Each patient has one file with their visits, a tooth-by-tooth odontogram, stored prescriptions and attached documents, so the dentist can review the history in one place.
In short: a dental patient comes back for years, and today’s decisions depend on what was done three visits ago. 4dental keeps one patient file for each patient. It holds the consultations and visits, the digital odontogram with a record for each tooth, and the documents attached to the file, such as X-ray images and letters. Prescriptions are written and stored in the same file. They are not sent electronically to a pharmacy or to any authority. The dentist can open the file and review the history before the appointment, instead of searching separate paper folders.
A dental file is more than a list of what was done. It records each visit, what the dentist found, what was treated and what is planned next. In 4dental, the consultations and visits sit in one patient file in date order, so the dentist can read the history before the appointment starts. The file stays with the patient and grows with each visit, so a treatment from several years ago is still there when a related problem comes up.
A paper odontogram is hard to read and hard to compare from one year to the next. The digital odontogram in 4dental has a record for each tooth, so the dentist can see the condition of each one and what has been done to it. The odontogram is part of the patient file, next to the visit notes and the documents, so the history of a tooth is kept in the same place as the history of the patient.
Prescriptions are written in the system and stored in the patient file, linked to the visit at which they were issued. Documents such as scanned letters, referrals or images can be attached to the same file, so the team does not have to search several places for one patient. Please note that prescriptions are not transmitted electronically to any pharmacy or authority. Your team hands the patient the prescription in the way your practice already does.
Most practices start with years of paper files, X-rays and letters. 4dental supports moving existing paper records into the system, and a written how-to explains the process. Plan the move in stages: start with active patients, then add older files as they are needed. Keep the paper originals until your team has checked the copies. Data protection law, UK GDPR and GDPR, applies to patient health data, which is a special category of personal data. Your practice is responsible for that data, so check your own data protection and retention policy before you begin.
Yes. The digital odontogram has a record for each tooth, and it sits in the same file as the visit notes and documents.
Yes. Documents such as X-ray images and letters can be attached to the patient file, so they are kept with the rest of the history.
No. Prescriptions are written and stored in the patient file. 4dental does not send them electronically to a pharmacy or to any authority.
Yes. Moving existing paper records into the system is supported, and a written how-to explains the process.
Patient health data is a special category of personal data under UK GDPR and GDPR. Your practice is the controller and is responsible for that data, so check your own data protection policy when you set up the system.
Contact us to talk through how patient files, the odontogram and your existing paper records would be moved into the system for your practice.
4dental keeps, in one application, the calendar per chair and per dentist, the electronic patient record, the digital odontogram, the treatment plan, the recall list and invoice drafts for 4invoices. Appointments are entered by the practice staff, not by the patient.
Here is what 4dental does not do, so you know in advance whether it fits:
A good fit for dental practices that want a per-chair calendar, a digital odontogram, a treatment plan and a recall list kept by the staff. If you expect patient self-booking, automatic reminders or electronic prescriptions, 4dental does not offer them today.
| Feature | Limit / scope | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar per chair and per dentist | Dentists, chairs, services with their own duration | from €1 per month |
| Patient record and attached documents | Visits, history, documents | included |
| Odontogram and treatment plan | Per-tooth marks, status of treatment items | included |
| Recall list and stored prescriptions | Reminders marked by staff; prescriptions kept in the system only | included |
| Invoice draft from the treatment plan | Sent to 4invoices, where the invoice is issued | custom quote |
A comparison with keeping records by hand, on the criteria of everyday practice work.
| Criterion | 4dental | Paper / spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Separate calendar per chair and per dentist | Yes | Overlaps checked by hand |
| Digital odontogram, tooth by tooth | Yes | A diagram on the paper card, hard to compare over time |
| Treatment plan item states (proposed, accepted, completed) | Yes | A hand-written list |
| Recall list of patients due for a check-up | Yes | A separate list, kept by hand |
| Automatic reminders by SMS or email | No | Phone or letter, by hand |
| Online booking by the patient | No | Phone or at the front desk |
| Electronic transmission of the prescription | No | Printed prescription, kept on paper |
| Invoice draft generated from the treatment plan | Yes | Invoice written separately |
4dental keeps, in one application, the calendar per chair and dentist, the patient record, the odontogram, the treatment plan, the recall list and invoice drafts. Appointments and records are entered by the practice staff.
No. Appointments are entered by the practice staff. A patient does not reserve a slot in the calendar through the application.
No. The recall list shows the patients who are due for a check-up, and staff mark the reminders they have made. There is no automatic sending to the patient.
No. Prescriptions are written and stored in the patient record. 4dental does not transmit them electronically.
An invoice draft can be generated from the treatment plan, and the practice sends it to the billing product 4invoices. The invoice is issued there, not in 4dental.
Yes. There is a how-to guide for migrating paper files into 4dental.
Health data is a special category of personal data under the GDPR. The practice, as controller, decides who has access to it and how long it is kept. The platform’s technical measures are not described on this page.
