If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Where should I be documenting this in Dentrix?”—you’re not alone. With so many different areas to enter patient notes, it can be hard to know the right place. In this article, I’ll walk you through where to make notes in Dentrix, why it matters, and how your whole team can benefit from using the right note in the right place.
This guide is especially helpful if your practice is onboarding new team members, hiring virtual assistants, or simply looking to get more efficient and consistent. Better note-taking leads to faster answers, improved patient care, and less confusion across the team.
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Why It’s So Important to Know Where to Make Notes in Dentrix
There are more than a dozen places to make notes in Dentrix and each one serves a specific purpose. When you don’t have a standard for where to document things like insurance benefits, phone calls, or treatment recommendations, it slows your team down. And worse, it can lead to miscommunication with patients.
For example, let’s say a patient calls back and says, “Suzy called me, but I’m not sure why.” If Suzy’s off today, and no one knows where her call notes are, it becomes a frustrating situation 
one that could be avoided by simply knowing where to make notes in Dentrix.
Common Places to Make Notes in Dentrix
Here’s a breakdown of the most important note sections in Dentrix and how to use them correctly:
1. Appointment Book Notes
- Daily Note Box (upper left corner): Use for morning huddle reminders, birthdays, office events.
- Appointment Notes: Great for patient co-pays, schedule preferences, or reminders like “bring insurance card.”
- Events: Not a note box, but helpful for blocking time for team meetings or staggered lunches.
2. Family File Notes
- Patient Note: Use for relationship-building details (hobbies, pets, vacations). Be mindful
this shows on route slips! - Insurance Plan Note: Enter frequency limitations, age restrictions, or waiting periods for the plan, not the patient.
3. Ledger Notes
- Guarantor Note (G Note): Family-level financial notes (e.g., monthly statement requests, discounts).
- Billing Statement Note: Personalized messages to explain unexpected balances or insurance downgrades.
- Adjustment Notes: Always document why an adjustment is being made—especially if it’s a generic write-off.
- Payment & Transaction Notes: Optional, but helpful for documenting payment sources or details.
4. Patient Chart Notes
- Clinical Notes: Answer “What happened today?” and “What’s next?”—use SOAP format if possible.
- Procedure Notes: Add mini-diagnoses or special instructions (e.g., “existing crown, recurrent decay”).
- Progress Notes: Tracks procedure codes and their status—watch, completed, planned, etc.
Don’t Forget These Additional Note Areas
- Office Journal: The best place to log non-clinical contacts like follow-ups or re-care calls. Many third-party tools (like Modento or Practice by Numbers) sync messages here automatically.
- Patient Alerts (Pop-Ups): Use for critical reminders
just don’t overdo it! Be strategic about where they pop up. - Health History Notes: Useful for details that don’t fit into medical conditions or allergies.
- Claim Status Notes: Document insurance follow-up efforts, rep names, or what’s pending on a claim.
Knowing where to make notes in Dentrix is one of the easiest ways to streamline communication, reduce stress, and improve your patient experience. It’s about more than just good documentation … it’s about creating a high-performing dental team that communicates well and works efficiently.
Get the Free Tip Sheet!
Want a printable, easy-to-follow guide for your whole team? Download the Dentrix Note Tip Sheet and keep it handy at every workstation. It’s perfect for training new hires and keeping everyone on the same page.
If this article helped clarify where to make notes in Dentrix, please share it with your team … and don’t forget to share with your colleagues as well. It helps us reach more dental professionals just like you!
