Using Dentrix alongside a collection agency means keeping Dentrix or Dentrix Ascend exactly as they are for scheduling, charting, claims, and patient billing, while routing a narrow slice of the aging report, the patient balances that have stopped responding to statements and reminders, typically 90-plus days out, to a dedicated collections process. This isn’t a live software plug-in inside Dentrix; it’s a secure export workflow, where an aging report feeds placement rules that decide which accounts move to collections and which stay in-house. Dentrix has led dental practice management for more than 35 years and is used by over 35,000 practices, but even the best software can’t make a non-responsive patient pay. That still takes a dedicated recovery process on top of it.
Dentrix is powerful — but it’s not your collections department
Dentrix has been around for over 35 years and is used by more than 35,000 dental practices. It connects scheduling, charts, imaging, billing, and analytics into one ecosystem.
That scale is impressive, but it doesn’t guarantee low A/R days, consistently high collection ratios, or minimal write-offs on old patient balances. Dentrix gives you tools. How you use them, and what you do when accounts age out, is what really determines your cash flow.
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The Dentrix features that matter most for getting paid
Instead of thinking about every menu, focus on the features that directly affect A/R and collections.
Insurance eligibility and estimates. Accurate eligibility checks and chairside estimates reduce surprises. When patients know their likely out-of-pocket cost, you collect more up front and see fewer “I’ll pay later” promises.
Electronic claims and attachments. Cleaner claims and faster submissions mean fewer denials and less money sitting in insurance A/R. Use Dentrix to send claims daily, not in sporadic batches.
Patient billing, statements, and online payments. Automated statements, email and text reminders, and easy payment links are where Dentrix earns its keep. If you’re still relying on one paper statement a month, you’re under-using the platform.
A/R and aging reports. Dentrix can show you exactly where money is stuck, by aging bucket, provider, and insurance versus patient. These reports should drive decisions, not just be printed and filed.
Analytics and KPIs. Dashboards and reports help you track trends: A/R days, collection ratio, and percentage of receivables in the 90-plus day bucket. If nobody is reviewing these numbers monthly, you’re flying blind.
What your Dentrix A/R should look like
You don’t need perfect numbers; you need clear targets. Use your Dentrix reports to monitor:
- Days in A/R: solid practices aim for about 30-45 days. If you’re routinely above 45-50 days, it’s a warning sign.
- A/R aging distribution: 0-30 days should hold the majority of your receivables. When more than 20-25% of your A/R is in the 90-plus day bucket, you’re heading into bad-debt territory.
- Collections versus production: many healthy practices collect around 98% of net production over time. If you’re consistently well below that, Dentrix is showing you a problem that needs action.
A simple test: open your Dentrix A/R report. If you wouldn’t be comfortable showing those numbers to a banker or buyer, your collections process needs tightening, even if Dentrix is fully installed.
Using Dentrix to decide what goes to a collection agency
Dentrix gives you the data to build simple, written rules for escalation. For example:
By aging: 0-30 days gets normal statements and soft reminders; 31-60 days gets an extra reminder plus one phone call; 61-90 days gets a firm reminder, a payment plan offer, and a final internal notice; 90-plus days, with no arrangement, is eligible for third-party collections.
By balance size: small balances, under $50-$100, get limited internal follow-up before write-off or batch placement. Medium balances, $100-$500, follow the full internal sequence before moving to collections at 90-plus days. Large balances, $500-plus, get extra attention at 30-60 days, since they shouldn’t be allowed to quietly age out.
By patient type: chronic late-payers get faster escalation, while VIP or long-term families get more conversation before placement, but still a clear limit.
The important part: make these rules explicit, use Dentrix to identify accounts that fit them, and follow the process every month.
Dentrix is your engine. A collection agency is the safety net.
Dentrix and Dentrix Ascend can help you prevent and reduce A/R through fewer claim errors, better estimates, stronger patient communication, and clear, timely reporting.
But Dentrix will not call seriously delinquent patients over and over, negotiate with someone juggling multiple debts, track down moved patients, or file lawsuits and handle legal escalation. Once a balance is 90-120-plus days old and unresponsive, you’re outside the normal office workflow. That’s where a dental-savvy collection agency comes in, working from Dentrix exports, using compliant scripts, and focusing on realistic payment solutions.
