If patients are still receiving appointment reminders after you've updated an appointment in Dentrix Ascend, it's important to understand how appointment statuses are interpreted in Practice by Numbers.
Appointment reminders are sent based on the appointment's status at the time the reminder is scheduled. Only appointment statuses that indicate the appointment has been canceled or missed will stop future reminders.
How Appointment Statuses Affect Reminders
Practice by Numbers determines whether an appointment should remain active based on the appointment status received from Dentrix Ascend.
Statuses that indicate an appointment is still expected to occur will continue to appear on the schedule and may continue to receive reminders. Statuses that indicate the appointment has ended, been canceled, or was missed will stop future reminders.
Common Dentrix Ascend Appointment Statuses
Dentrix Ascend Status | What It Means | How PbN Treats It |
Scheduled | The appointment is scheduled and has not yet been confirmed. | The appointment remains active and follows your configured reminder schedule. |
Confirmed | The patient has confirmed they will attend the appointment. | The appointment remains active and continues through your normal workflow. |
Unreachable | Your office was unable to contact the patient to confirm the appointment. The appointment has not been canceled. | The appointment is treated as Unconfirmed, remains on the schedule, and may continue receiving reminders. |
Broken (Canceled) | The patient canceled the appointment. | The appointment is considered canceled, is removed from the active schedule, and future reminders are stopped. |
No Show | The patient did not arrive for the appointment. | The appointment is marked as missed, and no additional reminders are sent. |
Tip: If you're unable to reach a patient, use the Unreachable status. This lets your team know the patient could not be contacted while keeping the appointment active. Only use Broken (Canceled) if the patient has actually canceled the appointment.
How to Prevent Reminders After Cancellation
To ensure reminders are stopped when appropriate, follow these best practices in Dentrix Ascend:
Update the Appointment Status
When the patient cancels or misses their appointment, update the appointment immediately to the appropriate status:
Broken (Canceled) – Use when the patient cancels the appointment.
No Show – Use when the patient does not arrive for their appointment.
These statuses stop future reminders and keep your appointment records accurate.
Update the Status Promptly
Appointment reminders are generated based on the appointment status at the scheduled reminder time.
If the appointment status is updated after a reminder has already been triggered, the reminder will still be delivered.
For the best results, update appointment statuses as soon as the patient's status changes.
Avoid Deleting Appointments
Rather than deleting appointments, update them to the appropriate status.
Using appointment statuses:
Preserves appointment history.
Provides more accurate reporting and KPIs.
Ensures proper synchronization with Practice by Numbers.
Recommended Workflow
Scenario | Recommended Status |
Patient confirms appointment | Leave the appointment as Scheduled or Confirmed. |
Unable to reach the patient | Mark the appointment as Unreachable. The appointment remains active, appears as Unconfirmed in Practice by Numbers, and reminder campaigns continue. |
Patient cancels | Mark the appointment as Broken (Canceled). If rescheduling, use Reschedule Now if available. |
Patient does not arrive | Mark the appointment as No Show. |
Following these workflows helps:
Prevent reminders from being sent to canceled appointments.
Keep active appointments visible on the schedule.
Maintain accurate reporting and KPIs.
Preserve a complete appointment history.
Important Notes
Appointment reminders cannot be stopped once they have already been sent.
Appointment statuses must be updated before the reminder trigger time to prevent future reminders.
Unreachable does not cancel an appointment. Patients with this status may continue receiving reminders because their appointment is still considered active.
Using the correct appointment status helps ensure your schedule, reminder campaigns, and reporting remain accurate.
Need Help?
If reminders continue to be sent after an appointment has been updated to Broken (Canceled) or No Show, contact Practice by Numbers Support and provide:
Patient name(s)
Appointment date(s)
The appointment status in Dentrix Ascend
Screenshots or examples (if available)
This information will help our team investigate the issue more efficiently.