Note templates let you build reusable structures for clinical notes, saving time and helping keep records consistent.
📝 Please note: All of your templates have been migrated over from the previous legacy notes experience and will not need to be recreated.
Templates are now created and edited directly from within a patient's note. You can no longer do this from the old template editor in 'settings' > 'templates'.
Types of note templates
There are three types of note templates in Dentally.
Personal templates are created and managed by individual users and are only visible to the person who created them. Any user can create, edit, favourite, and delete their own personal templates.
Practice templates are shared across the whole practice and are visible to everyone. Only admin level 4 users can create or delete practice templates. All other users can insert practice templates into their notes but cannot edit or remove them.
Dentally Templates are default system templates provided by Dentally. These cannot be edited directly. They are built to work with Dentally's AI note summary feature, so their structure is optimised for use alongside AI-generated clinical notes. The templates available are Adult Exam and Child Exam.
How do I access the note template editor?
We recommend using a test patient when creating/editing new templates especially whilst getting used to the editor.
From the clinical sidebar
Open a patient record and click 'Create note', or navigate to the notes section in the clinical sidebar.
Click the 'Template' button at the top of the note editor - it is the leftmost button on the right-hand side of the clinical sidebar.
From a treatment item
Open a patient record, add a treatment item and expand the item.
Click the 'Template' button at the top of the note editor - it is on the right-hand side of the note header.
From here you can create, edit, favourite, and manage your templates.
How do I create a note template?
Hover over 'Personal templates' or 'Practice template' and click the + button, or click 'New template' at the bottom of the panel and choose your preferred template.
Only level 4 users will be able to create and edit practice templates.
Give the template a name.
Type your template content into the editor.
Your template saves automatically as you type and is ready to use in any patient note.
Top tip: Well-structured templates produce better results when using Dentally's AI note features. Read our guide on how to optimise your templates for AI to get the most out of them.
If you have an existing template you want to work from, select the text and copy before selecting 'New template'. Then you can paste the original template and work from this.
How do I edit a template?
Open the template panel and select the template.
Click into the template and make your changes.
Changes save automatically and apply the next time anyone uses the template. Use the undo and redo arrows at the bottom of the editor if you need to step back.
If you can't edit a template, a banner at the top tells you why. For example, practice templates show "This template is shared between your practice members and cannot be edited." for users without permission.
How do I make a copy of a template?
If you do not have permission to edit a practice template, or if you want to personalise a Dentally system template, you can make a copy and save it as your own personal template.
Open the template library from within a patient's note by clicking the 'Template' button.
Select the practice template or Dentally Template you want to copy.
Click 'Make a copy' in the banner at the top of the template preview.
The template will open as an editable copy.
Make your changes and give the template a name.
Click 'Save' at the bottom when you are done.
Your copy will be saved to your Personal Templates. It is independent from the original, so any changes you make will not affect the shared practice version or the Dentally system template.
How do I add a shortcut to a template?
Shortcuts let you insert a template quickly using the / slash menu while writing a note.
Open the template you want to add a shortcut to.
Click 'Add shortcut' at the very bottom of the template editor.
Type your shortcut (for example, EXD could be used for template titled Exam Detailed) and press Enter.
Once saved, typing / followed by your shortcut and Enter. This will bring up that template for quick insertion.
How do I favourite a template?
Open the template you want to favourite.
Click the star icon in the bottom right of the template editor.
Favourited templates appear at the top of the template list when you open the panel, so they are quicker to find.
How do I insert a template or multiple templates into a note?
The quickest way is to type
/followed by the templates name or shortcutThen click or press Enter to insert your chosen template.
💡Top tip: this works best when you are trying to add multiple templates
Alternatively you can, open the template panel from within a patient's note by clicking the 'Template' button
Select the template you want to use.
Click 'Insert' to add it to the note.
Please note: You can make a quick edit to a personal template, or a practice template if you have the right permissions, when opening it from the main template editor. Any changes made will be saved against the template going forward.
How do I delete a template?
Open the template you want to delete from the template editor menu.
Click the three-dot menu icon next to said template.
Select 'Delete'.
Users can only delete their own personal templates. Admin level 4 users can also delete practice templates.