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Cloud 9: MyTooth Form Creation

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Karen Lewis
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Keywords: MyTooth, form builder, form creation, patient demographic, health history, fields, content, layout, conditional fields, QR code
Summary
This article covers how to create and customize forms in the MyTooth form builder. MyTooth offers three form types: Patient Demographic, Health History, and Other. It reviews each form type and how to build them, including content versus fields, layout containers, adding and editing fields, and setting up conditional questions and pre-filled patient information.


Understanding Form Types
Form 1: The Patient Demographic form is a pre-built template included in MyTooth when a Cloud 9 practice is onboarded. It collects patient identity and contact information, including:

  • Name
  • Date of birth
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Email address

Certain fields on this form sync directly to the patient's chart in Cloud 9.

Recommendation: Use the default Patient Demographic form whenever possible. If customization is needed, create a copy of the template and only add new fields. Avoid modifying or removing existing fields, as this may impact data syncing.
 

Form 2: The Health History form is another pre-built template provided during Cloud 9 onboarding. Information entered on this form is automatically written to the appropriate locations within Cloud 9.

The form contains five sections:

  1. Allergies
  2. Medical Conditions
  3. Vitals
  4. Medications
  5. Prescriptions

Recommendation: Use the standard Health History template to ensure information is transferred correctly into Cloud 9.


Form 3: The Other form type is used for any custom forms created in MyTooth that do not fall under the Patient Demographic or Health History categories.

Unlike those forms, Other forms do not sync individual field data into the patient's chart. Instead:

  • The completed form is uploaded to the patient's Document Cabinet in Cloud 9.
  • A copy of the completed form remains available within MyTooth.

Most custom forms created by a practice will be an Other form type. The remainder of this article explains the available form builder fields and how to create and customize these forms.

 

Creating a New Form
First, you will want to open the Form Builder. Login to MyTooth and on the left hand menu navigate to Forms > Forms tab > Click '+ New Form' > Click 'Build.'

Before you begin building your form, you'll need to configure a few basic settings. 

  • Form Name: Give your form a clear name that describes its purpose. Some examples include: 'New Patient Welcome Form', 'HIPAA Compliance Consent Form', or 'Treatment Consent.' 
    **Avoid vague names like Form 1, Test, New Form.
  • Form Scope: Choose where this form will be available at an Organization level, or a Location level. Organization will show for all locations, Locations should be selected if you only want it to appear at certain locations.
  • Form Type: Select from the types in the drop down. Most of the forms your practice creates will be 'Other', as the Patient Demographics and Health History forms are automatically loaded into MyTooth.
  • Form Status: There are three form statuses; Active, which indicates the form is ready to use, Draft, which indicates the form is still being built, and Inactive, which indicates the form is hidden from view but saved. 
    **Tip: Start with 'Draft' as the status while building the form and then change to 'Active' when the form is ready.
  • 'Is Public' toggle: Turn this on if patients should be able to access and fill out this form remotely, (via a link you send them, or QR code, or assigning the form.) Turn the toggle off if this form should not be public for patients to see and fill out.

After saving the above settings on the form, you are ready to move on to building your first form. First, let's take a brief look at the screen so we can understand the different parts we will discuss in this article.


Understanding the Form Screen
After you follow the steps listed above and configure the settings, you will move down to the form builder below. When you open the  form builder you will see two main areas. There is a screenshot below to show the areas.

1. Components Panel (Left Sidebar): Contains all drag and drop fields such as Text Field, Number, Select, Checkbox, Radio, File Upload, etc.

2. Form Canvas (Main Area): The workspace where you drag and drop components to build your form. 



 

Content vs Fields in Form Creation
When building a form, you will likely work with two main types of components:

Fields (text box, date, checkbox, signature, etc.) Use these whenever you need the patient to enter information. Every field saves the patient's answer to the completed form.

Content (under the Layout section) Use this when you need the patient to read something — not fill anything in. Content blocks display static text only; nothing is saved from them.

When to use Content:

  • Welcome message or instructions at the top of the form.
  • Guidance before a specific section ("Please list all medications, including over-the-counter…")
  • Consent or policy language the patient must read before signing.
  • Section headers or dividers between groups of questions.

When to use Fields:

  • Anytime you need to collect information from the patient and save the answer to the form.
  • Anytime you need the patient to type, pick, or sign something.
  • For any information the form will collect from the patient.
  • Input from the patient or responsible party to the form.

Quick Rule of Thumb:

  • Need an answer from the patient? Drag a field.
  • Need the patient to read something? Drag Content.

The other Layout items work alongside Content for presentation only: Panels group related fields under a collapsible header, Columns place fields side-by-side, Field Sets draw a labeled box around a group. None of them collect data on their own—they just shape how the fields you drop inside them are presented.

