Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist - Dentrix Magazine

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Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist - Dentrix Magazine
Become a                                                      Dentrix G7
                                                               is Coming
Dentrix Front                                                          page 6

Office Specialist                          See All Your Payment
                                                  Agreements in
Master the skills of the front                        One Place
office and earn the recognition                                      page 20
you deserve.
page 14                                              Social Media
                                               Marketing: It Starts
                                                   with Facebook
                                                                     page 26

                                                       www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
                                  Dentrix Magazine Volume 30 Issue 1 — Spring 2018
Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist - Dentrix Magazine
LET DENTRIX G7 EXPAND HOW YOU GET WORK DONE,
SERVE YOUR PATIENTS AND GROW YOUR PROFITABILITY

                   For Clinical Staff:
                   Clinical workflow automation to keep you productive

                   For Office Staff:
Three Key Take-
                   Office workflow improvements to reduce staff workloads
Aways about
Dentrix G7         For the Whole Office:
                   Integrated services to help your patients and your team
Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist - Dentrix Magazine
DENTRIX G7
             is Coming

     GET A SNEAK PEEK OF THE UPCOMING
FEATURES AND REQUEST YOUR UPGRADE AT:

www.Dentrix.com/G7/DTXmag
Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist - Dentrix Magazine
“It’s fun to come to work in a new facility. The patients love it, the team loves it.
 We are constantly looking for ways to improve patient care.”
 — Scott Neil, DDS

 Henry Schein Dental has everything
 you need to operate a successful
 practice. Rely on Us for the
 equipment and technology solutions
 that meet the unique needs of
 your practice. An office designed
 with integrated equipment and
 technology can provide your team
 with an energized environment that
 helps drive quality and efficiency
 for your practice, and an enhanced
 patient experience.

 Rely on us to empower your practice for
 success, so you can focus on the
 care of your patients.

 Contact your Henry Schein
 Sales Consultant
 or call 855.801.1129

                                           Scott Neil, DDS, Summit Dental | Layton, Utah

Supplies | Equipment | Practice Management Systems | Digital Technology | Technical Service | Business Solutions

                                                       henryscheindental.com/hsempowered | #HSEMPOWERED
                                                                              © 2018 Henry Schein, Inc. No copying without permission.
                                                                                  Not responsible for typographical errors. 18BS9102B.
Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist - Dentrix Magazine
CONTENTS
Editor:
Matt Singerman

Senior Editors:
Erin Brisk, Roger Gagon

Contributing Editors:                          03   DENTRIX MASTERY TRACKS SPOTLIGHT
Sean Eyring, Gary Frazier, Bruce Herbert,
Rodney Merrill, Brad Royer, Mark Steele,
Loren Sucher
                                               04   DENTRIX NEWS
Advertising Director:
Thomas Grover

Advertising Editors:
Todd Anderson, Shar Chavira, Allen Crow,       06   PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
Jeff Farnsworth, Michael Fillmore,                  Dentrix G7 is Coming
Ken Woodbury                                        Learn what the Dentrix Development team is working on for the next major
                                                    version of your dental practice management software.
Production Designers:
Amber Ahlberg, Andy Barlow, Ashley Tarr,
RaeAnn Turner, Mark Vermeulen
                                               09   TIPS & TRICKS

ADVISORY BOARD

Kevin Bunker President
                                               14   COVER STORY
Michael Allsop VP of Marketing                      Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist
Rhett Burnham VP of Product Management              Master the skills of the front office and earn the recognition you deserve.
Steve Roberts VP of Technology Sales
Genny Tap VP of Customer Service
                                               20   FEATURE STORY
                                                    See All Your Patient Payment Agreements in One Place
                                                    Simplify and manage payment agreements with the Dentrix Payment
Dentrix Magazine is published four times a          Agreement Manager.
year for the benefit of Dentrix customers.
Copyright ©2018 by Henry Schein Inc. All
rights reserved. Dentrix, Henry Schein and     24   THE DENTRIX OFFICE MANAGER
the ‘S’ logo are registered trademarks of           Making Changes to Clinical Notes
Henry Schein, Inc. All other trademarks are
                                                    Learn how to make changes to clinical notes and when it’s appropriate
property of their respective owners.
                                                    to do so.
To contact Dentrix Magazine, send
correspondence to Dentrix Magazine, 1220
South 630 East, Suite 100, American Fork, UT
84003; call 801-763-9300; or send email to
                                               26   BUSINESS OF DENTISTRY
                                                    Social Media Marketing: It Starts with Facebook
DentrixMagazine@HenrySchein.com.
                                                    When prospective new patients check out your practice online, what they
Although published material is intended to
                                                    find—especially on Facebook—has an enormous influence on whether or not
be accurate and free from error, typographic
                                                    they consider you. Take these first steps and be present where it really counts!
or otherwise, Henry Schein will not assume
liability for loss or damage as a result of
reliance on this material.
                                               28   TECHNOTES
                                                    Is Your Hardware Ready for a Dentrix Upgrade?
                                                    Recognize the common signs of hardware failure and how outdated
                                                    hardware can affect software performance.

                                               30   CONNECTED SOLUTION SPOTLIGHT
                                                    databot and Dentrix: Real Intelligence for Your Practice
                                                    Discover how databot helps you visualize your Dentrix data and simplify your
                                                    reporting to improve your patient care, office efficiency, and production.

                                                                                 Dentrix Magazine Volume 30 Issue 1 — Spring 2018
                                                                                                       www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist - Dentrix Magazine
Get Dentrix News,
                 Tips and Information
                 Sent Right to Your Inbox.
                 The Dentrix eNewsletter will help you stay up to date on the latest Dentrix
                 product information, education opportunities, industry news, tips and
                 tricks, promotional offers and more! Once a month you’ll receive an
                 eNewsletter featuring the following content:

                    Product                Training   The Dental    Partner         Tips
                  Information             & Support    Business    Products       & Tricks

                       Sign Up Today at Dentrix.com/eNewsletter
                    and don’t miss out on the most up-to-date Dentrix information!

©2018 Henry Schein, Inc. A-DTXENEW-Q315
Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist - Dentrix Magazine
Dentrix Mastery Tracks

SPOTLIGHT
Dentrix Mastery Tracks™ helps dental professionals
improve, measure, and demonstrate their Dentrix skills.
Read on to find out about Erin Silva, a hygienist who
has completed four Mastery Tracks tests and earned
two specialist certificates.

                                                                        ERIN SILVA | HYGIENIST

Where do you work?
I work at Lakepoint Dental in Elk Grove, California                     How has participating in Mastery Tracks helped you
                                                                        use Dentrix?
What is your title?                                                     Mastery Tracks has not only helped me improve my own
I’m a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH, BS).                            efficiency, but also the efficiency of our entire staff. If someone
                                                                        has a question, they know they can ask me instead of contacting
What are some of the duties you’re responsible for                      Dentrix Customer Support for how-to questions.
within your practice?
I am in charge of the hygiene department in our office. In              How has becoming a Dentrix specialist improved
addition to the normal prophy, periodontal maintenance,                 your career?
scaling and root planning, laser, etc., I keep an eye on hygiene        Dentrix Mastery Tracks has given me a more comprehensive
production and schedule and help to train new staff. I also numb        view of both the software and of our office as a whole. I am now
the doctor’s patients, take records and pictures for insurance          able to be more efficient and thorough with detailed tasks such
claims, do patient whitening, schedule appointments, treatment          as charting and setting up comprehensive treatment plans, but I
plan, assist with fillings/extractions/crowns, help in sterilization,   also know how to look at big picture things like evaluating office
answer the phone, respond to emails, send referrals, you name it!       collections, referrals, and goals. I am a more valuable asset in this
Our office is small and we are all cross-trained! It’s wonderful!       way as I know more about every aspect of the business.