How your Dentrix data is handled
Every Dentrix or Dentrix Ascend export Nexa receives moves through a secure, encrypted channel, never email attachments or unsecured file sharing. A signed Business Associate Agreement is in place before any protected health information is shared, consistent with HIPAA requirements. All patient contact and collection activity follows FDCPA guidelines alongside applicable state debt collection laws. Your export is used only for the accounts you’ve placed, not shared or repurposed beyond that.
Where Nexa fits in
To be direct about what this actually is: Nexa does not have a live, embedded software integration inside Dentrix. What we offer is a secure export workflow — your practice pulls an aging or A/R report from Dentrix using your own placement rules, and sends it to us through a secure, HIPAA-compliant channel. Nexa Collections is a full-service collection agency, not a referral service or an information hub. Once we receive that export, we take it from there.
What we do:
- Work your Dentrix aging or A/R export directly, using the age, balance, and exception rules your practice sets.
- Contact patients directly across mail, phone, and email, inside FDCPA and HIPAA guidelines, using a tone built for practices that want to protect long-term patient relationships.
- Sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) before any protected health information changes hands, and handle every account under that agreement.
- Handle payment plans, disputes, and negotiation so your front-desk team isn’t stuck chasing 90-plus day balances between patients.
- Return recovered payments and account status updates so they post back into Dentrix cleanly.
Pricing is straightforward, and you choose the model per account:
- Fixed-Fee Recovery ($15/account): ideal for early-stage receivables. Patients pay 100% directly to you, with no commission taken out.
- Contingency Service (20%-40%): performance-based recovery for older or harder accounts. No recovery, no fee.
You’re not replacing Dentrix. You’re adding a dedicated recovery layer, connected by a secure export rather than a technical integration, for the balances that have already aged past what statements, reminders, and internal follow-up can close. This same approach applies whether your practice runs on Eaglesoft instead or on Compulink. For more on dental-specific collection strategies and how Nexa’s medical collections process works for patient balances, or for exact rates, see the full breakdown of Nexa’s fixed-fee and contingency pricing.
FAQ
Does Dentrix include a built-in collection agency?
No. Dentrix provides billing and A/R tools, but it is not a contingency collection agency. It won’t chase old debts or pursue legal remedies on your behalf.
What’s a good A/R benchmark for a Dentrix office?
Many practices aim for 30-45 days in A/R, with less than 20-25% of receivables in the 90+ day bucket and a collection ratio near 98% of net production.
How do I use Dentrix with a collection agency?
Typically, your team exports aging reports and account details from Dentrix and securely transmits them to a collection agency. The agency works the accounts, then reports back recoveries that your staff posts in Dentrix.
Is this a live, technical integration with Dentrix?
No. Nexa doesn’t have an embedded plug-in or API connection inside Dentrix. The workflow is a secure export: your practice pulls an aging or A/R report using your own placement rules and sends it to Nexa through an encrypted channel.
Will Nexa sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA)?
Yes. A BAA is signed before any protected health information is shared, and every account is handled under that agreement, consistent with HIPAA requirements.
What’s the difference between the fixed-fee and contingency pricing options?
Fixed-Fee Recovery, at $15 per account, suits early-stage receivables; patients pay 100% directly to you with no commission. Contingency Service, at 20-40%, is performance-based for older or harder accounts, with no recovery meaning no fee.
Does sending accounts to Nexa mean I’m replacing Dentrix?
No. Dentrix continues handling scheduling, charting, claims, and billing as usual. Nexa only takes over specific accounts a practice has already decided are past the point of in-house recovery, typically 90-plus days with no payment.
Will using a collection agency upset our patients?
Handled poorly, it can. A good dental-focused agency uses respectful language, offers payment plans, and knows when to back off. Most patients placed have already ignored multiple statements and calls.
Is Nexa’s process HIPAA compliant for Dentrix-based practices?
Yes. Account handling, communication, and data transfer all follow HIPAA requirements alongside FDCPA and applicable state collection rules.