software.

P

Patient Card

A patient card is a digital patient file in Engagement or Analytics that syncs with your practice management software. Clicking on a patient's name or the three-dot menu next to their name allows you to open the patient card. View a variety of patient-specific details within each card: contact information, related family members, visit history, account balance, insurance details, and more.

Patient Chart

A patient chart is a digital patient file in your practice management software.

Patient Chat

Patient Chat is a dashboard in Engagement that allows users to chat with patients in a easy-to-navigate messaging interface. Assign conversations to team members, mark messages as read/unread, and respond to patient inquiries as soon as they are received via text or email. Click here to learn more.

Patient Chat can also be integrated with Analytics. Click here to learn how.

PHI

PHI stands for "Protected Health Information." PHI is any information in the medical record or designated record set that can be used to identify an individual and that was created, used, or disclosed in the course of providing a health care service such as diagnosis or treatment.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule provides federal protections for PHI held by covered entities and gives patients an array of rights with respect to that information. At the same time, the Privacy Rule is balanced so that it permits the disclosure of personal health information needed for patient care and other important purposes.

Physical Terminal

A physical terminal refers to the hardware device used for processing transactions. In order to utilize a physical terminal to collect payments in Engagement, your office must meet the following criteria:

  • You must be fully set up with Clearent as your payment processor

  • You must indicate that you would like to order a physical terminal when submitting your Clearent application

Terminals are $207 per device. The terminals are billed through your Clearent merchant account on your first statement. Click here to learn more.

Placeholder

A placeholder is a variable code that, when used in any template, form, or consent, autofills with patient or practice information. Placeholder data pulls from your Practice Management Software or the Practice Info section in Engagement Settings. Click here to review the Engagement Placeholder Key.

PMS

PMS is an abbreviation for Practice Management Software. See Practice Management Software.

Practice Management Software

Practice Management Software is the software that provides administrative and clinical tools for dentists and supporting staff to ensure their businesses run smoothly. Common capabilities of these products include appointment and staff scheduling, document storage and sharing, contact databases, and reporting, as well as dental history charting, patient records, and treatment plans. Also see Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental.

Pre-Appointment %

Pre-Appointment is the percentage of active patients who are scheduled for any future visits. This number is calculated by dividing the number of active patients who have a visit on the schedule for a future date by the total number of active patients.

Profitability Formula

The Profitability Formula is an equation that calculates profits using your location data measured by metrics in Analytics. The Profitability Formula is made up of the following points:

  • Visits

  • Production per Visit

  • Collection %

  • Overhead

Click here to learn more about the Profitability Formula in Analytics.

Prophy

Prohpy is an appreviation for prophylaxis. See Prophylaxis.

Prophylaxis

Prophylaxis in dentistry refers to preventive measures and treatments aimed at maintaining oral health and preventing the occurrence or progression of oral diseases, particularly dental caries (tooth decay) and periodontal (gum) diseases. Prophylaxis is an essential component of routine dental care and is typically recommended on a regular basis, often every six months, as part of a comprehensive oral hygiene plan.

R

Receipt

A receipt is a document provided to a patient as proof of payment for dental services or products. It serves as a formal record of the financial transaction between the patient and the dental practice. Receipts can be sent to patients automatically or manually from within Engagement Payments. Click here to learn more.

Role

A role is the user type that is chosen while setting up an Analytics and/or Engagement user profile.

The following roles are available in Analytics:

  • Clinical (General Dentist, Hygienist, Dental Assistant, etc)

  • Non-Clinical (Administrator, Billing, Front Office, etc)

Click here to learn more about user roles and permissions in Analytics.

The following roles are available in Engagement:

  • Doctor

  • Hygienist

  • Office Manager

  • Dental Assistant

  • Front Office

Click here to learn more about user roles and permissions in Engagement.

S

Scorecard

A scorecard is a tailored report in Analytics that allows you to drill down from location to provider so you can see where your primary focus needs to be. Compare locations, identify trends over time, and stay updated on how your organization is performing — all in one centralized space. With over 100 metrics to choose from, each scorecard you create provides insight in both data and visual format. Get daily, weekly, quarterly, or even year-over-year insights instantly.

Click here to learn more about using scorecards.