How long have you worked with Dentrix?                                  What is your favorite Dentrix tip or trick?
I have been working with Dentrix for about 5 years.                     My favorite Dentrix tips are using the Ins Today’s Procedures
                                                                        button to automatically batch the claim for the day’s
Which certificates have you earned?                                     procedures and the Treatment Planner view in the Patient
I have earned the Dentrix Clinical Specialist and Dentrix Financial     Chart—it helps to visualize the treatment needed while planning
Specialist certificates.                                                it out. You can create separate cases for complex treatment
                                                                        plans, linking them together, prioritizing different phases of
What got you interested in Dentrix Mastery Tracks?                      treatment, planning out appointments, and explaining it all to
In the course of day-to-day tasks, I found myself contacting            the patient all from one area.
Dentrix Customer Support. When I discovered Mastery Tracks, it
was a no-brainer. I was excited to have found this great resource
and to be able to answer my own questions before they even
came up!

                                       Take a course. Take a test. Earn a certificate.
                           Visit Dentrix.com/Mastery and start using Dentrix Mastery Tracks to
                          help your team improve, measure, and demonstrate their Dentrix skills.

                                                                                                                     DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 3
Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist - Dentrix Magazine
Dentrix News

                 Important Payor Notifications

                                                                                  Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama (Payor ID CBAL1)
                                                                                  Effective April 2, 2018. Alabama dentists will be required to
                                                                                  submit claims electronically to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama.
                                                                                  In addition, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama will discontinue
                                                                                  mailing paper remittances for Alabama dentists starting on
                                                                                  the April 5, 2018 payroll date. Online remittances are available
                                                                                  each Monday prior to the Thursday payroll date.
                                                                                  If you have any questions about these policies, contact
                                                                                  Provider eSolutions at 205 220-6899 or Ask-EDI@bcbsal.org.

               Principal Financial Group (Payor ID 61271) – Member IDs
               To ensure the protection of member’s personal information,
               do not submit claims using their Social Security numbers. Use
               the member ID located on the member’s dental insurance
               card which typically begins with a “9” and is nine digits long
               located on the dental insurance card. Claims submitted with
               a Social Security number or incorrect member ID will be
               rejected by the payor.

                 Notice of Fradulent Calls to Dentrix Practices
               Henry Schein Practice Solutions (HSPS) has received reports        3. Call 1-800-DENTRIX and provide the information you
               of someone calling dental practices posing as an HSPS                 gathered to the operator who can verify the validity of the
               employee and asking for remote access to the office servers.          representative and reconnect you if it was a valid call.
               HSPS will not make unexpected calls to our customers to
                                                                                  Our technical support teams may make outbound calls to
               access their server or systems for an unknown reason.
                                                                                  customers who they have been working with to resolve
               These fraudulent callers reportedly provide multiple reasons       specific problems, but these calls are planned with the office
               for their call, including suggesting you have problems with        during a prior contact.
               your backups, viruses, hardware failures or similar issues. They
                                                                                  On occasion, HSPS Technical Support representatives do make
               then ask for remote access to your system.
                                                                                  unexpected outbound calls to customers to provide them with
               We recommend that all our customers employ common                  information, such as when an important software update is
               practices for responding to unexpected and unknown callers,        available.
               such as not providing sensitive information and verifying the
                                                                                  If you are asked for remote access to your system
               identity of the caller.
                                                                                  If HSPS representatives ask to remotely access your system
               What to do if you suspect a fraudulent call                        they will always do so through our secure remote web
               If you receive a call claiming to be from Henry Schein, but you    application at remote.dentrix.com. If anyone asks to remote
               believe may be fraudulent, we recommend you:                       into your system through any other website we recommend
                                                                                  that you do not allow them to do so unless they are a trusted
               1. Gather information such as the person’s name, company
                                                                                  business partner with your office.
                  and/or employee ID#. Notice the phone number they are
                  calling from, write it down and provide it to HSPS with that    Of course, if you have any questions about data security or
                  information. [HSPS team members are instructed to provide       practice management software, please do not hesitate to
                  their first name and last initial and telephone extension to    contact us at 1-800-DENTRIX.
                  customers for verification.]
               2. Hang up with the person calling and do not allow them
                  access to your data.

4 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist - Dentrix Magazine
Announcing New Insurance Payor Connections

               eClaims                                                       Attachments
    Dentrix has eClaims connections with several new payors.                The following payors now accept electronic claim
    For patients using the following insurance carriers, you                attachments. With electronic attachments, you can add
    can reduce paper claims by submitting electronic claims                 digital X-rays, EOBs, photos and perio charts to the
    through Dentrix instead.                                                electronic claims you send.

    Payor ID    Payor Name                                                  Payor ID    Payor Name
    12268		Total Senior Care                                                CX061		Lincoln Financial Group
    128WV		Aetna Better Health of West Virginia                             SKYGN		SKYGEN USA
    99010		Delta Dental of Hawaii/HDS                                       For more information about electronic insurance claim
                                                                            attachments, visit www.dentrix.com/products/eservices/
    HDSMH		Medicaid of Hawaii
                                                                            eclaims/attachments.
    TLZ04		Cypress Ancillary Benefits
                                                                            View the entire list of electronic payor connections using
    For more information about Dentrix eClaims, visit                       the Payer Search Tool at www.dentrix.com/products/
    www.dentrix.com/products/eservices/eclaims.                             eservices/eclaims/payor-search. You can search for specific
                                                                            payors or download the complete payor list.
                                                                            Call 800-734-5561 for help setting up any of these services.

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                                                                                            My case turnaround time has been cut in half and I
                                                                                            can now store my cases in the cloud freeing up valuable
                                  ·       Fully integrates with Dentrix ®
                                                                                            office storage space. With the full integration of my lab
                                                                                            case work into the Dentrix patient record I see everything
                                      ·   Streamline your in-office lab work
                                                                                            in one place. Thank you DDX and Dentrix”.

                                  ·       Save time and eliminate costly
                                          scheduling errors
                                                                                                                   - Dr. Bill Busch, DMD MAGD
                                                                                                                     Kansas City, MO
                                  ·       DDX is FREE to dentists and only
                                          takes a few minutes to set up

                                                                               Schedule your demo today!
                                                                     www.ddxdental.com or call 877-244-9345
Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist - Dentrix Magazine
Management
Product

             Dentrix G7 is Coming

             Learn what we’re working on for the next                           required to use passwords in Dentrix, and those passwords
                                                                                will employ today’s standards for complexity and expiration.
             major version of Dentrix.
                                                                                In anticipation of that release, please start today by

