AI Scribe for Dentists& Hygienists
Dictate the visit, get the note. PatientNotes captures the comprehensive exam, six-point periodontal chart, caries by surface, CDT and ICD-10 codes, and a phased treatment plan you can paste straight into Dentrix, Open Dental, or Eaglesoft.

Documentation for Every Dental Visit
From a hygiene recall to a third-molar extraction, every common dental visit type has a tuned template.
New Patient Comprehensive Exam
D0150 visit with full medical and dental history, extraoral/TMJ exam, oral cancer screening, six-point perio probing, caries charting by surface, occlusal analysis, and phased treatment plan.
Hygiene Visit
Adult and child prophy (D1110/D1120), perio maintenance (D4910), and SRP (D4341/D4342) with bleeding-on-probing percentages, plaque index, and home-care goals.
Restorative — Filling or Crown
Composite by surface count (D2391–D2394), amalgam, indirect restorations, and crown prep (D2740/D2750) with shade, isolation, anesthetic dose, and post-op instructions.
Endodontic Treatment
Anterior, premolar, and molar endo (D3310/D3320/D3330) with pulp testing, working lengths per canal, irrigant, obturation technique, and rubber-dam placement.
Extraction & Oral Surgery
Simple and surgical extractions (D7140/D7210), implant placement (D6010), bone graft, and post-op note with bleeding control, ibuprofen 600mg, chlorhexidine rinse, and dry-socket precautions.
Pediatric Dental
D0145 child exam, D1206 fluoride varnish, sealants (D1351), pulpotomy (D3220), and SSCs (D2930) with behavior management notes (Frankl scale) and parent counseling.
Built for Real Dental Charting
The clinical detail dentists actually document — tooth numbers, surfaces, perio depths, and CDT codes — done automatically.
Universal Tooth Numbering & Surface Notation
Tooth numbers 1–32 (and A–T for primary teeth) come out automatically, along with surface notation (M = mesial, O = occlusal, D = distal, B = buccal/facial, L = lingual). Common combinations like MOD, DO, and B/L are recognized when you say them.
Six-Point Periodontal Charting
Probing depths get captured per tooth at MB, B, DB, ML, L, DL — together with bleeding on probing, recession, mobility (Miller I–III), and furcation (Class I–III). Output is a clean grid you can read directly into the perio chart in Dentrix, Open Dental, or Eaglesoft.
Caries Charting Across Surfaces
Caries are recorded by tooth and exact surface, which is what drives the right CDT — one-, two-, three-, or four-surface composite (D2391/D2392/D2393/D2394). Existing restorations and recurrent decay are tracked separately so the treatment plan stays accurate.
CDT Code Suggestions, Not Just CPT
Dentists bill with CDT (Current Dental Terminology) codes — PatientNotes suggests the correct D-codes for what was documented, including D0150, D1110, D2391–D2394, D2740, D3310/D3320/D3330, D4341, D4910, and D7140. ICD-10 (K02.X, K05.X, K08.X) is added for medical-cross-coding cases.
Phased Treatment Planning
Output includes a Phase I (urgent and active disease), Phase II (definitive restoration), and Phase III (maintenance) plan with tooth numbers and CDT codes, ready to import into the practice management system as a treatment plan.
Hygienist & Front-Desk Workflow
Hygienists can record their own visits and route the note to the dentist for review and signature. Front-desk staff can see the planned procedures with codes for accurate billing and pre-authorization.
A Day in the Operatory with PatientNotes
The first patient is a 47-year-old new patient who hasn't seen a dentist in four years. The hygienist starts the recording on a phone clipped to the cabinet, talks through the medical history, probes six points per tooth and calls out the depths, then the dentist comes in for the comp exam (D0150). By the time the patient is walking out, the note shows the full periodontal chart as a grid, caries by tooth and surface (#30 distal, #31 mesial, #15 DO recurrent), and a phased treatment plan with CDT codes already in it.
The second visit is a same-day composite — a Class II MO on #14. You record the local anesthetic dose (2 carpules of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epi), rubber-dam isolation, the matrix system used, and the shade. The output is a procedural note with D2392, post-op cold sensitivity counseling, and a follow-up note for two weeks. It's in Dentrix before the patient signs the financial form.
Late afternoon is a surgical extraction of #32 — partial bony impaction. The op note captures the flap design, bone removal, sectioning, suture count, and post-op meds (ibuprofen 600 mg q6h, amoxicillin 500 mg TID for five days, chlorhexidine 0.12% rinse). You sign three notes in the four minutes between the last patient and lockup, instead of staying after to chart for an hour.
Sample AI-Generated Comprehensive Exam Note
A realistic D0150 visit for a new patient with caries, periodontitis, and an impacted third molar.
