---
title: "What Is Explanation of benefits? Dental Practice Glossary"
description: "An explanation of benefits, or EOB, is a written statement from a payer, sent after it processes a claim, that shows the charges covered or not covered and what..."
url: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/explanation-of-benefits
publisher: Copeland Consulting Services
email: drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com
contact: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact
---

Finance and valuation

# Explanation of benefits

An explanation of benefits, or EOB, is a written statement from a payer, sent after it processes a claim, that shows the charges covered or not covered and what the patient may owe.

The ADA's glossary defines an explanation of benefits as a written statement to a beneficiary from a third-party payer, after a claim has been adjudicated, indicating the charges covered or not covered by the dental benefit plan. An EOB is not a bill. It explains how the plan handled a [dental claim](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-claim). Practices usually receive their own version with the payment, often called a remittance, and post it to the account. Reading EOBs helps the team find underpayments, denials and the balance a patient owes. EOBs also show how the plan applied its allowed amount, which links to the [fee schedule](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/fee-schedule) and [usual and customary fee](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/usual-and-customary-fee).

[Next stepPractice consulting with Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact?topic=consulting)

## Related terms

-   [Dental claim](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-claim)
-   [Dental billing](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-billing)
-   [Fee schedule](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/fee-schedule)
-   [Usual and customary fee](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/usual-and-customary-fee)

## Sources

1.  [ADA, Glossary of Dental Terms](https://www.ada.org/publications/cdt/glossary-dental-terms)

## Talk with Dr. Copeland

[Contact Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact)[Email](mailto:drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com)