> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://q.odontox.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Roles & Permissions

> Understand the four OdontoX user roles and the 12 permission areas that control access to clinical, financial, and administrative features across your clinic.

## Overview

The platform uses a role-based access control system with four distinct roles and 12 permission
areas. Each role comes with sensible defaults, and Admins can customize individual staff
permissions when needed.

## Roles

The platform defines four roles, each designed for a specific function within the clinic:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Admin" icon="user-gear">
    Full clinic management including billing, staff, settings, and all clinical and
    operational features. Typically the clinic owner or practice manager.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Doctor" icon="user-doctor">
    Clinical records, patient care, appointments, and most financial operations.
    Focused on the clinical workflow.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Receptionist" icon="headset">
    Scheduling, patient check-in, billing, and front-desk operations. Designed for
    non-clinical staff who manage day-to-day logistics.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Patient" icon="user">
    Portal access to view their own records, appointments, invoices, and messages.
    Patients cannot access other patients' data or clinic operations.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Permission areas

The platform defines 12 discrete permission areas that control what each user can see and do:

| #  | Permission area           | Description                                            |
| -- | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| 1  | **View appointments**     | See appointment schedules and details                  |
| 2  | **Edit appointments**     | Create, modify, and cancel appointments                |
| 3  | **View patients**         | Access patient profiles and demographics               |
| 4  | **Edit patients**         | Create and modify patient records                      |
| 5  | **View billing**          | See invoices, payment history, and financial reports   |
| 6  | **Process payments**      | Record payments, issue receipts, manage balances       |
| 7  | **View reports**          | Access clinic analytics and operational reports        |
| 8  | **View clinical records** | See treatment plans, dental charts, and clinical notes |
| 9  | **Edit clinical records** | Create and modify clinical documentation               |
| 10 | **Manage inventory**      | Track supplies, stock levels, and procurement          |
| 11 | **Send messages**         | Communicate with patients and staff via messaging      |
| 12 | **Manage lab cases**      | Create, track, and manage dental lab orders            |

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/odontox-4b89ada8/iXRukJveHvqXoZEB/images/placeholder-permissions-table.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=iXRukJveHvqXoZEB&q=85&s=98fba0ffbac4fa84777b31fe06d4ea9a" alt="Permission matrix by role" data-path="images/placeholder-permissions-table.png" />
</Frame>

## Default permissions by role

The following table shows which permissions are granted by default for each clinic-level
role:

| Permission area       | Admin | Doctor | Receptionist |
| --------------------- | ----- | ------ | ------------ |
| View appointments     | Yes   | Yes    | Yes          |
| Edit appointments     | Yes   | Yes    | Yes          |
| View patients         | Yes   | Yes    | Yes          |
| Edit patients         | Yes   | Yes    | Yes          |
| View billing          | Yes   | Yes    | Yes          |
| Process payments      | Yes   | Yes    | Yes          |
| View reports          | Yes   | Yes    | Yes          |
| View clinical records | Yes   | Yes    | No           |
| Edit clinical records | Yes   | Yes    | No           |
| Manage inventory      | Yes   | No     | Yes          |
| Send messages         | Yes   | Yes    | Yes          |
| Manage lab cases      | Yes   | Yes    | No           |

**Summary by role:**

* **Admin** — All 12 permissions
* **Doctor** — 11 permissions (excludes Manage inventory)
* **Receptionist** — 9 permissions (excludes View clinical records, Edit clinical records,
  and Manage lab cases)

<Note>
  The **Patient** role has a separate, limited set of portal permissions. Patients can only
  view their own appointments, invoices, treatment history, and messages. They cannot access
  other patients' data or any clinic management features.
</Note>

## Customizing permissions

**Admin only** — Admins can override default permissions for individual staff members.

### Per-user overrides

Default role permissions serve as a starting point. Admins can grant or revoke specific
permissions for any staff member, creating a custom permission set that differs from their
role's defaults.

<Steps>
  ### Open the staff member's profile

  Navigate to **Settings > Staff** and click on the staff member you want to customize.

  ### Edit permissions

  In the **Permissions** section, toggle individual permissions on or off. Changes override
  the role defaults for this specific user only.

  ### Save changes

  Click **Save**. The updated permissions take effect on the staff member's next page load
  or login.
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Use per-user overrides sparingly. If you find yourself customizing permissions for most
  staff in a role, consider whether the role assignment itself should change.
</Tip>

### Common customization examples

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Give a Doctor access to inventory">
    By default, Doctors cannot manage inventory. If a Doctor is also responsible for
    ordering supplies, grant them the **Manage inventory** permission from their profile.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Restrict a Receptionist from processing payments">
    If a Receptionist should only view billing but not record payments, revoke the
    **Process payments** permission from their profile.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Grant a Receptionist read-only access to clinical records">
    If front-desk staff need to reference clinical notes (for example, to assist with
    insurance paperwork), grant **View clinical records** without **Edit clinical records**.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Role assignment

Roles are assigned when a user is invited or their account is created. To change a staff
member's role after the fact:

1. Navigate to **Settings > Staff**
2. Click on the staff member
3. Update their **Role** from the dropdown
4. Save changes

<Warning>
  Changing a staff member's role resets their permissions to the new role's defaults. Any
  per-user overrides from the previous role are removed. Re-apply customizations if needed.
</Warning>

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I create custom roles?">
    The platform does not support custom role creation. However, the per-user permission
    override system lets you tailor access for any individual staff member beyond their
    role defaults.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Who can change permissions?">
    Only Admins can view and modify staff permissions. Doctors and Receptionists cannot
    change their own or others' permissions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can a user have multiple roles?">
    No. Each user has exactly one role per clinic. Use per-user permission overrides to
    expand or restrict access as needed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do permission changes take effect immediately?">
    Yes. Permission changes apply on the staff member's next page load. They do not need
    to log out and back in.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related articles

* [Inviting Staff](/getting-started/inviting-staff) — Add team members and assign roles
  during the invitation process
* [Clinic Setup](/getting-started/clinic-setup) — Configure clinic settings that Admins
  manage
* [Trial & Subscription Plans](/getting-started/trial-and-plans) — Understand user limits
  per plan tier
* [Admin Quick Start](/getting-started/admin-quick-start)
* [Doctor Quick Start](/getting-started/doctor-quick-start)
* [Receptionist Quick Start](/getting-started/receptionist-quick-start)