The Dentrix Office Manager
Top 10 Dentrix Features You Aren ’ t Using
My goal with this article is to share with you my top 10 Dentrix features that you might not even know exist .
Since I work with dental practices every day , I have the unique opportunity to see what features they are using , what features they are not using , and what features they have no idea even exist . My goal with this article is to share with you my top 10 Dentrix features that you might not even know exist . I won ’ t be able to provide detailed information about each of these features in this short article , but you can go to my blog at thedentrixofficemanager . blogspot . com for more information . At the end of most sections , you ’ ll see references to other articles on my blog where you can read more about that feature . You can also find helpful information about using these features in the Dentrix Help ( from the Help menu in Dentrix , click Contents , and use the Search tab to search for key words ).
Figure 1 The More Information button is available on most Dentrix toolbars .
# 1 Quick Letters and Letter Merge Maybe this sounds familiar : you have a folder containing all of your office ’ s standard letters that you send out to patients , including collection letters , welcome letters , and letters to specialists . When it ’ s time to send a letter , you edit the date , type the patient ’ s name and address , sign the letter , and scan it into the Dentrix Document Center . That process sounds like a lot of work to me . Why not add your custom letters into the Dentrix Quick Letters or Letter Merge feature with the proper merge fields , and then let Dentrix do the work for you ? The best part is that this approach will automatically add a note in the Dentrix Office Journal , and you can print to the Dentrix Document Center without scanning ( see # 5 on the list ).
For more information , see “ Send letters that make an impact ” ( November 14 , 2013 ) and “ Can you write me an excuse note ” ( August 19 , 2014 ).
How are you going to let your patients know not to come in ? Has the dentist in your office ever been out of town and received a call from a patient requesting a prescription refill but there ’ s no way of checking the last prescription without going into the office ? Both of these common scenarios can be solved by registering for Dentrix Mobile . It ’ s included in your Dentrix Customer Support Plan , so there ’ s no excuse for not using this service .
For more information , see “ Three reasons you should be using Dentrix Mobile ” ( December 10 , 2013 ) and “ A lifeline to your patient info ” ( October 24 , 2012 ).
# 3 Payment Agreements I continue to see office managers who store all their verbal payment agreements in their head . I also see new doctors purchasing practices with a significant amount of the accounts receivable over 90 days past due or new office managers taking over a practice where there has been no management of the accounts receivable . Using the Payment Agreement feature in Dentrix will not only help you get organized with patients who are making payments , but also allow the entire team to see on the Ledger what the arrangement is with the account .
For more information , see “ Two options to help you manage your A / R ” ( August 31 , 2015 ) and “ Get the info out of your head and into the computer ” ( April 17 , 2014 ).
# 4 Tracking Gratuities and Referrals Do you know where your new patients are coming from ? Are they hearing about you from friends , online search , or
# 2 Dentrix Mobile Have you ever been sitting in the comfort of your home watching a thunderstorm outside and hoping that the power doesn ’ t go out when suddenly there ’ s nothing but darkness ? You check on the office and the power is also out there .
Figure 2 The More Info button is also available when you select a patient .
20 | www . Dentrix . com / Magazine