Setting up procedure codes

Easy Dental comes installed with all of the procedure codes listed in the American Dental Association Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature. Procedure codes are often referred to as “procedures” in this documentation.

Because you can link so many tasks and transactions in a dental office to an ADA procedure, Easy Dental provides a Procedure Code Editor from which you can customize certain criteria, such as fees, treatment areas, names, and the approximate amount of time required to complete each procedure.

You must set up a procedure code for each procedure performed in your practice. Follow the steps for each procedure, by category, to add the required information. To speed up the process, select only those categories that are applicable to your practice.

To set up a procedure code

1.   In the Patient Banner, click the Settings button.

The Settings dialog box appears.

2.   In the Practice Setup list, click Procedure Code Setup.

The Procedure List dialog box appears.

 

3.   Under Procedure Code Category, select a category.

All of the procedure codes associated with that category appear in the adjacent list.

4.   Select the procedure that you want to set up from the list, and then click Edit.

The Procedure Code Editor - Existing dialog box appears.

 

5.   Under Treatment Flags, select one of the following options:

·        Difficult Proc – Creates a quick, end-of-day call list. Easy Dental adds an asterisk (*) next to patients' phone numbers in the Day Sheet Report if the patients have procedures flagged as difficult posted to their chart.

·        Condition – Allows you to use procedure codes to indicate the state of a patient's mouth. Easy Dental posts conditions to the Chart but not to Accounts and does not associate a fee with a condition. Easy Dental has already flagged procedures 15000 - 15115 as conditions. You can add conditions as needed.

·        Remove Tooth – Removes a selected tooth from the graphic Chart when you post the flagged procedure as complete. The applicable Easy Dental procedures, such as extractions, missing teeth, and so forth, have been flagged already.

Note: The Remove Tooth flag toggles between selected, cleared, and unavailable. The unavailable option is internal to Easy Dental and must not be assigned manually to a procedure. You cannot leave the Remove Tooth option in the unavailable state. You must either select or clear the option to save your changes and exit the Procedure Code Editor.

·        Show in Chart – Select to list the procedure code under the corresponding category in the Chart if the procedure code you are editing is commonly used in your office.

Note: If you make a change to a procedure code while the Chart is open and then return to the Chart and find that the change to the procedure code is not reflected, click Refresh from the Chart toolbar.

6.   Do the following:

·        Auto Recall – Attach a recall type.

·        Procedure Time – Set a procedure time.

·        Procedure Category – Select the appropriate category from the list.

·        Appointment Type – Select the appropriate type from the list.

·        Treatment Area – Select the area that the procedure applies to when you chart or enter it for a patient. To learn more, click Setting quadrant or sextant treatment areas, Setting surface or root treatment area flags, Setting tooth treatment area flags, and Setting mouth treatment area flags.

·        Paint Type – Select a paint type to indicate how Easy Dental will paint the procedure on the tooth in the Chart when you recommend or complete the procedure.

·        Fee Schedule – Assign a fee schedule.

·        Do Not Bill to Insurance – Select to exclude the procedure from insurance claims.

Note: Selecting this option also prevents the procedure code from appearing on the Procedures not Attached to Insurance Report.

·        Require Start/Completion Dates – Select to require start and completion dates for a course of treatment, such as crowns, dentures, and so on.

7.   Click Edit Note to edit a procedure code note.

8.   When you have entered the correct information for a procedure, click Save, and then Close.

·        A message appears asking if you want to save your changes. Click Yes to save your changes and move automatically  to the next procedure.

·        When you have finished setting up procedures, click Close from the Procedure Code Editor dialog box. Then click Close from the Procedure List dialog box. You’re now ready to move on to the next step in the setup process.

Note: The above steps must be completed for each procedure that you perform in your practice.