             D
                                                                                ensuring your passwords are enabled and that all users have
                     entrix G7 is coming soon. With Dentrix G7, you will
                                                                                appropriate access to the various areas of Dentrix. You can
                     see additional features and enhancements that
                                                                                also start using the appropriate complexity requirements
                     reflect your feedback through MyVoice (myvoice.
                                                                                for that upcoming release now, which are a minimum of
             dentrix.com). We will also be introducing new innovations in
                                                                                eight characters with at least one upper and lowercase
             imaging and other aspects of delivering great patient care.
                                                                                alpha character, at least one numeric character, and at
             Here’s a quick run-down of some of the new features that
                                                                                least 1 special character (e.g. #@$*); or passwords with a
             are coming in G7.
                                                                                12 character minimum. Again, this should not be the only
             Health History                                                     line of defense. We highly recommend that you work with
             Have you ever dreamed of a single module to manage                 both computer and security policy experts to implement
             allergies, conditions, and medications that didn’t limit you       safeguards based on industry standards and best practices.
             to 64 discrete definition types and could pop-up in different
                                                                                Upcoming Changes that You Can Prepare For Now
             areas of the application depending on severity? How about
                                                                                Operating System Requirements
             having it tightly integrated with patient questionnaires so
             that responses on the questionnaire would flow into this           In the Spring 2017 Dentrix Magazine, I discussed changes
             module without manual entry? Even more, what about                 to Microsoft operating system requirements with Dentrix,
             a place to capture the patient’s emergency contact and             including the use of our eServices. I stated that we will no
             primary care physician’s information?                              longer be able to process transactions that come from any
                                                                                unsupported Microsoft operating systems. The reason is that
             Great news! All of this will be coming in phases in 2018 as
                                                                                these operating systems cannot send data using the latest
             part of our new Health History Module. In addition to these
                                                                                transport layer security (TLS) version of 1.2 or higher but
             amazing updates, you will have the ability to show the date
                                                                                instead submit using older, outdated methods.
             items were reported to the office, when they first surfaced
             for the patient and, if applicable, when they are no longer        Many of our eServices have officially been moved over
             active. Each patient’s medication information will show            to use the latest transport layer security (TLS) version of
             those prescribed by your office, as well as give a place to        1.2. What is important to note is that as of Dentrix G6.5
             list medications that have been prescribed to your patients        (released Q4 2017), only the following operating systems
             by others.                                                         are supported with Dentrix:

             Dentrix Smart Image                                                Servers
             We have greatly enjoyed our partnership and integration              •   Windows Server 2016
             capabilities with DEXIS. However, the market has evolved
             with respect to distribution agreements for the various              •   Windows Server 2012 Standard/Datacenter (R1/R2)
             imaging vendors. With that in mind, we will soon be                  •   Windows Server 2008 Standard/Enterprise/Datacenter
             expanding Dentrix imaging integration with other vendors                 (R2 SP1)
             and tools into the Dentrix Patient Chart. In addition, we will
                                                                                Workstations
             offer enhanced integration capabilities that go beyond what
             is available today. Stay tuned for more on these exciting            •   Windows 10
             imaging enhancements.
                                                                                  •   Windows 8.1 Professional/Enterprise
             Additional Capabilities for Dentrix Pay
                                                                                  •   Windows 7 Professional/Enterprise/Ultimate (SP1)
             You may already know about the new payment system,
             Dentrix Pay, which was released with Dentrix G6.6. In Dentrix      I am very excited about the future as we continue to partner
             G7, we have added the ability to link a saved credit card to a     together to continuously improve upon the great foundation
             payment agreement. You can then charge saved credit cards          of Dentrix. If you have any questions or would like to suggest
             directly from Payment Agreement Manager.                           areas of improvement in the product, please don’t hesitate
                                                                                to reach out to me at brad.royer@henryschein.com.
             Dentrix Passwords
             In the Winter 2014 Dentrix Magazine, I discussed multi-
             layered security practices. As part of that article, I discussed
             one important first line of defense that should be coupled
             with all other industry standard and best practice security                                       BRAD ROYER
             requirements—passwords. In Dentrix G7, it will now be                                    Dentrix Product Manager

   6 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
STEP UP
      E                             YOUR CLAIM
& STAK

                                             Why take so much of your valuable time to
                                             manually create, submit and track claims when
                                             you can do it all within Dentrix?
                                             With Dentrix eClaims, you can conveniently accelerate the
                                             insurance claims process by quickly creating, validating and
                                             sending electronic claims to one of the largest payor lists in
                                             the industry. It pays to use the only electronic claim service
                                             that is actually part of your Dentrix software. You deserve
                                             more. Step up today and stake your claim to accelerated,
                                             convenient claims processing.

                             Bundle eClaims and Save You can claim deep discounts on eClaims when
                             you buy it as part of a Dentrix Service Bundle — powerful eServices that connect
                             directly to Dentrix, helping you boost your productivity and streamline your workflow.

            Call 1-800-734-5561, option 2 and use promo code #1-320934276
             to get eClaims and determine the best bundle for your practice.

                                                                               You deserve more.
 Service Bundles                                                               Dentrix.com/ServiceBundles
DATA CAN TELL YOU
                                                    WHAT’S RIGHT AND
                                                    WRONG IN YOUR
                                                    PRACTICE

IMPROVE YOUR PROFITABILITY
Meet with a Dentrix Profitability Coach for a free 30-minute assessment.
See what your data says about your practice’s strengths and weaknesses,
and key areas to improve to immediately boost profits. Act now. Consulting
slots are limited.

SCHEDULE YOUR FREE PRACTICE ASSESSMENT NOW AT
DENTRIX.COM/FREEASSESSMENT/INSIGHT
Tips & Tricks
  The tips in this section describe valuable but easily               Front Office
overlooked Dentrix features that simplify workflow and                Saving a Screen Capture in the Document Center
                                                                      Some insurance companies provide coverage details on
increase efficiency. Find the tips that correspond to your            their website, and you like to check for detailed coverage
role in the practice and try them out today. Start making             breakdowns when a new patient comes to your office.
                                                                      If you need to refer to the coverage breakdown again
   your job easier and your practice more profitable.                 you could go back to the insurance company’s website
                                                                      and find it, but it’s a lot easier to just capture the image
                                                                      using the Screen Capture tool and save a copy of it in the
                                                                      Document Center.
                                                                      How To
                                                                        1. Open the website with the coverage table you want
                                                                           to save, and leave it open on your screen.
                                                                        2. Open the Document Center and select the patient
     Clinical
                                                                           to whom you want to attach the screen capture.
     Creating a New Perio Exam Using Previous                              Then click Acquire > Screen Capture.
     Measurements                                                       3. Go back to the screen you want to capture, and
     When you open the Dentrix Perio module, the last saved                click Start Capture.
     exam for the selected patient is shown. Did you know that          4. Position your mouse pointer where you want to
     you can use this saved exam as a starting point for a new             start the capture and drag to capture the image.
     exam? That way, you only have to make changes to the                  When you release the mouse button, the Document
     measurements and other data that is different from the last           Center opens and the image you captured appears
     visit and not have to enter all new measurements for each             in it.
     tooth from scratch. Talk about a time saver!
                                                                      Additional Information
     With a patient selected in the Perio module, select File > New
                                                                       • If you don’t want to be prompted to enter the
     Exam. Select the date and provider for the new exam and
                                                                           document type, description, and orientation each
     click OK. As you perform the exam, only enter measurements
                                                                           time you take a screen capture, in the Document
     and other data that has changed since the last exam. When
                                                                           Center click Acquire > Screen Capture and click the
     finished, click Save Exam and select All Entries.
                                                                           Setup Defaults button. Check the Acquire without
    Additional Information                                                 displaying Document Information option and
     • When saving the exam, you have two options:                         specify the default information, and the Document
        - Select All Entries to save the exam with both the                Center will automatically assign that info to every
            new measurements you changed today and the old                 screen capture.
            measurements you didn’t change.                            • For additional information, read the “Acquiring
        - Select New Entries to only save the measurements                 Screen Captures” topic in the Dentrix Help.
            you changed today. For example, if all the
            measurements were the same except for those on
            tooth 3, which you changed, selecting New Entries
            will save the exam with only tooth 3’s measurements
            and all other teeth will be blank.

