Dentrix Ledger Tutorial (Part 1): How to Post Procedures, Payments & Adjustments

If you work in a dental office and use Dentrix, understanding the ledger is essential. This is where all financial activity lives—procedures, patient payments, adjustments, and balances.

In this guide, I’m walking you through the basics of the Dentrix ledger, including:

• How to post procedures
• How to enter patient payments
• How to apply adjustments, discounts, and sales tax

 

This is Part 1 of a full ledger series, so if you want to fully understand Dentrix financial workflows, this is your starting point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IXPdRoDZN4&t=12s

What Is the Dentrix Ledger?

The Dentrix ledger is where you track all patient financial activity. It shows:

• Charges (procedures completed)
• Payments (patient + insurance)
• Adjustments (discounts, write-offs, tax)
• Running balance

Most procedures are automatically posted from the Appointment Book, but you still need to know how to manually enter and adjust things in the ledger.

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How to Post Procedures in Dentrix

Even though Dentrix usually posts procedures automatically when you set an appointment to complete, there are times you’ll need to add or edit procedures manually.

Step-by-Step:

1. Open the Patient Ledger
2. Click:
   • Transaction → Enter Procedure
     OR
   • Click the Enter Procedure icon (tooth with arrow)
3. Enter the procedure:
   • Type the CDT code (if you know it)
   • OR search using the code list
4. Confirm details:
   • Chart Status: Completed
   • Provider: defaults to patient provider (can change)
   • Amount: auto-fills
5. Click Add, then OK/Post

Pro Tip:

If you’re entering multiple procedures, keep clicking Add before posting.

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How to Use Multicodes (Huge Time Saver)

If your office uses multicodes, this can dramatically speed up posting.

Instead of entering procedures one-by-one:

• Select a multicode
• Click Add
• Dentrix automatically posts all associated procedures

If you’re not using multicodes yet, you should be—they save a ton of time for common procedure groupings.

To setup multicodes for your practice, check out the step by step tutorial on multicodes.

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Understanding the Ledger Balance

Once procedures are posted, Dentrix will:

• Show a running balance
• Display today’s charges
• Track insurance (if applicable)

If there’s no insurance, everything will show as patient responsibility.

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How to Enter Patient Payments in Dentrix

After procedures are posted, the next step is collecting and recording payment.

Step-by-Step:

1. Click:
   • Transaction → Enter Payment
     OR
   • Click the Enter Payment icon ($ symbol)
2. Enter payment details:
   • Amount
   • Payment type (cash, check, credit card)
   • Provider
   • Patient or family account
3. Click OK to post

Dentrix Pay Note:

If your office uses Dentrix Pay, you can:

• Process the card directly inside Dentrix
• Click Process Card instead of OK

If not, you’ll run the card externally and then post manually.

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How to Enter Adjustments (Discounts & Write-Offs)

Adjustments are used for:

• Discounts
• Professional courtesy
• Write-offs
• Special pricing

Step-by-Step:

1. Go to Transaction → Enter Adjustment
2. Choose Credit Adjustment
3. Enter:
   • Amount
   • Adjustment type (VERY important)
4. Click OK

Why Adjustment Types Matter:

You should always categorize adjustments properly so you can track:

• Total discounts given
• Staff courtesy
• Family/friend discounts
• Promotional write-offs

This becomes really important for reporting and understanding your numbers.

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How to Add Sales Tax in Dentrix

If your office sells products (electric toothbrushes, water flossers, etc.), you may need to apply sales tax.

Step-by-Step:

1. Go to Enter Adjustment → Tax
2. Select Sales Tax
3. Choose:
   • All procedures
     OR
   • Specific procedures only
4. Dentrix will calculate tax automatically
5. Click OK

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Best Practice Tip

In most cases, you’ll want to:

1. Post procedures
2. Apply adjustments (if needed)
3. Then collect/post payment

This ensures your ledger reflects the correct final balance.

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What’s Next (Part 2)

In the next part of this Dentrix ledger series, we’ll cover:

• How to create insurance claims
• How to post insurance payments
• How to batch insurance claims

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Final Thoughts

The Dentrix ledger might feel overwhelming at first, but once you understand these core actions:

• Posting procedures
• Entering payments
• Applying adjustments

…it becomes much easier to manage patient accounts accurately and efficiently.

If you’re part of a dental admin or clinical team, mastering this is a non-negotiable skill.