Creating Linked Cases
When you have two different cases created in Dentrix that
contain different procedures to address the same problem, you
can link those cases together and create treatment options.
When the patient accepts one of the treatment options the other
will be automatically rejected because they are linked together.
REAL-WORLD SCENARIO
Dr. Smith would like to present treatment alternatives to Hannah
Cahill for a cracked molar. He wants to give her the option of
either an MB porcelain onlay on #30 or a crown on #30.
To link cases:
1. From the Chart, treatment plan all of the procedures for
the onlay and the crown.
2. In the Treatment Planner, create a case called Onlay
and a separate case called Crown.
3. Add the onlay procedure to the Onlay case and the
crown procedures to the Crown case.
4. Click the Link Cases button and select Link Alternate
Cases. The Linked Cases dialog box appears (Figure 1).
5. Check the Onlay case and the Crown case. In the
Recommended Case drop-down, select the case you
want to recommend to the patient.
6. Click OK. The cases will be linked together as
alternate cases.
A linked symbol
appears next to each
case, indicating the
connection (Figure 2).
A star on the link
symbol indicates the
recommended case.
means that when you are viewing a patient’s treatment
procedures visually you will only see the options for the
recommended case. Changing which case is set as the
Recommended Case will change which procedures paint
on the Chart.
• A linked case cannot be the patient’s default case. If you
link a new case to the default case, Dentrix automatically
creates another treatment case and designates that case
as the default case.
• You can unlink cases as necessary if you make a mistake
or need to change your settings. To unlink cases, in the
Treatment Plan Case Setup section of the Navigation panel,
select one of the cases you want to unlink and click the Link
Cases button, and select Unlink Selected Case from the menu.
Creating Alternate Cases
When patients have two or more different treatment options
and they also have treatment that must be completed
regardless of which treatment option they choose, you should
create alternate cases for the treatment. The Create Alternate
Case tool lets you copy treatment planned procedures to
multiple cases, allowing you to create alternatives that each
include non-optional procedures.
REAL-WORLD SCENARIO
Jesse Doyle has several procedures in his treatment plan
including some composite restorations and treatment
alternatives for a missing tooth. Dr. Smith wants to present
Jesse with two treatment alternatives for the missing tooth:
an implant and a bridge. The implant case should include an
implant and an abutment on #29, and the bridge case should
include retainer crowns on #28 and #30 and a pontic on #29.
Jesse also needs two fillings, so both cases should include a DO
composite on #3 and an ML composite on #5.
To create alternate cases:
1. In the Patient Chart, treatment plan the composites, all of
the procedures for the implant, and all of the procedures
for the bridge. The procedures will be added to the
patient’s default case in the Treatment Planner.
2. Right-click the default case and select Create Alternate Case.
The Create Alternate Case dialog box appears (Figure 3).
Figure 1 In the Linked
Cases dialog box, select
the cases you want to
link together.
Figure 2 A link symbol appears next
to each linked case.
Keep in mind:
• Dentrix automatically assigns a recommended case, but
you can change that as needed. The case you set as the
recommended case should be the treatment alternative
that you believe provides the best care for the patient’s
dental condition. To change the recommended case, rightclick the desired case and click Set as Recommended Case.
• Only the treatment-planned procedures within the
recommended case show in the Patient Chart, which
Figure 3
Select just the
procedures you
want to have in
both alternate
cases.
DENTRIX MAGAZINE | 11