                                                                                                          DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 9
Practice Analysis
              Catch Unsubmitted Claims with the Insurance                  B. Status—The claim status. Because this report
              Claims to Process Report                                        includes only claims that have been posted but
              You can use the Insurance Claims to Process Report              not processed, each claim displays “Created.”
              to quickly identify all insurance claims created in the      C. Amount—The claim amount.
              Ledger but that were not sent to the Batch Processor,        D. Expires—The deadline by which the insurance
              printed, or sent electronically through eClaims. The            carrier must receive the claim.
              report includes total amounts for primary and                   Note: The Expires column pulls the claim
              secondary claims to let you know just how important             expiration date from the Claim Deadline field
              it is that you don’t miss submitting these insurance            in the Insurance Coverage dialog box for the
              claims!                                                         insurance plan. If you have not customized this
                                                                              deadline, the expiration date will be the same as
              To generate the report, from the Office Manager select
                                                                              the claim creation date. This date is coming from
              Reports > Ledger > Insurance Claims to Process. The
                                                                              Dentrix and is not necessarily an indication that
              report includes the following key elements:
                                                                              the insurance company will not pay on the claim.
                A. Claim Date—The date on which the claim was              E. Totals—The total value of primary and secondary
                   posted to the Ledger.                                      claims.

         Clinical
         Making Multi-Codes More Manageable                                Additional Information
         When you have been using Dentrix for several years, you can        • When a multi-code is disabled it no longer appears in the
         build up lots of customizations that were useful to you at one         Procedure Code List in the Procedure Codes dialog box
         time, but may not be any more. Often, this means you have a            in the Appointment Book, or in the Multi-Codes List in the
         long list of items that you are no longer using, such as custom        Enter Procedure(s) dialog box in the Ledger.
         multi-codes that you do not use or no longer want your staff        •   When you disable a multi-code, you do not lose it.
         to use.                                                                 Disabled multi-codes are still listed in the Multi-Code
         You can inactivate the old codes to clear them from the                 Setup dialog box, but they are marked with an asterisk.
         procedure code list, which means you won’t have to look             •   You can enable a disabled multi-code at any time by
         through as many codes to find the ones you need, and you’ll             following the steps above and unchecking the Disable
         prevent staff members from using the wrong multi-code.                  this Multi-Code box.
         From the Office Manager, select Maintenance > Practice              •   For more information see the “Multi-Code Setup” topic in
         Setup > Multi-Code Setup. Select the multi-code you want                the Dentrix Help.
         to disable, and click Edit. Then check the Disable this
         Multi-Code box and click OK.

10 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Front Office
Assigning Insurance to a Patient when the Subscriber is a
Non-Patient
Because the family situations of your patients are varied, there will be times
when a patient in your practice is covered through an insurance subscriber          Financial
who is not a patient. This can happen in cases of divorce or when an adult
child is still covered by their parent’s insurance. In situations like this, even   Analyzing Referrals
though the subscriber isn’t a patient you need to add them to Dentrix so            If you are looking for a quick way to analyze your
that you can assign their insurance coverage to your patient.                       patient referrals without having to generate a report
How To                                                                              in the Office Manager, look no further! Let’s say
  1. In the Family File, select the patient who will have insurance coverage        your office offers a discount on teeth whitening
     through the non-patient subscriber, and click File > Add New Family            when a patient refers five people to your practice
     Member.                                                                        and those patients are seen for appointments. You
  2. Enter the subscriber’s name, set the status to Non-Patient, enter              know that patient Brent Crosby is close to meeting
     the birthdate and other information (including address and phone               the five referrals, and you want to see details about
     number if they are different from the other members of the family)             the referrals he has made. You can access that
     and click OK.                                                                  information easily from the Family File.
  3. Double-click the non-patient’s name in the family list to select them,         How To
     and then double-click the Insurance block.                                       1. In the Family File, select a patient who has
  4. Select the insurance carrier, enter the subscriber ID and other                     made referrals to your practice.
     insurance information, and then click OK.                                        2. From the File menu, select Referral Analysis.
  5. From the family list, double-click the name of the patient to be                 3. The number of referrals a patient has made
     covered by the non-patient’s insurance, and then double-click the                   to your office appears in the Total Referrals
     Insurance block.                                                                    Made field, and a list of individual patients, the
  6. Assign the non-patient’s insurance coverage as either primary or                    date they were referred, and production totals
     secondary insurance and click OK.                                                   resulting from that referral appear in the list.
  7. Repeat as needed for other family members.                                       4. Use the drop-down lists for Referral Date Span
                                                                                         and Production Date Span to see referrals and
Additional Tips                                                                          production for a specific time period.
 • The insurance subscriber must be a member of the same family in
     Dentrix as the covered patient.
 •   The non-patient subscriber can have a different address from the
     rest of the family in Dentrix, as may be the case with divorced or
     unmarried parents who are insurance subscribers for their children
     that do not live with them full time.
 •   Non-patients don’t show up on reports and will only receive corre-
     spondence if they’ve been designated as the head of household.

                                                                                                                     DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 11
Clinical
    Viewing Rejected Treatment Plans
   In the Treatment Planner, when you assign a case status of
   Accepted to a case that is linked to another case, the other           Follow us on Facebook and receive
   case is automatically assigned the status of Rejected. That
                                                                          Dentrix tips in your News Feed.
   way you still have a record of all the treatment options you
   proposed to the patient should you ever need them again in             www.Facebook.com/Dentrix
   the future.
   To view rejected cases in the Treatment Planner, check the
   Include Rejected Cases option in the Treatment Plan Case
   Setup panel.
   Additional Information
    • Only treatment cases that are set as the recommended          Clinical
        case or cases with a case status of Accepted display on
        the graphic chart.                                          Refilling Prescriptions in Dentrix
                                                                    You’ve probably had this happen in your office recently: a
     •   See the “Updating Case Status” topic in the Dentrix
                                                                    patient calls wanting a refill on their pain medication, and you
         Help for a complete list of case status options that can
                                                                    can’t remember what you prescribed for them or when. There’s
         be assigned to treatment plans.
                                                                    no need to try and remember which drug was prescribed, or
                                                                    dosage amounts, or if they’ve already gotten a refill from you
                                                                    recently. The Prescriptions module in Dentrix keeps track of all
                                                                    this information for you. And when you refill a prescription, you
                                                                    have the option to change the dosage or dispensing instructions
                                                                    or keep the same settings as when it was last prescribed.
                                                                    How To
                                                                      1. From any patient-specific Dentrix module, select a patient
                                                                         and click the Prescriptions button on the toolbar.
                                                                      2. From the Patient Prescriptions list, review the patient’s list
                                                                         of prescriptions, prescribing doctor, and last prescription
                                                                         date.
                                                                      3. If it’s appropriate to refill the prescription, select the
                                                                         prescription to be refilled, and click Refill.
                                                                      4. If necessary, change the information in the Sig, Disp, Refills,
                                                                         and/or Notes fields.
                                                                      5. Click Print to print the prescription and to save the refill to
                                                                         the Patient Prescriptions list.

