Appointment level clinical note FAQs

The new experience is here to stay and we think once you've had a chance to settle in, you'll find it works with you rather than against you.

As well as typing your notes as before, the new sidebar brings dictation and appointment recording directly into your workflow, so you can speak your notes and let AI format them against your template in seconds.

Yes. Notes save automatically as you type. You do not need to click a save button or lock your note immediately after an exam to preserve your work. If you'd rather speak than type, dictation and appointment recording are both available directly in the sidebar your note is still auto-saved either way.

We do recommend keeping on top of your 'unlocked' notes in the task list daily to ensure you are keeping contemporaneous notes.

No. Because notes auto-save, closing the sidebar does not delete your note. Navigate back to the appointment and open the clinical note sidebar to pick up where you left off.

All notes are accessed through the clinical note sidebar. Open the patient's chart, locate the appointment on their treatment plan, and click 'View note' or open the sidebar from the top right of the screen and navigate to the appointment in question.

You can also find the full note history and audit trail from the sidebar. If you cannot find a note, it may have been saved against a different appointment. You can move a note to the correct appointment at any time.

This is an intentional change and one of the most requested improvements we have heard from practices over the years.

Previously, notes would lock automatically 24 hours after creation, regardless of whether they were complete. Locking is now a deliberate action you take when you are satisfied the record is accurate and complete. This means your note is never locked before you are ready, and you can return to it at any time before locking whether that is during your lunch break, after your session, or at the end of the day.

When you lock a note, you are confirming that the record is complete. This is a stronger clinical position than a note that locked automatically by the clock.

To ensure you are keeping contemporaneous, complete and accurate patient records we recommend checking your task list for 'unlocked' clinical notes at the end of each day.

Open the clinical note sidebar for the appointment, review your note, and click 'Lock' when you are satisfied it is complete. The note will be saved with both the appointment date and the date it was locked, so the clinical record remains fully transparent.

Visit How to lock clinical notes for full steps.

Unlocked notes stay saved and accessible as a draft - nothing is lost. Dentally will create a task to remind you to review and lock any notes you have not yet completed. You can see all outstanding unlocked notes in your task list at any time.

Visit How to track unlocked clinical notes using the task list for full steps.

Yes. Because notes auto-save and do not lock until you choose to lock them, your existing workflow is fully supported.

You can jot down bullet points during the appointment, leave the note unlocked, and return to it after your session to expand and lock when you are happy. Or try dictating a quick post-appointment summary — speak through what happened, and AI will format it against your template in seconds. Review, make any edits, and lock when you're ready.

Yes, as long as the note has not been locked. Because notes auto-save continuously, you can return to an unlocked note at any time and make changes - including formatting, adding detail, or restructuring your content. Lock the note only when you are happy with it.

Yes. Use the 'Add amendment' button in the clinical note sidebar. Amendments are recorded with the date, time, and your name, keeping the original note intact. This means the full history of your record is always visible and traceable.

Visit How to make amendments to locked clinical notes for full steps.

This is a known limitation of the amendment function at present - amendments currently do not preserve formatting. We have heard this feedback and it is on our list of improvements to address.

In the meantime, the best way to avoid this is to leave the note unlocked until you are confident it is complete. Because notes auto-save, there is no need to lock immediately after an appointment. Return to the note, make your changes with full formatting, and lock it when you are ready. Best practice is still to lock this note within the same 24 hours window as before.

No. The 'Add amendment' feature is specifically designed for this. Rather than charting additional treatment plan items, simply click 'Add amendment', add the information you need, and it will be recorded against the original note with a full audit trail. No extra charting is required.

Visit How to make amendments to locked clinical notes for full steps.

Type '/' anywhere in the notes sidebar while writing your note. A menu will appear that lets you search and select from your available templates and shortcuts, or simply type '/' and the name of your shortcut to insert it - no need to navigate away or open a separate menu.

For example, if you want to apply your exam template, type '/', start typing the name, and select it from the list. Your template will populate directly into the note.

Your templates also power the AI dictation and appointment recording workflows when you dictate or record an appointment, the AI formats your note against your chosen template automatically. So the more your templates reflect how you document, the better your results across all three ways of writing notes.