COMPREHENSIVE ORAL EVALUATION — ADULT NEW PATIENT (D0150) Date: April 28, 2026 Provider: Dr. P. Singh, DDS — Lic #DDS-44210 Patient: 47-year-old female MRN: 88421 CHIEF COMPLAINT: "My back tooth on the lower right is sensitive to cold and I haven't been to a dentist in about four years." MEDICAL HISTORY: Hypertension on lisinopril 10 mg daily. Type 2 diabetes, A1c 7.1% in March 2026, on metformin 1000 mg BID. NKDA. No bisphosphonates, no anticoagulants, ASA I. BP today 132/80, HR 76. Patient has not had a flu vaccine this season. DENTAL HISTORY: Last cleaning 4 years ago. Brushes 1x/day, no flossing, no mouthrinse. No history of orthodontics. No bruxism reported but partner notes occasional grinding at night. EXTRAORAL EXAM: Head, neck, TMJ symmetric. Bilateral masseter and temporalis non-tender. TMJ — no clicking, no deviation, MIO 42 mm. Submandibular and cervical lymph nodes non-palpable. No facial swelling. INTRAORAL EXAM: Lips, buccal mucosa, vestibule, hard and soft palate, FOM, lateral and ventral tongue, oropharynx — WNL, no leukoplakia, no erythroplakia, no ulceration. Oral cancer screening: negative. Saliva — adequate flow, no candidiasis. Gingiva — generalized erythema and edema posteriorly, rolled margins, papillae blunted #2–3 and #14–15. PERIODONTAL CHART (six-point probing, MB-B-DB-ML-L-DL): #2 4-3-5 4-3-5 BOP + #15 5-4-5 4-3-4 BOP + #3 4-3-4 3-3-4 BOP + #14 4-3-4 3-3-4 BOP + #18 5-4-6 4-3-5 BOP +, Class I furcation buccal #19 4-3-4 3-3-3 #30 5-3-4 3-3-4 BOP + #31 5-3-5 3-3-4 BOP + Anterior teeth generalized 2–3 mm, no BOP. Mobility: 0 throughout. Recession: 1 mm #6, #11, #22, #27. Bleeding on probing index: 38%. Plaque index: 62%. HARD TISSUE — CARIES & EXISTING RESTORATIONS: #3 O composite (intact) #14 MO amalgam (intact) #15 DO amalgam — recurrent decay distal margin #19 O amalgam (intact) #30 D caries clinically and radiographically — patient's chief complaint, +cold, no lingering pain #31 MO caries clinically, into dentin on bitewing #32 partial bony impaction, asymptomatic Anterior teeth caries-free. OCCLUSION: Class I molar bilaterally. Overjet 2 mm, overbite 25%. No premature contacts. Mild incisal wear #8–9, #24–25. RADIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS (4 BWX + PA #30, taken today): #15 recurrent decay distal under amalgam, into dentin. #30 distal interproximal caries to DEJ. PA #30 — apex intact, PDL space WNL, no periapical lesion. #31 mesial caries to DEJ. Generalized horizontal bone loss 2–3 mm, posterior more pronounced. No periapical pathology. DIAGNOSIS: 1. Generalized chronic moderate periodontitis, Stage III Grade B (K05.30). 2. Dental caries — #15 D recurrent, #30 D, #31 M (K02.61). 3. Asymptomatic partial bony impaction #32 (K01.1). 4. Plaque-induced gingivitis (K05.10) overlying periodontitis. 5. Type 2 diabetes — modifying factor for periodontal disease. TREATMENT PLAN — PHASED: Phase I — Disease Control (next 6 weeks): 1. Scaling and root planing, all four quadrants — D4341 x 2 (UR/UL), D4341 x 2 (LR/LL), local anesthetic. 2. Chlorhexidine gluconate 0.12% rinse, 15 mL BID x 2 weeks. 3. Composite restoration #30 distal — D2391. 4. Composite restoration #31 mesial — D2391. 5. Replace #15 DO amalgam with composite — D2392. Phase II — Definitive (6–12 weeks): 6. Surgical extraction #32 — D7240, refer or in-house with sedation; ibuprofen 600 mg q6h PRN, amoxicillin 500 mg TID x 5 days only if signs of infection at time of extraction. 7. Re-evaluation and pocket re-charting at 6 weeks post-SRP. If residual pockets >5 mm, refer to periodontist for surgical consult. Phase III — Maintenance: 8. Periodontal maintenance every 3 months — D4910. 9. Bitewings annually, FMX every 5 years. 10. Custom occlusal guard at next appointment for nocturnal grinding — D9944. PRESCRIPTIONS WRITTEN TODAY: - Chlorhexidine gluconate 0.12% oral rinse, 16 oz, swish 15 mL BID x 2 weeks. - Ibuprofen 600 mg, #20, 1 tab q6h PRN post-SRP soreness. PATIENT EDUCATION & CONSENT: Reviewed periodontal disease in plain language, the link with diabetes, and importance of A1c control. Demonstrated modified Bass technique and floss; patient returned demo. Discussed financials and insurance coverage; patient verbally accepted Phase I; will return signed treatment plan at next visit. NEXT APPOINTMENT: SRP UR + UL in 5 days, 75 minutes with hygienist Maria. Post-op call same evening. Last reviewed: April 2026 — PatientNotes Clinical Team
Common Dental ICD-10 Codes
For medical-cross-coding cases, oral surgery, and TMJ work — PatientNotes suggests both CDT and ICD-10.
