(a) Every dentist licensed to practice in this state under title 63, chapter 5, has the right to become a participating dentist in the dental service plan corporation operating in the county in which the dentist resides or practices. A dental service plan corporation shall impose no restrictions on the dentists who treat its subscribers as to methods of diagnosis or treatment. The private dentist-patient relationship shall be maintained, and a subscriber shall at all times have free choice of any dentist who is a participating dentist in the corporation and who agrees to accept a particular beneficiary as a patient.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 56-30-108

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Dental service: means professional services rendered by persons duly licensed under the laws of this state to practice dentistry and all services defined as constituting the practice of dentistry as set out in title 63, chapter 5. See Tennessee Code 56-30-102
  • Participating dentist: means a dentist licensed to practice dentistry in this state under title 63, chapter 5, who contracts in writing with a dental service plan corporation to perform the dental services specified in the subscription certificates issued by the corporation, and at the rates of compensation determined by the board of directors of the corporation, and who agrees to abide by the bylaws, rules and regulations of the corporation applicable to participating dentists. See Tennessee Code 56-30-102
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Subscriber: means a person to whom a subscription certificate is issued by a dental care service plan corporation that sets forth the beneficiaries and the kind and extent of dental service for which the corporation is liable to make payment. See Tennessee Code 56-30-102
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a dental service plan corporation may limit participation in a plan that is providing or managing dental benefits for the impoverished uninsured on behalf of, or as required by, any governmental entity.