                                                                    Additional Tips
                                                                     • The Medical Alert button is available within the Patient
                                                                         Prescriptions dialog box, allowing you to check for drug
                                                                         allergies or other medical conditions before you create a
                                                                         prescription for a patient. If the Medical Alert cross is red,
                                                                         click the button to check for medical alerts.
                                                                     •   To learn more, read “Refilling Patient Prescriptions” in the
                                                                         Dentrix Help.

12 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Dentrix does
                                                All THAT?

                                                        ONLY
                                                      $
                                                        79
    30 Things You Didn’t Know
        Dentrix Could Do
    The 2018 Insight Seminar is coming to a city near you!
For a schedule and course outline, visit www.Dentrix.com/InsightSeminar
       or call 866.367.2711. Seating is limited. REGISTER TODAY!
O M E   A   D ENT
              E C       I C E        R IX
             B NT OFF         SPEC
                                   IA
               R O                                         LI
             F                                                      ST

                                ER I N B R I SK , SENIO R EDITO R
14 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Master the skills of the front office and earn the
recognition you deserve.

A
        nswering phone calls. Scheduling and rescheduling appointments. Keeping the schedule
        full and managing the doctor’s time. Checking patients in. Updating health history and
        patient information. Creating new patient records. Customizing patient recare intervals.
Tracking patient recare and making sure nobody falls through the cracks. There’s a lot going on in
the front office every day!
Henry Schein is here to support you. That’s why we created the Front Office track in Dentrix Mastery
Tracks.™ The Front Office track will help you master the Dentrix knowledge and skills to manage the
practice schedule and keep it full, coordinate a productive recare program for your practice, and
maintain accurate patient information and medical history.
Best of all, when you complete all of the courses and tests in the Front Office track, you’ll receive
a Dentrix Front Office Specialist certificate and earn the respect and recognition you deserve from
your dentist and your peers.
What is Dentrix Mastery Tracks?
Dentrix Mastery Tracks includes courses and tests that help you improve your Dentrix skills and
master the tasks you do every day. There are four tracks: Front Office, Financial, Clinical, and Practice
Analysis. The Front Office track is ideal for office managers, scheduling coordinators, and other front
office team members who routinely manage patient information, appointments, and continuing care.
The courses are online and on-demand, so you can study wherever and whenever it’s convenient for
you, and you can learn at your own pace. All you need to get started is a Dentrix Customer Service
Plan and your Dentrix customer ID number.
Take a course. Take a test. Earn a certificate.
The process is simple. You take a course and then take the test that goes along with the course.
When you pass the test, you earn a certificate (Figure 1).

                                    DENTRIX SKILLS CERTIFICATE

                       CHERYL
                       SMITH
                       has passed the
                       SCHEDULING TEST
                       demonstrating the knowledge and skills
                       necessary to manage patient information
                       Test time: 75 minutes.

                       Dated:                                Authorized by:
                                                                              Matt Singerman, Practice Education Manager

            Figure 1 When you pass a test, you’ll receive a certificate.

                                                                                                                           DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 15
There are three courses in the Front Office track: Patient          When you complete a course, you can take a test to check
        Information Mastery, Scheduling Mastery, and Continuing             your understanding. If you pass the test, you’ll earn a
        Care Mastery. You can take all three courses from start to          certificate to show your achievement.
        finish, focus your study on new skills you want to learn, or
                                                                            Become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist.
        study processes you want to improve to make routine daily
                                                                            When you pass all three tests in the Front Office track,
        tasks easier.
                                                                            you’ll earn the Front Office Specialist certificate (Figure 2).
        Each course contains five to eight lessons, and each                Earning the Front Office Specialist certificate shows that
        lesson is made up of several topics. Each topic includes an         you have mastered the Dentrix skills to support effective
        introduction that describes a Dentrix task and when to use          scheduling, productive continuing care, and comprehensive
        it, a short video that shows how to perform the task, three to      patient information.
        five additional tips that give extra insights about the task, and
                                                                            You have a wide range of experience and expertise, and you
        a practice exercise that helps reinforce learning.
                                                                            deserve to be recognized for everything you can do!

                    How has becoming a Dentrix
                   Specialist improved your career?
           Becoming a Dentrix specialist has helped                             I view myself and I present myself with increased
           me to become more assertive in the                                   confidence as an advanced Dentrix user. I am
           workplace, and I have been given more                                very proud to hold in my name all the Dentrix
           opportunities to showcase my skills.                                 Mastery Tracks certificates available.
           Knowing that I have earned the specialist
           title (and the certificates to prove it) has
                                                                                            Camy Gherghescu
           given me that extra bit of confidence that                                       Operations Manager
           is necessary to advance in my career.

                      Ana Ebanks
                      Office Coordinator
                                                                                Earning the specialist certificates has made
                                                                                me more valuable to the company and it
                                                                                keeps me excited about my career choice.
           Being a Dentrix specialist is a way to
           prove my knowledge with the Dentrix                                              LaVerne McNeil
           software as well as my knowledge in                                              Regional Director
           the dental field. It shows that I have
           taken the time and effort to educate
           myself to learn and hone my skills as
           a dental office manager. Being more                                  Achieving any certificate gives me a great sense of
           knowledgeable in Dentrix has helped                                  pride. Earning certificates in such a critical system
           increase office efficiency and allows us                             that is a cornerstone of our practice gave me the
           to run more smoothly on a daily basis.                               confidence to transition a newly purchased practice
                                                                                to Dentrix and provide training to the team.

                      Leslie Garabedian
                      Office Manager                                                        Casey Wright
                                                                                            Practice Administrator

        To read about other specialists, check out the Dentrix Mastery Tracks specialist spotlights at www.Dentrix.com/Mastery/Spotlights.

16 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
DENTRIX SPECIALIST CERTIFICATE

                                                                               CHERYL
                                                                               SMITH
                                                                               has passed the scheduling, patient
                                                                               information and continuing care
                                                                               tests, demonstrating the knowledge
                                                                               and skills required to be a

                                                                               FRONT OFFICE SPECIALIST
                                                                               Dated:                               Authorized by:
                                                                                                                                     Matt Singerman, Practice Education Manager

Figure 2 If you earn all three Front Office certificates, you’ll become a Front Office Specialist.

        As a Front Office Specialist, you’ll be able to                             save what you have done, and then come back to the
        demonstrate your value as a skilled member of the                           test at a more convenient time.
        dental team and earn greater respect, trust, and
                                                                                    Get the whole office involved.
        responsibility. You’ll enjoy greater confidence in your
                                                                                    You know all too well that the front office team
        own skills and find more opportunities to grow in
                                                                                    is always busy. Wouldn’t it be nice if some of the
        your career.
                                                                                    chairside assistants could help cover at the front
        Read the sidebar on page 18 to hear from several                            desk during lunch breaks or busy times? And just
        Front Office Specialists and find out how becoming a                        think of how full you’d be able to keep your hygiene
        specialist increased their confidence and made them                         schedule if the hygienists were able to run continuing
        a more valuable member of their dental team.                                care reports, find patients who need to come in, and
                                                                                    schedule recare appointments.
        Learn on your own schedule.
        We know your office is busy. We designed Mastery                            Use the Front Office track to help other team
        Tracks online learning and testing with flexibility in                      members expand their skills and learn to use Dentrix
        mind so you can easily fit it into your day.                                in new ways. Hygienists can take the Continuing
                                                                                    Care course to learn how to manage their patients’
        You don’t have to go through an entire course or
                                                                                    recare. Chairside assistants who want to start working
        lesson at once. Each lesson has 10-15 topics, and each
                                                                                    in the front office can take Scheduling and Patient
        topic is short and will only take three to five minutes
                                                                                    Information courses to learn how to manage the
        to complete. Plus, the courses are set up in a system
                                                                                    schedule and create patient records.
        that allows you to mark what you have completed
        as you study. That means you can study a few topics                         When you help other team members learn how to
        at a time when you can fit in a little learning with the                    help in the front office, you’ll improve teamwork and
        other things you’re doing in the office. Then, when                         increase the level of service you provide to your
        you return to the course, you’ll know exactly where                         patients. When dental team members are cross-
        you left off.                                                               trained, they understand the challenges and tasks
                                                                                    associated with each other’s jobs, and that fosters
        Each Front Office mastery test includes 35-50
                                                                                    understanding and camaraderie among dental
        questions and may take up to 75 minutes to
                                                                                    team members.
        complete.* The good news is that you don’t have to
        take a whole test at once. You can pause a test and

        * Mastery tests cost $19.95 per test and include two attempts to pass each test.