So a typical form ends up being a mix: Content blocks for instructions and consent text, Layout containers to organize the page, and fields inside those containers to actually capture the patient's responses.

 

Adding Headers, Paragraphs, and Text Using Content
To organize your form with headers and use instructional text, use the 'Content' field. This versatile component allows you to add section headers, normal paragraphs, or any descriptive text to guide users through your form. Steps to utilize 'Content' are below. 

Important: The Content field is only for static items or instructions on the forms. Paragraphs in a consent form, or things the patient or responsible party needs to read but not fill out. Content is readable content only.

1. Find 'Content' under the 'Layout' in the left panel.
2. Click and drag it to your form.
3. Use the text editor to type a header like 'Personal Information' or add a paragraph of instructions.
4. Format your text using the formatting toolbar:

  • Bold your text for emphasis.
  • Make text larger or smaller for hierarchy.
  • Center align for headers.
  • Add bullet points or numbered lists.

5. Click Save.

(Above screenshot is Content component with text editor and formatting options.)

Example Screenshot of part of a form made using Content for the read-only portions below.



Layout Containers in MyTooth
A layout container is a Layout component that doesn't collect any patient information on its own — it's used to organize and present the fields you place inside it. These elements can be found inside the 'Layout' portion where Content is. Below you will find common layout containers. 

  • Panel: Groups related fields under a labeled (and optionally collapsible) header. Great for sections like 'Medical History' or 'Insurance Information.'
  • Columns: Places fields side-by-side instead of stacked, so the form takes up less vertical space (e.g., First Name and Last Name on the same row).
  • Field Set: Draws a labeled box around a group of fields to visually separate them.
  • Table: Arranges fields in a grid layout for more complex structures.

Layout containers make long forms easier to read and complete by grouping related questions, balancing the page, and giving the patient clear visual cues about what belongs together.

Remember: Layout containers hold and arrange fields; they don't ask the patient anything themselves. Drop them in first to shape your sections, then drag your fields inside.

 

Patient or Responsible Party Input: Fields
Fields are used when you need to gather information or ask the patient or responsible party a question on the form. You can still use the Layout Containers mentioned above if you want a table or column to organize the fields, but fields are used when gathering information. Below, we will cover how to add your first field, customizing the fields, as well as different actions to edit or change the fields. 

 

Adding Your First Field
Let's add a simple text field for a patient's name.

1. On the left panel, find 'Text Field' under the 'Basic' section.
2. Click and drag it to the center canvas.
3. Drop it where you want it to appear.
4. A settings panel will open on the right.


Customizing the Field
In the settings panel, you'll see several tabs. The most important one is 'Display.'

 
1. Label: For this example, I typed 'Patient Name'. The label is what the users will see. The preview of the field shows on the right hand side of the settings window, as seen in the screenshot above.
2. Label Position: Where the label appears on the Text Field.
3. Placeholder: I typed 'Patient Full Name.' This shows up as the placeholder the inside of the empty name field.
4. Description: Add any helpful instructions. (This is optional, I entered Please enter patient's full name in the above screenshot to show what it looks like.)
5. Click 'Save' after you look at it on the Preview on the right.

Congratulations, you have now added your first field! Continue adding more fields, following the same process. I will continue to review different fields and how to edit or remove them for the form creation below.

 

Working with fields
To make changes to a field, Click on the field in the form to edit it or click on the 'Edit' gear on the upper right corner of the field. (Screenshot below.)

The settings panel will open. Once it is open, there are several tabs that have fields and options of their own.  (Screenshot of settings panel below.)

Let's cover the most common tabs and important fields/settings on these tabs with some quick definitions and advice on when you will use them.

Display Tab - Controls what the patient sees on screen and how the field appears on the form. Commonly used fields of this tab are:

  • Label: The text shown above the field (for example, 'First Name').
  • Label Position: Where the label sits relative to the input box (top, left, right, etc.)
  • Placeholder: Light grey hint text inside the empty field (for example, 'Enter your first name').
  • Description: Small helper text shown underneath the field.
  • Tooltip: Text that appears when the patient hovers over a small information icon.
  • Autofocus: Puts the cursor in this field automatically when the form loads.
  • Hidden: Hides the field from the patient.
  • Disabled: Shows the field but prevents the patient from typing in it.

The Display tab is the most commonly used tab for form creation in MyTooth. This is where you will spend most of your time and what you will want to look at anytime you want to adjust what the patient or responsible party sees or how the field on the form is displayed.
 

Data Tab - Controls the value stored behind the field.

  • Default Value: A value pre‑filled when the form opens.
  • Multiple Values: Lets the patient enter more than one answer.
  • Persistent: Saves the answer with the submission (leave on in almost all cases).
  • Protected: Hides the answer from being returned in exports.
  • Encrypted: Stores the answer in encrypted form.
  • Redraw On: Refreshes this field when another field changes.
  • Clear Value When Hidden: Wipes the answer if the field gets hidden by a condition.
  • Calculated Value: Automatically fills the answer based on other fields.
  • Allow Manual Override of Calculated Value: Lets the patient type over a calculated answer.