K02.51Dental caries on pit and fissure surface limited to enamelK02.61Dental caries on smooth surface limited to enamelK05.10Chronic gingivitis, plaque inducedK05.30Chronic periodontitis, unspecifiedK08.131Complete loss of teeth due to caries, class IK04.7Periapical abscess without sinusK01.1Impacted teethK07.6Temporomandibular joint disordersDentists primarily bill with CDT codes (D-codes); ICD-10 is used for medical cross-coding, oral surgery, and TMJ. PatientNotes suggests both.
How Real Dental Practices Use It
Three realistic cases — solo, mid-sized group, and hospital-employed.
Dr. Lana Petrov, DDS
Solo general dentistry, suburban Phoenix
Lana runs a single-doctor office with one hygienist and saw new-patient comp exams as her bottleneck — a thorough D0150 was 25 minutes of charting after the patient left. Since switching to PatientNotes, the perio chart, caries by surface, and phased treatment plan come back already formatted. She still reviews and edits, but she leaves the office with notes signed by 5:30 instead of charting until 7. She says it paid for itself in two cancelled-appointment slots a month.
Bridgewater Family Dental (4 ops)
Mid-sized group, 3 dentists + 2 hygienists, Ohio
Bridgewater needed consistency across providers — three dentists were charting in three different styles and the front desk was missing CDT codes for billing. Hygienists now record their visits on a shared iPad and route the note to the treating dentist for sign-off. CDT code suggestions go straight to the Open Dental treatment planner. Total spend is $250/month for the practice, less than what they were paying a part-time scribe.
Dr. Marcus Hill, DMD
Hospital-employed oral surgeon, Level I trauma center
Marcus needed structured op notes for third-molar extractions, dental trauma, and reconstruction cases — all dictated quickly between cases in a busy academic OR. PatientNotes generates the surgical note with anesthetic dose, flap design, bone removal, suture count, and post-op meds (ibuprofen 600 mg, amoxicillin 500 mg TID, chlorhexidine 0.12%) — all in the format the hospital EMR accepts. Resident notes feed in for attending review and counter-signature.
Coming from Dragon Medical One?
Dragon Medical One has been the default in dental dictation for years — particularly in oral surgery and academic dental medicine. It is mature, EHR-integrated, and many dentists already know the voice commands. The catch is that Dragon is dictation: you speak the note, it transcribes verbatim, and you still have to dictate every section header. PatientNotes is ambient — you talk to the patient and assistant normally during the visit, and the structured note is written for you.
| Dragon Medical One | PatientNotes | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Dictation — verbatim transcription | Ambient — listens to the visit, writes the note |
| Cost (per provider/month) | $99–$200 | $50 |
| Hands-free during exam | No — you dictate after | Yes — record during the visit |
| Periodontal chart layout | Manual dictation of every depth | Six-point grid auto-generated |
| CDT code suggestions | No — verbatim only | Yes — D0150, D1110, D2391–D2394, D2740 etc. |
| Setup time | Voice training + macros (hours) | Sign in, record one visit (minutes) |
How to switch in one afternoon
- Install PatientNotes on the phone or laptop in each operatory and sign in with your practice email.
- Run it through one hygiene visit and one comprehensive exam — review the note format, edit any phrasing that does not match your style, and save it as your default.
- Cancel Dragon at the end of the current billing cycle. Most dentists complete the move in a single afternoon.
See the full side-by-side at PatientNotes vs Dragon Medical One.
