Why Should You Sign Clinical Notes?

When you sign a clinical note in Dentrix, the note becomes locked and can no longer be edited or deleted. This helps protect the integrity of the patient’s record and provides documentation that the note was reviewed and finalized by the provider.

While Dentrix automatically locks notes after month-end processing, signing notes as part of your daily workflow helps ensure that documentation is completed accurately and promptly.

How to Sign a Clinical Note in Dentrix

To sign a clinical note:

1. Open the patient’s Chart.
2. Locate the clinical note you want to sign.
3. Click the Sign Clinical Note icon (the pen icon).
4. Enter your signature.
5. Click OK.

Once signed, the note is locked and can no longer be modified.

Many providers prefer to sign notes immediately after completing them. However, in a busy practice, that’s not always realistic. You may need to return to a note later, make edits, or wait for the doctor to review it before signing.

That’s where Signature Manager becomes incredibly helpful.

The Problem With Unsigned and Missing Notes

Most dental professionals have experienced this situation:

• You finish with a patient and move on to the next one.
• You plan to come back and finish the note later.
• The day gets busy.
• You forget.

Sometimes the note is entered but never signed. Other times the note never gets entered at all.

Instead of opening every patient chart at the end of the day to check your work, Dentrix provides a much more efficient solution.

Using Dentrix Signature Manager

Signature Manager allows you to review all missing and unsigned clinical notes from one central location.

To access it:

1. Open the Appointment Book.
2. Locate the Clinical Notes for Displayed Date section at the bottom of the screen.
3. Click the clinical note count.

If you don’t see this section:

1. Click Options in the Appointment Book.
2. Enable Show Clinical Note Counts.

Once opened, Signature Manager displays a list of clinical notes based on the criteria you choose.

Filtering Notes in Signature Manager

One of the most useful features of Signature Manager is its filtering options.

You can filter by:

• Date range
• Provider
• Missing notes
• Unsigned notes
• Signed notes

For example, you can quickly review:

• Today’s notes
• The last seven days
• The last month
• A custom date range

You can also view notes for a specific provider, making it easy for hygienists, dentists, and assistants to manage their own documentation.

Finding Missing Clinical Notes

Signature Manager clearly identifies whether a note is:

• Missing
• Unsigned
• Signed

This makes it easy to spot charts that require attention.

If a note is completely missing, you’ll see a blank entry. Instead of opening the patient’s chart, you can create the note directly from Signature Manager.

Simply:

1. Select the patient.
2. Click the Edit Note icon.
3. Enter your clinical note.
4. Sign the note.

Everything can be completed from one screen.

How to Sign Multiple Clinical Notes at Once

Another huge time-saving feature is the ability to sign multiple notes simultaneously.

After reviewing your notes:

1. Highlight the notes you want to sign.
2. Click the Sign/View Signature icon.
3. Enter your signature.
4. Click OK.

Dentrix will apply your signature to all selected clinical notes at once.

This can dramatically reduce the amount of time spent on end-of-day documentation.

My Recommended Workflow

To avoid missing notes altogether, I recommend this simple workflow:

• Complete clinical notes during the appointment whenever possible.
• Sign notes immediately if they are finalized.
• At the end of the day, open Signature Manager.
• Filter for today’s date.
• Review missing and unsigned notes.
• Complete and sign any remaining documentation before leaving.

This takes just a few minutes and helps ensure your records stay complete and compliant.

Final Thoughts

The Dentrix Signature Manager is one of the most useful documentation tools built into Dentrix. Instead of opening chart after chart searching for missing notes, you can quickly identify unsigned or missing clinical notes, complete them, and sign everything from one location.

If you’re not already using Signature Manager as part of your daily workflow, it’s worth adding to your end-of-day routine. It can save time, improve documentation accuracy, and help ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

Want more Dentrix tutorials? Be sure to check out my other Dentrix training videos covering clinical notes, templates, scheduling, treatment planning, insurance setup, and more.