                                                                                                                                                                  DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 17
How do I access
      Dentrix Mastery
      Tracks courses                                              What about team members who are new

      and tests?                                                  to Dentrix?
                                                                  The Front Office track is ideal for team
                                                                  members with more than a year of experience
                                                                  using Dentrix who are ready to advance their
      It’s easy to get started!                                   Dentrix skills. If you’re new to Dentrix, there’s a
                                                                  Mastery Tracks option for you too. You can get
        1. Log in to the Dentrix Resource Center at               up to speed and learn basic Dentrix skills by
           www.Dentrix.com/Resource-Center.                       completing Dentrix Essentials courses and tests.
        2. In the Get Your Training section, click Enter.
                                                                  The Essentials learning level is the foundation
        3. Click Register to create your learner account, or      for Dentrix Mastery Tracks. It includes brief
           log in if you already have one. You will be required   courses and short tests of fundamental skills
           to create a personal username and password so          that are perfect for team members with less
           you can track your learning progress.                  than a year of Dentrix experience.
        4. Under Study for Mastery, click Courses,                The Scheduling Essentials and Patient
           click the course you want to take, and                 Information Essentials courses will help you build
                                                                  the foundation of your front office skills. Then,
           then click a lesson to begin learning.
                                                                  once you’ve completed the Dentrix Essentials
                                                                  courses and tests and you’re ready to expand
                                                                  your skills, you can move on to the Mastery level
                                                                  courses and tests and become a Dentrix Front
                                                                  Office Specialist.
                                                                  Get started today!
                                                                  Today is the day to master front office skills and
                                                                  become a Dentrix Front Office Specialist. Visit
                                                                  www.Dentrix.com/Mastery/Front-Office to
                                                                  learn more about Dentrix Mastery Tracks and
                                                                  get started.

18 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Same great content…

                                    …now available
                                           ONLINE!

 Introducing Dentrix Magazine Online
                      Now, instead of waiting for the one printed copy
                      to make the rounds in your office, everyone can
                      read Dentrix Magazine whenever they want on
                      their smartphone, tablet, or laptop!

                         SUBSCRIBE TODAY for
                      Dentrix Magazine online at:
                         magazine.dentrix.com               Scan this code
                                                             to subscribe!
See All Your Patient
             Payment Agreements
             in One Place
             Simplify and manage payment agreements with the
             Dentrix Payment Agreement Manager.
             R O GER G AGO N SENI OR EDI TOR

             Y
                     our practice needs to get paid for the work it performs. However, according to Dental
                     Products Report, the percentage of revenue from dentistry that remains uncollected has
                     grown from 11 percent in 2008 to 16 percent in 2015. For years, many dental practices have
             been using Dentrix payment agreements to help collect those payment balances from patients.
             With Dentrix G6.4 and higher, managing those payment agreements in your dental software just got
             easier. This article offers a quick review of Dentrix payment agreements and then explores the new
             Payment Agreement Manager available in Dentrix G6.4 and later.

20 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Once a payment agreement is
                                                                                      created for a patient, you can
                                                                                      review the payment agreement
                                                                                      and make a payment by double-
                                                                                      clicking the guardian’s name in
                                                                                      either the Dentrix Collections
                                                                                      Manager or in the new Payment
                                                                                      Agreement Manager window.
                                                                                      To learn more about payment
                                                                                      agreements, see the “Setting up
                                                                                      payment agreements” topic in
                                                                                      the Dentrix Help.

                                                                                     Using the Payment Agreement
                                                                                     Manager
Figure 1 The Billing/Payment Agreement Information dialog box.                       The Payment Agreement
                                                                                     Manager shows you every
                                                                                     payment agreement your office
               Setting Up and Using Payment Agreements                               has entered into with patients.
               Dentrix allows you to create and track payment         From the Payment Agreement Manager, you
               agreements you enter into with patients. Working       can enter payments without going through the
               together with the patient, you set the terms of the    Ledger, and you can sort and filter payment
               payment agreement, including finance charges,          agreements.
               interest rates, late charges, and grace periods. You
                                                                      With a patient selected in the Ledger, in the
               can determine how flexible the terms should be
                                                                      File menu, click Payment Agreement Manager
               on a patient-by-patient basis.
                                                                      to display the Payment Agreement Manager
               To set up a payment agreement, in the                  (Figure 2). By default, the Payment Agreement
               Collections Manager list, double-click the name        Manager displays ten columns of information
               of the guarantor you want to create a payment          about the payment agreement: Guarantor, Next
               agreement for. If you have not created a payment       Payment Date, Balance Remaining, Payment
               agreement, a message appears asking you                Amount, Amount Past Due, Payment Due, Missed
               to create one. After you click Yes, the Billing/       Payments, Agreement Note, Guarantor Notes,
               Payment Agreement Information dialog box               and Mobile Phone. But this list is customizable.
               appears (Figure 1). Specify the terms of the           To add or remove information that appears in
               agreement, and then click OK when finished.            this list, right-click any of the column headers,

        Figure 2 The Payment Agreement Manager window.

                                                                                                                 DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 21
and then select any item you want
                to appear in the window, or clear the
                checkmark next to any item you want
                to remove from the list. You can change
                the order of the columns by clicking a
                column heading and dragging it to the
                location where you want it to appear in
                the window.
                You can also sort the list of payment
                agreements according to any of the
                column headings. For example, to
                sort the list by guarantor in reverse
                alphabetical order, click the Guarantor
                column heading. Or, to sort the list by
                Next Payment Date, click that column
                heading. It may also be useful to sort by
                Missed Payments so you can easily follow
                up with guarantors who have missed one        Figure 3 The Enter Payment window.
                or more payments. (These appear in red
                to bring them to your attention.) Each
                time you open the Payment Agreement
                Manager, it will automatically sort                    Entering a Payment
                according to the way it was last sorted.               Click Enter Payment on the menu bar or the Enter
                                                                       Payment toolbar button to display the Enter
                You can filter the list to display only specific       Payment dialog box (Figure 3). Specify a payment
                accounts or accounts with non-zero balances.           Amount, and any other payment options. You
                To hide specific accounts from view, select those      can click the Details button to view additional
                accounts in the list. (To select multiple accounts,    details about the payment agreement. You can
                hold the Ctrl key while selecting, or hold the         also use the Payment Settings button to change
                Shift key to select a range of accounts.) Then         the default payment assignment settings. When
                from the File menu, click Hide Accounts. To hide       finished, click OK.
                agreements with zero balances, from the File
                menu, click Hide Agreements with Zero Balances.        Using the new Dentrix Payment Agreement
                To view the complete list again, simply close and      Manager is that simple. This new feature in Dentrix
                then re-open the Payment Agreement Manager.            G6.4 makes it easy to view and manage your
                                                                       payment agreements and enter payments.
                If you want to print the list, first make sure it’s
                sorted the way you want. Then click Print on the
                menu bar and click the Print icon on the toolbar.      LEARN MORE
                If you want to export the information to use in        To learn more about the Payment Agreement
                another program such as Microsoft Excel, from          Manager, see the “Entering payment agreement
                the File menu, click Copy to Clipboard. Next,          payments with Payment Agreement Manager”
                open the software program where you want to            topic in the Dentrix Help.
                use the payment agreement data (such as Excel)
                and press Ctrl+V to paste the information. (Tip:
                This can be very useful for record keeping or
                performing advanced analysis on your payment
                agreement data.)

