Adding procedure codes

Procedure codes represent the services that you render and products that you sell. Your Dentrix Ascend database comes with all the current ADA Procedure Codes, which are updated automatically as needed, but you can add your own custom procedure codes to your organization.

Note: When you add a procedure code, Dentrix Ascend automatically adds it to every fee schedule in all locations of your organization. Additionally, the fee for the procedure code in the current location's preferred fee schedule will be the same as the procedure code's default fee. However, all other fee schedules in all locations will have a $0.00 fee for the procedure code, so you must manually specify a fee for the procedure code in every other fee schedule in every location.

To add a procedure code

1. If you are not already viewing the correct location, select it on the Location menu.

2. On the Settings menu, under Production, click (or tap) Procedure Codes & Conditions.

   The Procedure Codes & Conditions page opens.

3. On the Procedure Codes tab, click (or tap) Add Procedure Code.

   

   Note: You may want to verify that the procedure code that you want to add does not already exist before attempting to add it. You can do this before or after clicking (or tapping) Add Procedure Code. To do it before, with All selected in the View list, type a code or description in the Search for specific procedure box.

   The Create Procedure Code dialog box appears.

   

4. Leave Procedure code selected as the Code type. You cannot change the code type once you save the procedure.

5. Specify the code, description, office code, category, location's fee, and treatment area; and set up the other options as needed.

   Set up the following options:

   • Code - Enter the code for the procedure. You can search for procedures by the code wherever you can select a procedure. You cannot change the code once you save the procedure code. If you enter an existing procedure code, enter a suffix for the code (for example, if you want to create an alias code for D0330, you can create a procedure with "1" as the suffix) in the additional box that appears. An alias code is a procedure code followed by a period (.) and then a custom alphanumeric value up to five characters in length. Having an alias code (alternate code) allows you to have duplicate procedures in your organization's database, so you can, for example, charge different rates for similar procedures but have the same ADA Procedure Code show on claims.

     

   • Description - Enter a description, either the standard ADA description or a custom description, for the procedure. You can search for procedures by the description wherever you can enter a procedure.

   • Office Code - Enter the code, either a shorthand version of the ADA code description or a custom code, for this procedure.

   • Category - Select the ADA Procedure Code category that this procedure belongs to. There is also an option to specify that this procedure is a product (such as a power toothbrush or a home bleaching kit) that will not be billed to insurance.

   • Add to favorites - Favorite procedures are the ones that you use most commonly. Set this switch to Yes to mark this procedure as a favorite so that you have quick and easy access to the procedure when you are charting procedures. Favorites have a yellow star next to them in the list of procedure codes on the Procedure Codes & Conditions page.

   • Bill to insurance - To flag the procedure as being billable to insurance by default when posting the procedure, turn the switch On. If the procedure should not be billable to insurance by default, turn the switch Off. Even though this option is available for an alias procedure code or a non-standard code, some carriers may reject that procedure on a claim or may reject the entire claim due to the presence of an unrecognized procedure code, so turn this option on with care if the procedure code is not standard. Being able to bill a non-standard code, such as a rate code, to an insurance carrier is helpful for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) when a rate code is needed for a wrap claim.

   • Location fee - Enter the default amount that you charge at this location for this procedure.

   • Treatment area - Select the treatment area that this procedure corresponds to: Tooth, Mouth, Surface, Quadrant, Range, Sextant, Root, or Arch. This option is not available if the selected Category is Products.

   • Charting symbol - According to the selected Treatment area, select how you want this procedure to be charted (only the symbols that are applicable for the selected treatment area appear in the list):

     • Tooth, Quadrant, Range, Sextant, or Arch - None, 3/4 Crown - hatched, 3/4 Crown - outline, 3/4 Crown solid, Apicoectomy, Bridge - hatched, Bridge - outline, Bridge retainer crown - hatched, Bridge retainer crown - outline, Crown - hatched, Crown - outline, Crown solid, Denture - hatched, Denture - outline, Denture - solid, Extraction, Implant - blade, Implant - cylinder, Pins, Posts, Root canal, Sealant, Bridge - solid, or Bridge retainer crown - solid.

       

     • Surface - None, Surface restoration - dotted, Surface restoration - hatched, or Surface restoration - solid.

       

     • Root - None, Apicoectomy, or Root canal.

       

     • Mouth - Not applicable.

   • Require clinical note - To require a clinical note for this procedure when it is completed, set the switch to Yes. With the switch set to Yes, completing this procedure affects the Not Entered count in the Clinical Note Tasks box on a location's Overview page and consequently which patients appear on the Not Entered tab of the Clinical Note Tasks page. With the switch set to No, completing this procedure does not affect the count of clinical notes that were not entered but should have been.

     Note: For procedure codes in the Product category, you probably do not want to require a clinical note.

6. Click (or tap) Create.