CDPMA case studies
CDPMA · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Dental Practice Management Administrator (CDPMA) is a credential offered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), the same organization that administers dental assisting certification exams. It is aimed at administrative team members in dental practices - office managers, practice administrators, treatment coordinators, and front-desk staff - who want to demonstrate competence in running the business side of a dental office rather than the clinical side. The CDPMA case studies are 5 cases and about 3,156 words.
1A Secondary Payer Denies, and the Estimate Was Too Low
A 47-year-old patient accepts a crown and build-up on tooth 19. Your practice participates with Delta Dental PPO and files Cigna claims as a courtesy for non-participating benefits.
694 words, about 3 min2A Subpoena, a Divorce Decree, and a Minor's Chart
Your practice treats a 14-year-old whose parents divorced three years ago. The mother, who has sole legal custody under the decree, brings the patient for a recall visit and says the father 'has no say' in treatment.
640 words, about 3 min3Hygiene Capacity, a 1,150-Patient Recall Backlog, and 14% Failed Appointments
Your two-hygienist practice has 2,400 active patients on a six-month recall and no dedicated recall coordinator. Each hygienist has eight one-hour appointments per day and works four days per week; the practice is open 50 weeks per year.
623 words, about 3 min4Privacy Slips and Unauthorized Write-Offs at the Front Desk
A patient coordinator with nine years of tenure handles check-in, insurance verification, and patient balance collection. Over the last two quarters, the practice's over-90-day accounts receivable rose from 11% to 24% of total A/R, and write-offs labeled 'professional courtesy' increased from 1,200 to 9,400 per quarter without dentist approval.
606 words, about 3 min5Red Flags in One-Person Bookkeeping
Collections at a single-location practice are $1.9 million per year. The office manager has worked there 12 years, opens the mail, posts payments, prepares deposits, reconciles the bank statement, and approves adjustments in the practice management system.
593 words, about 3 min