What Are Patient Alerts in Dentrix?

Patient Alerts are pop-up notifications attached to a patient record. These alerts can appear in various Dentrix modules and notify team members about important information whenever that patient record is accessed.

You can quickly identify patients with alerts by looking for the alert flag displayed on their appointment in the Appointment Book. A white flag indicates no alert exists, while a yellow flag indicates an active Patient Alert.

How to Create a Patient Alert

Patient Alerts can be created from virtually any patient-specific area within Dentrix, including:

• Appointment Book
• Patient Chart
• Perio Charting
• Questionnaires
• Family File
• Ledger
• Other patient-specific modules

To create an alert:

1. Open the patient’s record.
2. Click the Patient Alerts icon.
3. Select a start and end date or choose “Always.”
4. Configure the alert options.
5. Enter a description and note.
6. Select where the alert should appear.
7. Click OK to save.

Once saved, the alert flag will appear on the patient’s appointment and the alert will display in the selected areas of Dentrix.

Understanding Alert Settings and Options

When creating a Patient Alert, you’ll have several options available.

Date-Specific Alerts

Some alerts are only relevant for a limited time. Examples include:

• Verify insurance at the next visit
• Update health history forms
• Collect missing paperwork
• Confirm treatment financing

For these situations, setting a start and end date ensures the alert automatically expires when it is no longer needed.

Always-On Alerts

For information that should remain visible indefinitely, select the “Always” option.

Examples might include:

• Preferred provider requests
• Scheduling preferences
• Long-term communication reminders

Additional Alert Options

Dentrix also allows you to:

• Display the alert symbol on appointments
• Display the patient’s balance with the alert
• Apply the alert to selected family members
• Apply the alert to the entire family

These options can help ensure important information is visible to the appropriate team members.

Using Alert Note Templates

If your office repeatedly uses the same types of alerts, Alert Note Templates can save significant time.

Instead of typing the same message repeatedly, you can create standardized alert notes that can be inserted with just a few clicks.

Examples include:

• Verify insurance information
• Update health history
• Obtain new consent forms
• Confirm provider preference

Using templates improves consistency and reduces data entry time.

Choosing Where Patient Alerts Appear

One of the most overlooked settings when creating Patient Alerts is determining where they should display.

Dentrix allows alerts to appear in multiple modules throughout the software. While it may be tempting to select every available location, doing so often creates unnecessary interruptions.

A better approach is to display alerts only where they are relevant.

For example:

• Insurance reminders may only need to appear during check-in.
• Scheduling reminders may only need to appear when editing appointments.
• Clinical reminders may only need to appear within the patient’s chart.

The more targeted your alerts are, the more likely team members are to read them.

How to Edit or Delete Patient Alerts

As patient circumstances change, alerts should be updated or removed.

To modify an alert:

1. Open Patient Alerts.
2. Select the existing alert.
3. Edit the information as needed.

To remove an alert:

1. Open Patient Alerts.
2. Select the alert.
3. Click Delete.
4. Confirm the deletion.

Removing outdated alerts helps prevent clutter and keeps your system organized.

Creating Custom Alert Templates

To create or edit Alert Note Templates:

1. Open Office Manager.
2. Navigate to Maintenance.
3. Select Practice Setup.
4. Choose Custom Notes.
5. Select Alert Note Setup.

From here, you can create a library of commonly used alert messages for your practice.

This can dramatically improve efficiency, especially in larger offices where multiple team members create alerts regularly.

Common Uses for Patient Alerts

Some of the most effective uses of Patient Alerts include:

• Insurance verification reminders
• Health history update reminders
• Preferred doctor or hygienist requests
• Scheduling preferences
• Special communication instructions
• Follow-up reminders

The goal is to communicate information that is important, actionable, and time-sensitive.

Patient Alerts vs. Health History Alerts

One of the biggest mistakes I see in dental offices is using Patient Alerts for information that belongs in the Health History module.

For example:

• Allergies
• Premedication requirements
• Medical conditions
• Health history warnings

These items should be documented within the patient’s Health History, where Dentrix already has built-in alert functionality.

Keeping clinical alerts in the Health History module and administrative alerts within Patient Alerts creates a cleaner workflow and reduces confusion.

Best Practices for Using Dentrix Patient Alerts

To get the most value from Patient Alerts:

• Keep alerts concise and actionable.
• Use date ranges whenever possible.
• Avoid displaying alerts in unnecessary modules.
• Remove outdated alerts promptly.
• Create templates for commonly used messages.
• Use Health History Alerts for medical information.
• Review alerts periodically for accuracy.

Most importantly, avoid alert overload. When team members are presented with too many pop-ups, important information can easily be ignored.

Final Thoughts

Dentrix Patient Alerts are a powerful tool for improving communication throughout your practice. When used thoughtfully, they can help ensure important information is seen, reduce mistakes, and improve overall efficiency.

The key is creating alerts that are relevant, targeted, and meaningful. By keeping administrative reminders in Patient Alerts and medical information in Health History Alerts, your team can stay informed without becoming overwhelmed by unnecessary pop-ups.