22 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
N MO RE.
                      LEAR USE MORE.

              N TR I X
            DE O MORE!
                  LET

                                                   U
                                             ELP YO
                                            H

                               D
    Register TODAY for a hands-on
     workshop in a city near you!

    Insurance: Billing and Collections                                                                                                            Accounts Receivable Management
    Do it right to get paid faster                                                                                                                Take control of your patient A/R

                      Gain an in-depth understanding of how to correctly bill                                                                      Learn to simplify the billing statement process, enhance the
                        insurance in order to increase claim acceptance and                                                                          effectiveness of collections efforts, and properly track and
                          collect more quickly and easily. Includes G6 Ledger!                                                                        manage important A/R routines. Includes G6 Ledger!
            per n                                                                                                                       per n
299
$
     6 CE
            persIToS
            CRE
               D
                           1-day class for experienced Dentrix users
                           9 am – 5 pm | AGD subject code: 550
                                                                                                                       $ 299 6 CE
                                                                                                                                        persIToS
                                                                                                                                       CRE
                                                                                                                                              D
                                                                                                                                                             1-day class for experienced Dentrix users
                                                                                                                                                             9 am – 5 pm | AGD subject code: 550

    Treatment Planning and Case Presentation                                                                                                      Clinical Charting
    Create and present treatment options effectively                                                                                              Move beyond just posting procedures

                      Learn in-depth how to create, customize, present and                                                                          Discover features that make charting easier and more
                        manage patient treatment plans for improved patient                                                                           efficient. Learn to create thorough, accurate clinical records

            per n                                                                                                                       per n
                         education, case acceptance and documentation.                                                                                 in the Dentrix Patient Chart and Perio module.

299
$
     6 CE
            persIToS
            CRE
               D           1-day class for experienced Dentrix users
                           9 am – 5 pm | AGD subject code: 550
                                                                                                                       $ 299 6 CE
                                                                                                                                        persIToS
                                                                                                                                       CRE
                                                                                                                                              D              1-day class for experienced Dentrix users
                                                                                                                                                             9 am – 5 pm | AGD subject code: 550

    Essentials Workshop                                                                                                                           EARLY REGISTRATION SAVINGS!

                                                                                                                                                        $
                                                                                                                                                           40 OFF
    Master the basics
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  when you
                      Become familiar with the essential Dentrix features that                                                                                                                                    register at least
                       will help you work more effectively in your practice, and
                         make your daily routines easier and more efficient.
                                                                                                                                                                                        PER SEAT                  3 weeks early!
            per n
449
$
    12 C
        E
            persIToS
            CRE
                  D        2-day class for newer Dentrix users
                           9 am – 5 pm | AGD subject code: 550                                                                             View course descriptions and register online at
                                                                                                                                   www.Dentrix.com/Workshops
                                                                                                                                            or call 866.367.2711
      Mastery Tracks professional skills assessment included with these workshops. All workshops offer 6 lecture-style CE credits per day. ©2018 Henry Schein Inc. A-DTXTRN-DTXMAG-Q118
                                      Cancellations & Refunds: Full refunds are given for cancellations received 17 or more days before the workshop. A cancellation fee equal to the full tuition for the course will apply if you cancel with less than 17 days’ notice,
                                      but you will receive a certificate good for another workshop within a year. No refunds or certificates for no-shows. Send cancellations and refund requests to: cancel@henryschein.com. We reserve the right to cancel a
                                      class due to low registration. We recommend purchasing refundable travel tickets if you wish to obtain them before the workshop is confirmed, 17 days before the event. Henry Schein Practice Solutions does not reimburse
                                      for purchased travel tickets and other incurred expenses. HSPS complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If someone in your party requires special accommodations, please notify us at least two weeks in advance.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 23
Office Manager
The Dentrix

                 Making Changes to Clinical Notes

                 Learn how to make changes to clinical notes                      to do this is with an addendum. The addendum is attached
                                                                                  directly to the original note with the date the addendum
                 and when it’s appropriate to do so.
                                                                                  was added. After you have saved the addendum, it is also

                 U
                                                                                  locked into History and cannot be altered or deleted. If you
                          sing the Dentrix clinical notes feature, you can add
                                                                                  ever need to print your patient’s clinical notes, you will see
                          free-form notes about the patient exam to your
                                                                                  the date of entry of the original note and the date of the
                          patient records. Your clinical notes are an important
                                                                                  addendum.
                 part of the patient record and should not be deleted or
                 altered without a feature to track the changes you make.         To add an addendum to a clinical note, with a patient
                 After your clinical notes have been locked, the Dentrix          selected in the Patient Chart, from the View menu, point to
                 addenda feature lets you
                 easily track any
                 changes you make to
                 your clinical notes and
                 when you make them.
                 If you sign the note
                 or run the month end
                 update or month end
                 wizard for the month
                 in which the clinical
                 notes were entered,
                 the clinical note will be
                 locked into History. If
                 you need to alter the
                 clinical note after it
                 has been locked into        Figure 1 The New Addendum toolbar button.
                 History, the only way

    24 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
Your clinical notes are
                                                                         an important part of the
                                                                        patient record and should
                                                                         not be deleted or altered
                                                                        without a feature to track
                                                                          the changes you make.

                                                                   To change the date on a clinical note, with a patient selected
                                                                   in the Patient Chart, from the View menu, point to Panels,
                                                                   and then click Clinical Notes. Select the clinical note whose
                                                                   date you want to change, and then click the Change Date
                                                                   for Selected Clinical Note toolbar button (Figure 3). In the
Figure 2 The New Addendum dialog box.
                                                                   Change Date and Time box, specify a new date and time for
                                                                   the clinical note, and then click OK.
Panels, and then click Clinical Notes. Select the clinical note    Knowing how your clinical note documentation will present
that you want to add an addendum to. In the Clinical Notes         when printed is important if and when you need to show your
toolbar, click New Addendum (Figure 1).                            clinical documentation. The Dentrix software does a great job
In the New Addendum dialog box (Figure 2), type the note           showing the dates and times of your clinical notes so you can
that you want to append. Select the provider you want to           feel confident in the integrity of your clinical documentation.
attach to the addendum from the list. Click OK, and then click
Yes to append the note.

                                                                                                             LEARN MORE
                                                                                                             To learn more about
                                                                                                             charting conditions,
                                                                                                             see the “The Clinical
                                                                                                             Notes panel” topic in
                                                                                                             the Dentrix Help.

