Odontogram • Treatment plan
The digital odontogram and treatment plan: how it works
The digital odontogram is the record of the patient's teeth, updated at every visit straight from the patient file. For a dental practice it means one treatment plan with stages and statuses, linked to scheduling and to draft invoices. Below you'll see how the odontogram works and how it becomes a treatment plan.
How it works (short answer)
- After each visit, the dentist records the condition of each tooth on the digital odontogram in the patient file.
- Each mark can be linked to a procedure from the practice's catalogue.
- The treatment plan groups the planned items into stages, each with a status: proposed, accepted, scheduled or done.
- The plan is recorded in the patient file, and its acceptance is set by the staff. The platform does not send the plan to the patient automatically.
- Completed stages are marked on the treatment plan, and a draft invoice can be prepared from them for you to send in 4invoices.
What a complete digital odontogram contains
- A record for every tooth, with its condition at each visit.
- A per-tooth history of the recorded treatments.
- Documents attached to the patient file, such as X-rays, as files or links.
- A link to the treatment plan and to scheduling, so each stage can be booked as an appointment.
From odontogram to accepted treatment plan
The treatment plan steps
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Diagnosis on the odontogram | The dentist records the affected teeth and the recommended treatment on the odontogram |
| Procedures | Each mark can be linked to a procedure from the catalogue |
| Review with the patient | Staff go through the plan with the patient, showing stages and statuses |
| Acceptance | Staff record the acceptance in the patient file, with no paper form |
| Execution and billing | Each completed stage is marked, and a draft invoice can be prepared from it for you to send in 4invoices |
Real example
Example: a patient needs two fillings and a crown. The dentist records the three teeth on the odontogram and adds the matching items to the treatment plan, which shows three stages with their statuses. The patient agrees, staff set the plan to accepted, and the front desk books each stage as its own appointment on the chair calendar.
Common mistakes
- Keeping the odontogram on paper, separate from the treatment plan — the patient can't see the plan's stages at a glance.
- Not recording the plan's acceptance in the file, then facing disputes about what was agreed.
- Forgetting to mark completed stages — the invoice draft and the records then fall out of step.
How 4dental helps
- A digital odontogram linked to the patient file and to appointments.
- A treatment plan with stages and statuses, linked to the procedures from the catalogue.
- Recording of the plan's acceptance in the patient file, with no paper signed at the front desk.
- A draft invoice prepared from completed stages, which you send yourself from 4invoices. Nothing is issued automatically.