Updated 9/5/2019

While it’s nice to tout the “latest and greatest” when it comes to software features, sometimes the little things can get people excited, too.

There are options in the Preferences dialog box that are just that—little things to get excited about.

In Dentrix G6, a feature was added that automatically opens the Select Patient dialog box when a patient-specific module is opened for the first time and no active patient is currently selected. This feature saves time because you won’t have to click File > Select Patient every time a new module is opened. Of course, this feature assumes that your next step will be to select a patient when you open a new module.

This option is turned on by default, but you can easily customize it to accommodate your personal preferences for each workstation.

To enable or disable the Automatically Launch Select Patient feature:

1. In the Office Manager, select Maintenance > Practice Setup > Preferences.
   
2. From the General Options tab, under Additional Options, check or uncheck the box for Automatically Launch Select Patient.
   • If checked, the feature is active.
   • If unchecked, the feature is inactive.
3. Click OK to save your changes and exit.

Another feature, added in Dentrix G6, allows you to automatically see patient notes in the Family File. In previous Dentrix versions, patient notes were hidden by default, and you would have to open them for individuals on a patient-by-patient basis. With this feature, you set the default as on or off for all patients as the default, depending on your office preferences.

This option is turned on by default, meaning patient notes will automatically be visible. You can easily customize it for each workstation in your practice, depending on your patient information protocols.

To enable or disable the Auto View Patient Note feature:

1. In the Office Manager, select Maintenance > Practice Setup > Preferences.
   
2. From the General Options tab, under Additional Options, check or uncheck the box for Auto View Patient Note in Family File.
   • If checked, the feature is active. Note that if you hide the patient notes in an individual record, the notes will be visible again the next time you open the Family File for that patient.
   • If unchecked, the feature is inactive and you must click the View button in the Family File to see the patient’s notes.
3. Click OK to save your changes and exit.

Take some time to review how the workstations in your office are set up, and whether you need to adjust these default settings to better fit your specific needs.