Charting refers to note-taking. It includes symbols and text for recording existing and new dental procedures.

Charting takes place in the back office, also known as the treatment rooms or operatories, of the dentist and hygienist, chairside. An assistant will usually chart as the dentist or hygienist calls out the information. Some offices use a pencil with red and blue ends. The red color is for required treatment, and the blue color is for existing restorations.

More and more offices are using a software program to record charting information. These will be explored further in later weeks. However, it is important to have a basis in charting first, so that the knowledge can be applied to the computer software correctly.

Explore the links to the left to learn about dental charting.