> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://dso.getlemma.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to use this wiki

> Reading paths for founders, dentists, operators, and AI agents, and how the four tabs differ from each other.

This wiki is organized around the task at hand. A subject such as dental downgrades may appear in four places, with each page serving a different purpose. Start by choosing the tab that matches your question.

## The four tabs

| Tab            | Use it when you want to…                       | Example page                                                                    |
| -------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Start Here** | Follow an end-to-end tutorial in order         | [Step 10: Submit your first claim](/start/zero-to-paid/submit-your-first-claim) |
| **Guides**     | Accomplish one specific task today             | [Work the denial queue](/guides/billing/work-the-denial-queue)                  |
| **Concepts**   | Understand why something works the way it does | [Denials vs. downgrades, explained](/concepts/payments/denials-vs-downgrades)   |
| **Reference**  | Look up an exact fact, code, or rule           | [DSO laws by state](/reference/legal/dso-laws-by-state)                         |

The structure follows the [Diátaxis](https://diataxis.fr/) framework. Guides are task-focused, while Concepts explain the underlying ideas. If a page seems to be in the wrong section, [tell us](mailto:contact@getlemma.com).

Every page ends with a **Related** block linking its siblings in the other three tabs, so you can move between modes on the same subject without going back to the sidebar.

## Reading paths

### The founder path

You have an idea and no dental background. Read in this order:

1. [What is a DSO?](/start/what-is-a-dso) for the common two-entity model
2. [Do you need a DSO structure?](/start/is-a-dso-right-for-you), including when you don't
3. [The corporate practice of dentistry doctrine](/concepts/model/corporate-practice-of-dentistry) for the state-law foundation
4. [The life of a dental claim](/concepts/payments/claim-lifecycle) for the flow of dental payments
5. [Zero to First Paid Claim](/start/zero-to-paid/overview) for the eleven-step tutorial
6. [DSO economics](/concepts/finance/dso-economics) for management fees, practice economics, and investor returns
7. Your state's page in [CPOD by state](/reference/legal/states/texas)

Budget a few hours. The first four pages establish the model, and the tutorial turns it into a working plan. When you're ready to grow, continue with [Your First Acquisition](/start/first-acquisition/overview).

### The dentist path

You have deep clinical knowledge and are being asked to own a friendly PC, or to sell your practice to a DSO. Read:

1. [What is a DSO?](/start/what-is-a-dso)
2. [The friendly PC, explained](/concepts/model/the-friendly-pc) for the owner role and its obligations
3. [What a DSO can and can't do](/concepts/model/what-dsos-can-and-cant-do) for the authority the dentist must retain
4. [DSO economics](/concepts/finance/dso-economics). If you're selling, review how JV equity, rollover units, and earnouts work
5. [Draft the stock transfer restriction agreement](/guides/agreements/draft-stock-transfer-restriction) for the terms governing your shares
6. [DSO enforcement and risk](/concepts/model/dso-enforcement-and-risk) for the principal enforcement risks
7. Your state's page in [CPOD by state](/reference/legal/states/texas)

<Warning>
  If you are being asked to sign as a friendly owner, retain your **own** counsel. The DSO's lawyer represents the DSO. Your professional license and personal obligations need an independent review. See [When to call a lawyer](/concepts/compliance/when-to-call-a-lawyer).
</Warning>

### The operator path

If you run enrollment, billing, or finance for a dental group, these paths take you directly to the relevant guides:

* **Credentialing:** [Set up CAQH](/guides/enrollment/set-up-caqh) → [Enroll with dental payers](/guides/enrollment/enroll-with-dental-payers) → [Set up EDI, ERA, and EFT](/guides/enrollment/set-up-edi-era-eft) → [Track revalidations](/guides/enrollment/maintain-revalidations)
* **Billing:** [Run the dental billing cycle](/guides/billing/run-the-dental-billing-cycle) → [Submit clean claims](/guides/billing/submit-clean-claims) → [Post payments from 835s](/guides/billing/post-payments-from-835s) → [Work the denial queue](/guides/billing/work-the-denial-queue)
* **Finance:** [Structure accounts across entities](/guides/banking/structure-accounts-across-entities) → [Move money between PC and DSO](/guides/banking/move-money-dso-pc) → [Reconcile payments daily](/guides/payments/reconcile-daily-payments) → [Set up bookkeeping](/guides/banking/set-up-bookkeeping)

Keep [Reference](/reference/edi/carc-codes) nearby for codes, payer details, and state rules.

### The AI agent path

If you are retrieving from this site programmatically, the structure is worth knowing:

* Every page's **first sentence is a standalone definition** of the page's subject. It is written to be extractable.
* The [glossary](/reference/appendix/glossary) is the site's controlled vocabulary. Every term the wiki uses has an anchor there, and pages link to it rather than redefining terms locally.
* **URLs are stable.** Slugs are not renamed without a redirect.
* Mintlify generates `llms.txt` and `llms-full.txt` automatically, and every page is available as raw markdown by appending `.md` to its URL.
* Route by question type: *"what is…"* → Concepts; *"how do I…"* → Guides; *"what is the value of…"* → Reference; *"walk me through…"* → Start Here.

## Conventions you'll see

**Specialty callouts.** General dentistry is the default. Pages use inline notes when orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, or oral surgery requires a different workflow:

<Note>
  🦷 **Orthodontics:** Ortho claims carry a banding date and months of treatment remaining. Payers often pay the case over time rather than per visit. See [Orthodontics](/concepts/specialties/orthodontics).
</Note>

Deep dives live in [Dental specialties](/concepts/specialties/orthodontics).

**Citations.** Reference and legal pages end with a numbered **Sources** section. We link to official statutes, court opinions, and agency material whenever possible and identify secondary commentary when we use it.

**Freshness is visible on the page.** Mintlify shows the last-modified date. Dates in the text are reserved for facts such as effective dates, compliance deadlines, data periods, and source publication dates.

**A running example.** The Start Here tutorials follow a fictional company called **Bluebird Dental**. Its founder, Sam Calloway, and dentist-owner, Dr. Maya Okafor, take the company from formation through its first paid claim and acquisition.

**The sibling wiki.** The [MSO-PC Wiki](https://mso.getlemma.com) covers similar structures in medicine, behavioral health, med spas, veterinary care, and other fields. This site stays focused on dentistry.