PatientNotes vs Eaglesoft AI for Dentistry
The closest dental-specific competitor is Eaglesoft AI from Patterson Dental, which is bundled inside the Eaglesoft practice management system. The other realistic competition is the in-EHR template engine that ships with Dentrix and Open Dental. None of these are ambient AI scribes that listen to the visit and write the full SOAP — they are either auto-coding helpers (Eaglesoft) or template fillers (Dentrix, Open Dental).
| Capability | PatientNotes | Eaglesoft AI / In-EHR templates |
|---|---|---|
| Ambient listening (no dictation needed) | Yes | No (Eaglesoft auto-codes; Dentrix/Open Dental templates only) |
| Works with any practice management system | Yes — Dentrix, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, Curve, Carestream | Eaglesoft AI is locked to Eaglesoft |
| Six-point perio chart in note | Yes | Manual entry into perio module |
| CDT and ICD-10 cross-coding | Yes | Eaglesoft suggests CDT only; Dentrix/Open Dental none |
| Hygienist + dentist routing | Yes — draft → review → sign | Per-user templates only |
| Cost | $50/month per provider | Eaglesoft AI add-on bundled with Eaglesoft license; Dentrix templates included |
Frequently Asked Questions
Last reviewed April 2026 by the PatientNotes Clinical Team.
Does PatientNotes work for dentistry?
Yes. PatientNotes is built for general dentistry, hygiene, endodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, and pediatric dentistry. The model is trained on dental terminology — universal tooth numbering 1–32, surfaces (M, O, D, B, L), six-point periodontal probing, caries detection language, and CDT (Current Dental Terminology) procedure codes — so notes come back with the structure dentists actually use.
How much does an AI scribe cost for a dental practice?
PatientNotes is $50/month per provider with a 7-day free trial — no credit card required. Comparable dental-specific tools sit at $99–$200 per provider per month, and most general medical scribes (Heidi, Freed, DAX) are $99–$300+. For a 4-operatory office with 3 dentists and 2 hygienists, that is roughly $250/month total — under the cost of replacing a single missed appointment.
Is Eaglesoft AI better than PatientNotes for dentistry?
Eaglesoft AI is tightly bundled with the Eaglesoft practice management platform — that is its main advantage if you already pay for Eaglesoft. PatientNotes is an independent ambient scribe: it works in any operatory, with any practice management system, and writes the full clinical note (subjective, objective, perio chart, treatment plan) rather than only auto-suggesting CDT codes. If you use Open Dental, Dentrix, or Curve, an external AI scribe is the more practical option.
Can dental-specific notes be auto-generated?
Yes. PatientNotes auto-generates the full visit note: extraoral and intraoral exam, oral cancer screening, periodontal pocket depths and bleeding points, caries charting by tooth and surface, occlusion notes, radiographic findings, diagnosis, phased treatment plan with CDT codes, and post-op or home-care instructions. The hygienist visit, comprehensive exam (D0150), and procedural notes for restoration, extraction, endo, and crowns each have their own template.
Does it integrate with Dentrix, Open Dental, or Eaglesoft?
PatientNotes exports a structured, copy-ready note that pastes cleanly into the Clinical Notes section of Dentrix, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, Curve Dental, and Carestream. Periodontal probing depths come out as a six-point grid you can read straight into your perio chart. Direct API integration with Open Dental is on the 2026 roadmap.
Will it help me bill dental CPT and CDT codes correctly?
Yes. Dentists bill primarily with CDT codes (D-codes) rather than CPT — PatientNotes suggests the right CDT for what was actually documented: D0150 for a comprehensive oral evaluation, D1110 for adult prophy, D2391–D2394 for posterior composites by surface count, D2740 for porcelain crowns, D3310 for anterior endo, D7140 for routine extraction. For medically necessary procedures and oral surgery billed to medical insurance, it also suggests ICD-10 codes (K02.X for caries, K05.X for gingivitis/periodontitis, K08.X for other tooth and supporting structure disorders).
How do I switch from Dragon Medical One to PatientNotes for dental dictation?
Dragon is a dictation engine — you speak commands and it transcribes verbatim. PatientNotes is ambient: you wear or place a phone or laptop in the operatory, talk to the patient and assistant normally, and it writes the structured note for you. To switch, install PatientNotes on the phone or computer in each operatory, run it through one full hygiene visit and one comp exam to confirm the output format, then cancel Dragon at the end of the billing cycle. Most dentists move over in a single afternoon.
Is PatientNotes HIPAA compliant for dental practices?
Yes. PatientNotes is HIPAA compliant, signs a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with every paying practice, encrypts audio and notes in transit and at rest, and stores data in US-based infrastructure. Audio recordings can be set to auto-delete after the note is generated. The BAA covers the dentist, the hygiene team, and any associates working under the practice.
Stop charting at 7 PM. Start charting in real time.
Dentists save 60–90 minutes a day on charting with PatientNotes. Comp exams, hygiene visits, and procedural notes — all written for you while you treat the patient.
No credit card required. $50/month per provider after trial.