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We see patients who speak another language (i.e. Spanish) and need a printed document for them. How can we create these resources to print?

Robin Moone (She/Her)
Updated

Introduction:
This guide is intended for users who need to create an alternative language version of office documents in Denticon. While there is not a default option to have these resources automatically available, your office can create them for future use.

The steps below will show you how to create office wide resources with the translations once your team has the text for the document drafted. The following types of patient resources are customizable:

  • letter or disclosure statement
  • postcard
  • medical alerts
  • dental questionnaire
  • medical questionnaire
  • templates

Process description:

  1. Find the document you wish to translate.
  2. Draft a version of the document in your desired language.
  3. Access the appropriate menu and either edit the existing questions or add a new resource with the translation.
  4. Once the edits to the existing document and/or new document have been saved, you will be able to access the printer icon to select and print them. 

Prerequisites:

  • Security Access Permissions:
    • Reports - Custom Letter Full Control
    • Reports - Custom Postcard Full Control
    • Setup - Medical Alert Setup Full Control
    • Utilities - Automated Campaigns Template Management
    • Utilities - Automated Campaigns Template User Specific

Permissions are added to a group via Setup >Security > Groups > select group > Edit. User's specific permission groups can be edited via Setup > Security > Users > select user > Edit > Group Membership. 

Gathering materials/resources:

  • A team member who can translate your English document.
  • A word processor (i.e. Microsoft Word) that can help you draft the document if desired.
  • Optional: Translation software of your choice.

Step-by-step instructions:

Custom Letters (Appointment Letters, Financial Disclosure, Patient Consent, Referral Forms, etc.)

  1. Select the Reports > Custom Letters drop down menu.
  2. To review presently available materials in your office, use the dropdown menu on the left to select the type of letter for review, editing, or translation. Clicking the name of a letter on the left will bring up its contents on the right.
  3. Either press Edit in the bottom right to add/change details of the letter or Add New Letter to create a new version for the alternative language form.
  4. To create a new letter, you will need:
    1. Letter Type - What kind of letter/form you are making?
    2. Name - Internal use reference, shows in Denticon menus.
    3. Title - View of Document Name in Patient Portal etc.
    4. Body - Contains the text printed and can also include selections for Data (merge tags that pull data from your Denticon data for the patient or office), Patient Initial Required/Not Required, and Questions (questions to be answered before printing).
  5. Press Save to confirm your choices. Once saved, you can print your new letter from Print reports (printer icon in tool bar) > Letters. 

Postcard

  1. Select the Reports > Custom Postcards drop down menu.
  2. To review presently available materials in your office, use the search bar on the left to search for the name of any existing custom postcards. Clicking the name of a postcard on the left will bring up its contents on the right.
  3. Either press Edit in the bottom right to add/change details of the letter or Add Postcard to create a new version for the alternative language postcard.
  4. To create a new letter, you will need:
    1. Postcard Type - What kind of letter/form you are making?
    2. Name - The title that shows in menus for selection.
    3. Body - Contains the text printed on the postcard and any selected Data (merge tags that pull data from your Denticon data for the patient or office).
  5. Once Save is pressed to confirm the changes, you can print your new postcard from Reports > Postcards by selecting the category of left and then selecting the postcard from the dropdown, and selecting Print/Preview.

Medical Alerts/Medical Questionnaire/Dental Questionnaire

  1. Select from the options listed under Setup > Medical > Medical Setup > select Medical Alerts, Medical Questionnaire, or Dental Questionnaire to access the preferred portion on the Patient Registration form.
  2. Click the Blue Pencil icon on a question or alert to make any needed edits.
  3. Text boxes have limited characters, so please bear this in mind when making your edit or create a secondary question in another language. Press Save on each item when finished.
    • If you will be printing out this form, I would recommend asking non-English speaking clients to use the automated translate feature*.
    • In cases of needing a printed version of the form, it may be best to have a custom letter with the same questions asked on the patient registration form.

Denticon Automated Campaigns & Message Hub Templates

  1. Select Utilities > Launch > Automated Campaigns > Templates to make your edits.
  2. On the left, select the template name you wish to edit or copy.
    • Note: SMS and Email have different templates and SMS templates are impacted by messaging character limits (ex. if the max is exceeded the template is broken into two message, etc.).
  3. Press Add New Template to create an alternative language message to send to patients and press Save to confirm the details of the template. 
  4. It can now be sent via Automated Campaigns and Message Hub.
    • See below for details on creating a patient type* that can be added to Automated Campaigns' mailing list feature.**

Tips and best practices:

  • *Advise clients that if they want to complete the forms online in a different language, there is an option at the beginning of the forms to have Google Translate the Patient Registration form for them. Please note, the questions on forms will be saved to your PGID as written in your setup and patient answers are not automatically translated for staff.

Next steps:

  • *Consider making a patient type for the language you are creating a resource for to communicate to others in office that this patient needs language accommodations or create a patient type each  language you provide service for in office.
  • **If your practice is using Automated Campaigns to reach patients and has already created a patient type (above) for the language you wish to message the patients in, create a mailing list for language.
    1. Select Utilities > Launch > Automated Campaigns > Mailing List > Add Custom Mailing List.
    2. Add a name and any office provider/location selections needed, then select press select next to Include Patient Type > uncheck Include All > Click on your patient language type > Right arrow > Save.
    3. You can press Get Count to check and make sure patients are detected. Then press Save and Confirm to begin creating Campaigns with this mailing list.
  • Communicate to other teams in office that these resources now exist and how to accommodate patients who communicate in languages outside of English. Ultimately, the tools provided here are not effective if no one else knows how to use them!

Additional information:

Article Version 1.1 2026.5.15

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