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Going paperless in a dental practice

Digital patient records, medical histories and scanned consent forms, and secure cloud storage mean less paper at reception and a calmer, quicker visit for patients. Here's how a practice goes paperless, and how DentiPoint keeps every record in one place.
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  • Digital patient records
  • Cloud-stored
  • Less reception admin

What does going paperless actually mean?

Going paperless means moving the paper that flows through a dental practice, patient files, medical-history questionnaires, consent forms, sign-in sheets and appointment cards, into digital records held securely in the cloud. Instead of a filing cabinet behind reception and clipboards in the waiting room, each patient has one digital record the whole team can find in seconds. It cuts the admin of printing, filing and re-keying, keeps information legible and up to date, and makes it far easier to look after patient data properly. It is less a single project than a steady switch, one form and one process at a time.

How a dental practice goes paperless

Going paperless is easiest when you tackle it in stages rather than all at once. Start with the paper that reaches reception most often, new-patient intake, medical histories and consent, then move your existing files across as patients come back for recalls. DentiPoint keeps the digital patient records, documents and history notes a paperless practice needs, all in one secure place.

Where paper piles up in a practice

Three areas create most of the paper in a typical practice:

  • New-patient intake and medical-history forms filled in on a clipboard, then typed up by hand.
  • Consent forms printed, signed and filed for each course of treatment.
  • Reminder and recall cards posted out, and appointment slips handed over at the desk.

Digital patient records

A filing cabinet and a stack of clipboards make it slow to find a history and easy to lose a form. With DentiPoint, each patient has a single digital record with their contact details, medical history, visit notes and recalls, so anyone on the team can pull it up in seconds and it stays current without re-typing. Our guide to record keeping in dentistry covers what those notes should include.

Medical histories and consent on the record

Instead of a clipboard that someone types up later, the team records each medical history straight onto the patient's record as structured allergies, conditions and medications, with a medical alert that flags what matters. Signed consent forms, referral letters and radiographs are stored as documents on the same record, so nothing is filed in a cabinet and everything stays legible.

Secure cloud storage

Paperless records are held securely in the cloud rather than in a cabinet, so they are access-controlled and available from any surgery. It also makes it easier to keep patient information accurate, secure and quick to retrieve, in line with the GDC's Standards for the Dental Team on protecting patients' information. See pricing or start a free trial to keep paperless patient records from your first appointment.

07Records, not paperwork

DentiPoint keeps every patient record digital and in one place

DentiPoint gives each patient a single digital record, contact details, medical history, visit notes and recalls, updated as they book and attend. Medical histories are recorded straight onto the record and signed consent forms are stored alongside it, so reception is not filing clipboards or hunting through a filing cabinet, and nothing goes missing between the waiting room and the file.

  • One digital <a href='/patient-records'>record</a> per patient, updated as they attend
  • Medical history recorded on screen, signed consent stored with the record
  • Held securely in the cloud, available from any surgery
See patient records

How DentiPoint helps you go paperless

  • Digital patient records
    Every patient's details, history and notes in one record, updated as they attend.
  • Medical history & consent
    Allergies, conditions and medications on the record, with signed consent forms stored alongside.
  • Secure cloud storage
    Records held securely in the cloud and access-controlled.
  • Less reception admin
    No clipboards to type up or files to hunt for, so the front desk stays clear.

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Going paperless in a dental practice FAQs

Where should a practice start when going paperless?
Start with the paper that reaches reception most often, new-patient intake, medical histories and consent, then move existing files across as patients come back for recalls. DentiPoint keeps those digital records and documents in one place, so you can switch one process at a time rather than all at once.
Are digital patient records secure?
Yes. With DentiPoint, records are held securely in the cloud rather than in a filing cabinet, so they are access-controlled and available from any surgery. That is usually safer than paper files, which can be misfiled, damaged or lost.
Can we record medical histories and consent digitally?
Yes. The team records each medical history on screen as structured allergies, conditions and medications, and signed consent forms are stored as documents on the same record. Patients do not fill in forms online in DentiPoint, so a signed paper form is scanned onto the record rather than filed.
Do we have to go fully paperless at once?
No. Most practices switch in stages, starting with intake and consent, then moving existing files across as patients return. DentiPoint holds each patient's digital record, so the change is gradual and low-risk.

Go paperless without the upheaval

Let DentiPoint keep your patient records, documents and history digital and secure. Start free for 30 days.

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A dental practice team smiling at reception