Overview
Dentally formats patient phone numbers in a consistent, readable way. Spacing and punctuation follow normal conventions for each country — for example, UK mobile numbers appear as 07700 900123, and Canadian numbers appear as (416) 555-1234.
These changes apply to patient phone numbers only — home, work, and mobile numbers on the patient record, plus related patient screens such as patient details, calendar quick-edit, and SMS or phone call flows.
Practice, user, site, and other non-patient phone numbers are not included and continue to display as before.
How patient phone numbers are formatted when editing
When you edit a patient phone number:
The number is formatted as you type, in the local or national format for the country selected on that field.
Type digits only. Letters and other non-numeric characters are ignored, because formatting is applied automatically.
The country flag defaults to your practice country, but you can change it if the patient's number belongs to a different country.
The number can only be saved if it is valid for the selected country.
Example: In a UK practice, typing 07700900123 appears as 07700 900123.
How patient phone numbers are displayed
On read-only patient phone displays — such as the patient hover card, patient preview, and SMS recipient line:
If the patient's number belongs to the same country as your practice, the number is shown in national or local format.
Example: UK patient in a UK practice →
07700 900123
If the patient's number belongs to a different country from your practice, the number is shown in international format (with country code).
Example: New Zealand patient number viewed in a UK practice →
+64 21 123 4567
This helps you quickly spot numbers from another country.
Existing patient phone numbers that cannot be formatted
Some patient phone numbers that were saved before this improvement may not be eligible for formatting because they are invalid for the stored country, or because they contain extra text. These numbers are displayed exactly as stored.
Examples that are not formatted:
Values containing non-phone text, such as
CALL AM: 273102660,07975777666 ext 22, ormob 0273102660Numbers that are invalid for the stored country — for example, a New Zealand number
0211234567stored with countryGBstays as0211234567Values that cannot be recognised as a phone number, such as
Does not have a working phone
Editing an existing invalid phone number
If a saved patient phone number does not match a valid format for its stored country — for example, wrong length, wrong prefix, or an incorrect country code — Dentally leaves it displayed exactly as stored until someone edits it.
Once you start editing that field, the new formatting rules apply as you type. To save successfully, you will usually need to:
Select the correct country code for the number (this defaults to your practice country but can be changed)
Enter a valid phone number for that country (correct digits and length)
Remove any non-phone text if present
Until those issues are fixed, the number may not format correctly and cannot be saved.
Editing a phone number that contains text
Some practices previously stored notes alongside a number, for example CALL AM ONLY: 273102660.
Before editing: The full value is shown exactly as stored. Nothing is removed just by opening the field or selecting it.
When you edit the field: If the value includes text that is not part of the phone number, Dentally will:
Remove the non-phone text (for example,
Call AM ONLY:)Show a warning explaining what was removed
Offer an Undo option to restore the previous value
If the remaining digits form a valid number for the selected country, the field will then format normally. If not, the digits are kept but may remain unformatted until the number is corrected.
Saving: If you save the patient record after editing (and do not select Undo), the cleaned or formatted value is what gets stored. Patient record changes, including phone number updates, are recorded in the patient audit history.
If you save the patient record, the Undo option remains available until you leave the page, so you can change your mind if needed.
Example:
Existing invalid phone data:
Click mobile phone input:
Make a change (replaces final digit with a 2), triggering the automatic removal of the invalid text:
Click 'undo' and phone is reset to it's original state:
Otherwise, click 'Save' on the patient record and the new formatted number is stored:
Searching for patients by phone number
You can search for a patient using their mobile, work, or home phone number.
Start your search from the beginning of the patient's number. For example, to find a patient with phone number
0204 086 0227, search for020408. Searching for only the final digits0227will not match the patient record.Special characters are ignored on both sides of the search term. For example, you can search with
0204-08to find the patient above.
Phone number format examples
Dentally uses standard formatting conventions for each country. Formats are fixed and cannot be customised.
New Zealand
Mobile (021, 022, 027, etc.)
021 123 4567
Landline (Wellington, Christchurch, etc.)
04 123 4567
Australia
Mobile (04xx)
0412 345 678
Landline
(02) 9123 4567
United Kingdom
Mobile (07xxx)
07700 900123
London (020)
020 7123 4567
Other cities (0121, 0161, 0131, etc.)
0121 345 6789
Ireland
Mobile (083, 085, 086, 087)
085 123 4567
Dublin (01)
(01) 123 4567
Other cities (021 Cork, 091 Galway)
(021) 123 4567
Canada
Local
(416) 555-1234
Mobile and landline numbers share the same national pattern in Canada — the area code distinguishes them.
If you type a leading 1 or +1 for a patient phone number, it is hidden when the number is formatted, because the country code or trunk code is not needed for day-to-day calling within Canada.
Quick reference
Editing a patient phone in a UK practice (UK number)
National:
07700 900123
Viewing a UK patient number in a UK practice
National:
07700 900123
Viewing an overseas patient number in a UK practice
International: e.g.
+64 21 123 4567
Legacy number includes notes like
CALL AM: …Shown exactly as stored
Practice or user phone numbers
Unchanged (no new formatting)
Notes
Patient phone number formatting applies to home, work, and mobile numbers on the patient record and related patient screens only.
Practice, user, site, specialist, doctor, and other contact phone numbers are not affected.
Numbers that are invalid for their stored country, or that contain notes or extra text, remain displayed as stored until they are edited and corrected.
When you enter an international number in international format while editing, it may display in international format until you leave the field. It will then format relative to the stored country code, and display in the same way as other numbers for your practice (see Quick reference above).
FAQs
Which phone numbers are formatted? Patient phone numbers only — home, work, and mobile numbers on the patient record, plus related patient screens. Practice, user, and other non-patient phone numbers are not affected.
Do I need to add spaces or brackets myself? No. Dentally formats the number automatically as you type, using the standard format for the selected country.
Can I change the country for a patient's phone number? Yes. The country flag defaults to your practice country, but you can change it if the patient's number belongs to a different country.
Why is an overseas patient's number showing with a country code? If a patient's number belongs to a different country from your practice, Dentally displays it in international format so you can quickly identify overseas numbers.
Why is an old patient phone number not formatted? Some numbers saved before this improvement may be invalid for their stored country or may include extra text. These are shown exactly as stored until someone edits and corrects them.
What happens if a saved number includes text like "CALL AM:"? The full value is shown as stored until you edit the field. When you edit it, Dentally removes non-phone text, shows a warning, and offers Undo. If you save without undoing, the cleaned value is stored.
Can I undo changes to a phone number? Yes. After non-phone text is removed, you can select Undo to restore the previous value. If you save the patient record, Undo remains available until you leave the page.
How do I search for a patient by phone number? Enter the start of the number in the patient search. Special characters such as spaces and hyphens are ignored. You cannot search using only the final digits of a number.
Can I customise how phone numbers are formatted? No. Dentally uses standard formatting conventions for each country. Formats cannot be customised.
Does this affect practice or staff phone numbers? No. Only patient phone numbers are formatted.
Can I save an extension code in a patient phone number? No. If you do need to save an phone extension, please use a patient note instead.