                                                                                                            Dayna Johnson,
                                                                                                            founder and principal
                                                                                                            consultant of Rae
                                                                                                            Dental Management,
                                                                                                            helps dental offices
                                                                                                            improve patient care,
Figure 3 The Change Date for Selected Clinical Note toolbar button.                                         increase collec-
                                                                                                            tions, and reduce
                                                                                                            staff headaches by
There may be times when you will need to specify a different      implementing efficient management systems. With 23 years of
date on a clinical note, other than the current date. For         experience in the business and technical side of dental offices,
example, if the doctor comes into the office on the weekend       Dayna’s passion for efficient systems is grounded in both
to see a patient and does not write up the clinical note on       personal understanding and professional expertise. Dayna can
that day, the doctor will need to specify the date the actual     be reached at dayna@raedentalmanagement.com or visit her
work was performed.                                               website at www.raedentalmanagement.com.
If you are adding a clinical note into a month that has already
been closed out, your note will automatically be secured into
History. Also, if you date a note anything other than the date
on which the clinical note was created, it will show both the
date the note was actually created as well as the date
to which it was changed (the date the work was                                                  DAYNA JOHNSON
actually performed).                                                                         Certified Dentrix Trainer
Business of
Dentistry

              Social Media Marketing:
              It Starts with Facebook

              When prospective new patients check                              a patient, then that practice only has two functions—
                                                                               innovation and marketing. Innovation produces great
              out your practice online, what they find—                        dentistry and marketing tells the stories that attract and
              especially on Facebook—has an enormous                           retain great patients.”
              influence on whether or not they consider                        Dental marketing has changed forever. In the old days
              you. Take these first steps and be present                       (just a few short years ago), consumers actually believed
                                                                               advertising. They even believed your claims on your
              where it really counts!                                          website! Can you imagine that? Not today. People don’t
                                                                               pay attention to traditional advertising anymore. They

              I
                  ’m a big Peter Drucker fan. Have you read any of his
                  work? He was a brilliant business consultant and author
                  who is considered one of the founders of modern
              business success. He once said: “A business has only one                 Regardless of how
              valid purpose: to create a customer. And if the purpose of a
              business is to create a customer, then that business only has       someone first hears about
              two functions—innovation and marketing. Innovation and
              marketing produce results. All the rest are costs. Innovation
                                                                                     your practice—even if
              produces the product and marketing tells the stories that sell
              the product.”
                                                                                    it’s through old-school
              I like to modify Peter’s thinking specifically for dental           traditional marketing—the
              practices. Here’s my version:
              “A dental practice has only one valid purpose: to create
                                                                                 game immediately becomes
              a patient. And if the purpose of a practice is to create
                                                                                    both digital and social.

   26 | www.Dentrix.com/Magazine
An active, honest,                                            immediately when a patient or fan says something on your
                                                                       Facebook page. When prospective new patients see that you
      transparent, engaging,                                           take the time to follow up on everything your patients and
                                                                       fans say, it tells them how much you care about providing
      trustworthy Facebook                                             a great experience. Even leaving quick replies such as “We
                                                                       appreciate your feedback!” or “Thanks for coming in today!”
     presence for your dental                                          shows that you’re listening.

        practice is no longer                                        3. Inside your practice, invite patients to Like your
                                                                        Facebook page.
       just a nice accessory                                            Effective social media marketing doesn’t start online. It
                                                                        starts inside your practice. Growing your Facebook presence
         in your marketing                                              is supported by what you and your team do inside your
                                                                        office each day. Mention what your practice is doing on
       efforts—it’s essential.                                          social media to every patient and encourage them to Like
                                                                        your page. Don’t assume that any of your patients won’t be
                                                                        interested; remember that over 80 percent of online adults
don’t trust the “perfect snapshot in time” on your website.             are Facebook users.
They do their research. They glean social proof. They opt in
                                                                     4. Become familiar with and harness Facebook’s
to the marketing messages they want to receive. They seek
                                                                        “pay-to-play” model.
out many reference points before deciding whether or not a
                                                                        Hands down, Facebook’s model for boosting great
business deserves their business. This includes reading reviews,
                                                                        posts is dental marketing’s greatest value today. It’s not
following businesses on social media, subscribing to selected
                                                                        complicated, but discussing it here is beyond the scope
email lists, and asking for recommendations online from their
                                                                        of this article. To help you get started with this important
friends, extended family members, neighbors and coworkers.
                                                                        Facebook strategy, we’ve written a helpful, free ebook that
Regardless of how someone first hears about your practice—              you can download from our website entitled, “The Dentist’s
even if it’s through old-school traditional marketing—the game          Guide to Paid Social.”
immediately becomes both digital and social. When someone
                                                                     Yes, in this short article we’ve only talked about the very
recommends your practice over lunch (or receives your direct
                                                                     beginnings of carrying out an effective social media marketing
mail postcard in their metal mailbox… remember those?),
                                                                     strategy. It takes a little bit of time and some patience. Take it
the smartphone comes out of the purse or pocket and your
                                                                     in baby steps. Designate a team member as your in-practice
practice is instantly being investigated.
                                                                     social media “champion,” and help him or her learn and grow
An active, honest, transparent, engaging, trustworthy Facebook       into the role in just a few minutes a day.
presence for your dental practice is no longer just a nice
                                                                     Don’t overthink it, and keep it fun. Be human, be transparent,
accessory in your marketing efforts—it’s essential.
                                                                     and be consistent. You’ll find that patients and prospective
The good news is that the first step of building your practice’s     new patients are actually eager to connect with you on a more
online presence is easy, fast, and free. Set up your practice’s      personal level than what’s possible on your website which leads
Facebook business page and start getting active on social            to greater retention, more recommendations and referrals,
media. Over 80 percent of adults online have a Facebook              increased trust, and better case acceptance. Get started today.
account, and most are spending significant amounts of time           If you do it for the right reasons, and in the right way, I promise
there every day—including 75 percent of family decision              that you’ll look back a year from now and be glad you did.
makers, who regularly use Facebook to get recommendations
and to confirm their impressions about businesses.
                                                                     Jack Hadley teaches social media marketing to MBA students
Hands down, building an inviting Facebook page will help you
                                                                     at Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management
boost your practice’s online visibility, retain existing patients,
                                                                     in Provo, Utah. He is also a founding partner at My Social
and attract new patients better than any other social media
                                                                     Practice, an agency providing social media marketing content,
effort. Kick things off by following these four steps:
                                                                     strategy, and support to dental, orthodontic, and dental
1. Post daily on your practice’s Facebook page.                      specialty practices worldwide. Jack is an award-winning
   Your Facebook page needs fresh engaging content on a              copywriter, epiphany catalyst, and former ad agency creative
   consistent basis to appear welcoming, relevant, and able          director with a rich background in all aspects of the creative
   to give prospective new patients a sense of your practice         process who is frequently asked to address dental groups
   culture. Daily posts don’t have to be elaborate. Posting a        about digital marketing. Contact Jack at jack@mysocialpractice.
   quick team member photo or team member spotlight, a               com and learn more at www.MySocialPractice.com.
   dental-care-tip video, or even talking about a local upcoming
   event is a great way to create top-of-mind awareness for
   your practice.
2. Respond to Facebook messages, visitor posts, and reviews.
   Responsiveness is key to building trust and relationships on
                                                                                                        JACK HADLEY
   social media. Properly set your notifications so you know                                  Partner, My Social Practice

                                                                                                                DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 27
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