Migrate from Dentrix to Nutshell

Patient demographics — first name, last name, date of birth, gender, SSN (for responsible party), address, all phone numbers, all email addresses — map directly to Nutshell Person fields. Original create date from Dentrix is preserved as a custom datetime field on the Person record since Nutshell sets CreatedDate at migration time.

When the responsible party differs from the patient (common in pediatric and spouse-coverage cases), FlitStack creates a separate Nutshell Person record for the responsible party and attaches a note on the patient Person linking to the responsible party's name and relationship. This avoids creating a false Company association in Nutshell.

The insurance group employer name from Dentrix (GP_NAME field) is created as a Nutshell Company record representing the employer/insurance sponsor. This is distinct from the dental practice itself and allows Nutshell reports to group patients by employer for self-insured employer referral tracking.

Primary and secondary insurance carrier names from Dentrix map to separate Company records in Nutshell labeled as 'Insurance Carrier.' Carrier address and phone are stored on the Company record. The patient's group number, subscriber ID, and effective date are stored as custom fields on the Person record linked to these carrier Company records via Nutshell's person-company association.

Dentrix providers ( dentists, hygienists, specialists ) map to Nutshell Users by email match. If a provider does not have a Nutshell user account, their name and credentials are stored as a custom field on their associated appointment and treatment Activity records. The provider's NPI number is preserved as a custom field on the User for referral documentation.

Dentrix appointments (date, time, operatory, provider, procedure code, status) migrate as Nutshell Activity records with type='Appointment'. The original appointment timestamp, provider owner, and procedure CDT code are preserved as custom fields on each Activity. Status (completed, no-show, cancelled) is stored as a pick-list custom field.

Dentrix ledger entries (charge, payment, adjustment, insurance payment) are converted to Nutshell Activity notes with a custom field for transaction type (Charge / Payment / Adjustment / Insurance Payment) and separate custom fields for amount, payment method, and posting date. This preserves the financial history in a searchable activity feed on the Person record without requiring a native accounting object in Nutshell.

Dentrix recall entries (recall type: hygiene 6-month, perio 3-month, etc., and next appointment date) migrate as Nutshell Tasks with a due date set to the recall date. The recall type is stored as a custom field on the Task. This enables Nutshell users to run task-based recall campaigns without rebuilding recall logic from scratch.

Completed procedures with CDT codes, tooth surface, provider, date, fee, and insurance/patient portions migrate as Nutshell Activity notes. The CDT code is stored as a custom field for filtering; surface designation (e.g., 'MOD' on tooth #14) is stored as text. Treatment plan procedures (not yet completed) are migrated as Activity notes with a custom 'status' field = 'Planned' so the full treatment history is visible in Nutshell's activity feed.

Dentrix Document Center files — PDFs, scanned forms, consent documents — are downloaded and re-uploaded to Nutshell Files, linked to the corresponding Person record. File size limits apply (Nutshell handles standard document sizes; very large radiographic files may require separate storage). We flag files exceeding Nutshell's attachment size guidance before migration so your team can plan alternative storage.

Dentrix medical alerts (allergies, conditions, medications) are consolidated into a text custom field on the Nutshell Person record. This is not a clinical system — medical alerts are preserved for front-office reference and patient communication context, not clinical decision-making, which must remain in Dentrix or a clinical PMS.

Dentrix clinical charting data — tooth graphics, periodontal probing depths, radiograph annotations, prescriptions — has no equivalent object in Nutshell and cannot be migrated. This is explicitly a limitation. We strongly recommend maintaining Dentrix (or another clinical PMS) for all clinical records while using Nutshell for contact management, referral tracking, and patient outreach. A data architecture with Nutshell as the CRM layer and Dentrix (or its cloud version) as the clinical system is the recommended setup for practices that need both.