Breaking an Appointment in Dentrix

When you break an appointment in Dentrix, the appointment is removed from the schedule and moved to the Unscheduled List.

The important thing about breaking an appointment is that Dentrix tracks it as a missed appointment. In the patient’s Family File, the missed appointment count will increase.

Breaking an appointment is best used for situations like:

• Last-minute cancellations
• No-call/no-shows
• Patients frequently missing appointments
• Situations where you want to track missed appointment history

Another benefit is that any notes or information attached to the appointment stay connected when it moves to the Unscheduled List. This makes it easier to follow up and reschedule later.

Canceling an Appointment Using Wait/Will Call

Dentrix has a feature called Wait/Will Call that many offices use as a “cancel appointment” option.

When you use Wait/Will Call:

• The appointment is removed from the schedule
• It moves to the Unscheduled List
• It does NOT count as a missed appointment

This is typically the best option when a patient gives plenty of notice but is not ready to reschedule yet.

Examples:

• “I need to check my work schedule first.”
• “I’ll call back when I know my availability.”
• “I need to coordinate with my spouse.”

This allows your office to keep track of patients who still need appointments without penalizing them with a missed appointment count.

Deleting an Appointment in Dentrix

Deleting an appointment completely removes it from Dentrix.

Unlike breaking or canceling:

• The appointment does NOT move to the Unscheduled List
• Any notes tied to the appointment are deleted
• There is no tracking or follow-up attached to it

Deleting should usually only be used when the appointment itself was created by mistake.

For example:

• Duplicate appointments
• Incorrectly scheduled appointments
• Test appointments
• Scheduling errors

In most real patient situations, breaking or canceling is usually the better option because it preserves information and allows follow-up later.

Why This Matters

Understanding the difference between these options is important because it directly affects:

• Missed appointment tracking
• Unscheduled patient follow-up
• Schedule management
• Reporting accuracy
• Patient communication workflows

Using the wrong option can make reports inaccurate or cause patients to fall through the cracks.

Looking for Better Schedule Management?

If your office is looking for additional ways to improve schedule management, patient follow-up, and overall efficiency, I highly recommend checking out MaxAssist.

We use it in my office to help streamline the schedule and manage unscheduled treatment and patient follow-up more effectively.

You can check out MaxAssist and schedule a free demo and get preferred pricing and FREE setup if you sign up. Check it out HERE.

If you want more practical Dentrix tutorials and real-world dental office tips, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for new videos every week.