Introduction:
Sometimes when we go to add procedures or make corrections to the Odontogram on the Restore Chart, the correct options are not always available
Issue description:
Sometimes our restore charts can reflect implants with no crowns, or crowns with no implants or other similar scenarios where the drawings on the Odontogram do not match with what was posted for that tooth.
Most of the time, we find this is due to the order in which those procedures were posted. The Odontogram can only display the last drawing that it actually has. This means that if we post the crown, then the extraction, then the implant, the crown will not display because of the extraction being posted prior to the crown so the Odontogram will show the implant with no crown because it drew the crown, then it drew the extraction (removed the crown), and then it drew the implant.
We find this most often occurs with recent conversions from other Dental Software that do not use the same charting methodology that we use. Sometimes the "data" we get is not "complete" to our standards in the sense of showing all chronological activities or they have settings to override their Odontogram with displayed drawings vs drawing based on actual database entries.
Signs:
Seeing Implant bodies on the Odontogram with no accompanying crown even though one was posted out for the patient through the ledger. Being unable to select specific conditions to assign to tooth anatomy.
Basic troubleshooting steps:
Click on the Tooth on the Odontogram, select the Tooth History option, review All activities because it could be a combination of completed treatment and pre-existing history. Look for the order in which items were posted. That is the order in which Denticon will draw them on the chart.
Best Practices:
Best Practice is to make sure completed procedures are posted in the order in which they are expected to appear on the Restore Chart Odontogram. When things are out of order, sometimes we can use Pre-Existing Conditions to make up the difference.
Advanced troubleshooting steps:
Solution 1. Change the order the procedures are posted in by removing and reposting procedures in chronological order.
Solution 2: Add Pre-Existing Conditions to fill in the gaps the restore chart is missing. Pre-existing conditions can be added and then dated back prior to completed procedures to apply the drawings back to the Odontogram in the correct order..
Solution 3. Specific for Implant/Crown workflows, set up your Crown Delivery/Seat code (Usually a Z-code) to produce the drawing by modifying it's chart as properties in Setup>Procedure Codes>Procedure Codes.
Contact support:
If you are unable to find a way to correct the issue with these suggestions, sometimes we do find that there is data within the chart that needs to be manually corrected. Please submit a Help Ticket to Support and we will further assist you in making that determination and work to have that completed.
Additional resources:
Procedure Code Setup Guide - To reference how to add/change the drawings that your procedure codes will draw on the odontogram
Conclusion:
Understanding that posting order matters when charting through multi-stage procedures will help you understand why the restore chart may be displaying something incorrectly. Using Pre-Existing Conditions can help fill in those gaps as well as analyzing workflow to make sure that the intended drawings are posted when intended.