Getting Started with Dentrace: A Step-by-Step Guide for New Users

Welcome to Dentrace. If you’re reading this, you’ve either just signed up or you’re seriously considering it. Either way, this guide will walk you through the setup process in a way that makes sense — starting with what creates immediate value, and building from there.

The most important thing to know before you start: you don’t need to set up everything at once. Dentrace is designed to be useful from day one even if you’ve only configured one module. Start where you’ll see the fastest return, then expand at your own pace.

Step 1: Set Up Your Clinic Profile (10 minutes)

Before anything else, complete your clinic profile. This includes your clinic name, address, your name and PRC license number, and your preferred currency and timezone settings (PHP / Asia/Manila are the defaults for Philippine users).

This information is used across the platform — in purchase orders, protocol attribution, and patient records. Getting it right upfront means you won’t need to fix it later.

Step 2: Add Your Suppliers (15–30 minutes)

Dentrace supports two types of suppliers: platform suppliers (who are part of the Dentrace marketplace) and your own suppliers — the distributors and stores you already buy from.

Start by adding your existing suppliers. If you’ve been ordering from the same distributor in Tondo for three years, add them as a custom supplier. Enter their name, contact information, and any notes about your arrangement (credit terms, delivery days, minimum order amounts). Their pricing and your order history with them remain completely private — no one else on the platform can see them.

Once your existing suppliers are added, browse the platform supplier catalog. You may find that some items you currently buy through your usual distributor are also available through platform suppliers — sometimes at different prices. Having both available lets you compare before ordering.

Step 3: Build Your Inventory (30–60 minutes, one-time setup)

This is the step that feels like the most work upfront — and creates the most ongoing value. Go through your supply storage and log your current stock into the Inventory module.

For each item: product name, category, unit of measurement, current quantity, minimum quantity threshold (the level at which you want to be alerted to reorder), and expiry date if applicable.

A practical approach: don’t try to log everything in one session. Start with your top 20 most-used items — the ones you’d notice immediately if they ran out. Log those, set the thresholds, and start using those items in your procedures. Once that feels routine, add the rest of your supply list over the following week.

Dentrace will now track these items and alert you when any one of them hits your minimum threshold. For Philippine dental practices, where supplier deliveries can take a day or two to arrange, setting your threshold at one to two weeks of supply is a reasonable starting point.

Step 4: Create Your First Protocol (20–30 minutes)

A protocol is a step-by-step template for a procedure you perform regularly. Start with your single most common procedure — for most general practitioners, that’s scaling and polishing or composite restoration.

Click “Create Protocol,” give it a name, and start adding steps. For each step, you can add: a description of what happens, the materials needed, and notes. Don’t overthink it — write down what you actually do. You can refine it later.

Once your protocol exists, you can:

• Assign it to patient appointments
• Use it as a checklist during the procedure
• Link it to specific inventory items so Dentrace can track consumption automatically

Your protocol is private by default. It stays within your clinic, tied to your own inventory and workflow.

Step 5: Schedule Your First Patient Appointment

In the Appointments module, create a patient record (or import from an existing record if you’re migrating) and schedule an appointment. Assign a procedure type and link it to the protocol you just created.

Dentrace will check your inventory against the protocol’s material list and alert you if any item will likely be insufficient for the appointment date. This is the core operational loop: protocol → supply check → reorder if needed → appointment proceeds with confidence.

What to Expect in Your First Month

In the first week: the system feels new and slightly manual. You’re logging procedures, checking inventory, getting used to the interface.

By week two: you start noticing the alerts. Low-stock notifications arrive before you would have caught them manually. Your first AI-drafted purchase order appears for review.

By the end of the first month: you have a month of real consumption data. The AI begins to make more accurate reorder suggestions. You can see your supply spend in a dashboard rather than calculating it from invoices.

Getting Help

If you get stuck, the Dentrace support team is available via the in-app chat. You can also browse the help documentation for step-by-step guides on each module.

Dentrace was built by and for the Filipino dental practice context. If something doesn’t fit how you work, tell us — this platform improves continuously based on practitioner feedback. Welcome aboard.