Screen Pop

A screen pop is a caller ID feature that is displayed in Engagement on your desktop computer when a patient calls the practice phone number. Engagement offers a screen pop feature for users that utilize VolP phone systems with a Simultaneous Calling feature. If the phone number calling is linked to a patient within Engagement, you can click on the notification to quickly see an overview of the patient's information, including any balances that are due, upcoming and past appointments, as well as scheduled hygiene. Screen pops are enabled in Engagement Settings. Click here to learn more about screen pops.

Seen

Seen refers to the number of visits that include all code types (ADA and non-ADA) greater than or equal to $0. The Seen metric is measured on the Performance Board in Analytics. Click here to learn more about the Seen metric.

Support

Support refers to the human support team that assists Dental Intelligence users with product questions and troubleshooting. Support can be reached from within Dental Intelligence products or by visiting the Knowledge Base. Click here to learn more about Dental Intelligence resources.

Swell

Swell is an online reputation management platform that helps you boost your online reputation and visibility by getting more five-star patient reviews thanks to personalized, automated review invites. Swell is integrated directly into your Engagement dashboard, allowing you to track, report, and monitor your reputation across your whole organization. Click here to learn more.

T

Template

A template is a pre-written and/or pre-designed direct message, email, newsletter, or social media message that can pre-filled using placeholders to add patient names, phone numbers, dates, etc. Templates can be customized to meet your location's desired preferences and can be sent individually or in bulk. Click here to learn more about how to customize templates in Engagement.

Ticker Bar

The ticker bar is located on the Performance Board dashboard in Analytics. The ticker bar contains up to 13 different metrics and is a great way to quickly see key performance indicators and their associated trends. To scroll through the ticker bar, click the arrows located on the far left and right side of the ticker. Click here to learn more.

Treatment Plan

A treatment plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the dental care and procedures recommended for a patient to address their oral health needs. The treatment plan also includes a cost breakdown and estimated insurance portion covered (if any).

In Engagement, a treatment plan can be prepared and shared digitally with a patient. Patients then receive the treatment plan, review it, and can choose to either accept or reject the plan. If your practice offers payment plans, the patient can also choose to accept a payment plan that allows them to finance treatment in affordable installments.

Treatment Team

A Treatment Team is a function in Analytics that allows you to track the case acceptance performance of different “teams” of people in the practice working to get patients to accept the treatment they have presented to them. A Treatment Team is automatically added after syncing is based off of what providers had codes walked out on the ledger; it is not based on what providers are attached to the appointment. You can view the case acceptance performance of different Treatment Teams found on the Case metrics in the Provider Pulse.

Tx

Tx is an abbreviation for Treatment.

U

Unlinked Patient

An unlinked patient is a patient that has been created in Dental Intelligence but has not been synced with a patient chart in your practice management software.

Unscheduled Production

Unscheduled production is production that has been presented but has not been scheduled.

User

A user refers to any individual with a Dental Intelligence account. A user must have a unique login for each Dental Intelligence product in order to access their account(s).

V

Verbiage

Verbiage acts as a library of all automated messages that are sent to patients via text or email. In the Verbiage section of Engagement Settings, you are able to fully customize what the messages include and what information is being provided to your patients. Verbiage content will then autofill when the messages are sent to the applicable patients according to your established settings in the Automated Appointment Communication section in Practice Setup.

Click here to learn more about customizing Verbiage in Engagement.

Virtual Terminal

A virtual terminal is not a physical device like a traditional card reader or cash register. Instead, it is a software application or online interface that allows merchants to process payments electronically, especially in situations where the card is not physically present. Clearent users can use a virtual terminal in Engagement Payments to collect payments from patients both in and out of the office. Click here to learn more.

Visit

A visit is a patient that comes into the location with a visit value of ≥$0 for ADA codes, or >$0 for non-ADA codes. The Visits metric is measured on the Performance Board in Analytics. Click here to learn more about the Visits metric.

Voicemail Drop

A voicemail drop is a pre-recorded personalized voicemail message sent directly to a recipient's voicemail-box. In Engagement, voicemail drops can be sent individually or in bulk. Click here to learn more about sending voicemail drops.

W

Widget

A widget is a small, standalone application or user interface element that performs a specific function and can be embedded or integrated into a website or online platform. A common example is a scheduling widget. A scheduling widget allows your patients to request and/or book appointments quickly at any time.

Learn more about setting up widgets:

Wisetack

Wisetack is a patient financing company that can help you offer affordable payment installment options to your patients, allowing them to receive the care they need without having to worry about upfront costs. Wisetack is a third-party platform that is integrated directly with Engagement when enabled. Click here to learn more about Wisetack.

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