The Data tab controls the data that goes in and out of the field. It will let you set default values, define dropdown/checkbox/radio button options, enable multiple answers, and shape how input is formatted.

You will use it for pre-filling answers, building dropdown lists, and formatting how patient input is captured.


Validation Tab - Controls the rules a patient's answer has to meet.

  • Required: The patient can't submit the form without filling this in.
  • Validate When Hidden: Runs validation even if the field is hidden.
  • Minimum / Maximum Length: Limits how short or long the answer can be.
  • Minimum / Maximum Value: Limits how small or large a number can be.
  • Error Label / Custom Error Message: The message the patient sees if their answer is rejected.

The Validation tab controls the rules the patient's answer must follow before the form can be submitted.

You will use it whenever you need to make sure the patient enters the right kind of information before they can move on such ash: required fields, format checks, length limits, etc.



API Tab - Controls the technical identifier for the field. This typically won't be needed to build forms in day to day use, but it is helpful to know what is there.

  • Property Name: The internal name used when the answer is exported or sent to other systems. Avoid changing this after a form has been published, it can break exports and prior submissions.
    • Use simple names without spaces. Examples: firstName, homePhone, dateOfBirth.
    • Important: In order to pre-fill data automatically use these exact property names for the following fields:
      • patientFirstName: For Patient first name.
      • patientLastName: For Patient last name.
      • patientDOB: For Patient Date of Birth.
  • Field Tags: Labels you can use to group fields.

The API tab is mainly used to set the Property Name, (the internal label used when the answer is saved and sent to Cloud 9). This field will rarely need to be used and should never be changed on live, pre-built forms.



Rearranging Fields
To rearrange fields on the form, click and drag the field to a new location. Video GIF below showing examples.
mytoothforms1.gif



Deleting Fields
To Delete a field off the form, you can click the field, and then click the red x that appears to remove it, or you can click the 'Edit Field' button and then click 'Remove' inside the edit window. When you choose to delete the field, a dialogue box comes up that asks are you sure you want to remove it. You must click ok to continue. Additionally, if you do not click the 'Update Form' box in the upper right, the changes won't get saved. Before you exit the form, make sure to save all changes. Video GIF below showing field deletion examples using both methods.
mytoothforms2.gif

 


Copying and Pasting Fields
You can copy a field and paste it below any other field in the form using the form menu that appears on the upper right of any field. First, click the two squares for the copy field action. Next, there is an icon that looks like an arrow indicating paste down. When you hover over it it says paste below. This will paste that same field below your chosen field. Video GIF below showing how this process works. 
mytoothforms3.gif
 



Common Field Types and Examples of their Usage
There are many field types in the basic and advanced components panel on the left hand side of the form builder. To read an article that discusses the most commonly used field types, typical uses in Cloud 9 Forms, and examples of how you can edit or modify these field types using the settings menu, CLICK HERE.


Creating Conditional Fields
A conditional field is a question on a form that only appears when the patient has answered some earlier question a certain way. The form looks shorter when the patient first opens it — extra questions reveal themselves as the patient triggers them. This keeps medical-history and registration forms from being a wall of 'if not applicable, skip' instructions.

The same mechanism also works the other way: a field that's normally shown can be hidden when an earlier answer makes it irrelevant.

To create a conditional field, first pick the trigger field. You can pick any number of trigger fields it could be Does your child have any allergies yes or no? It could be Marital Status with a single select Single, Married, Divorced, etc. Save the trigger field.

Next, you want to set up the conditional field. The conditional field is made up of three parts the first option is 'This component should display= True or False. The second one 'When Form Component' = Choose your Form component. The third field is 'Has the Value' = desired value.

Tip: Make sure the 'Has the Value' field in the Conditional tab matches the previous Value in the trigger field exactly, or it will not work.

For more information on Conditional Fields, and when to use them, Click Here.


Pre-filled Patient Information
For certain forms, you can have patient information automatically filled in when patients verify their identity. 

Which Information Can Be Pre-filled?  
Only these three fields can be automatically filled: Patient First Name Patient Last Name Patient Date of Birth. 
For more information about pre-filled patient information, Click Here.


These are the basics of Form Creation inside of MyTooth for Cloud 9. More links may be added to this page on how to best utilize forms and use the tools available in this feature. 

To return to the main Forms Section Overview in MyTooth, Click Here.
To return to the MyTooth Forms Section Overview , Click Here.

As always, if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to reach out to Cloud 9 Support by emailing us at cloud9support@planetdds.com, or chatting us online using the chat bubble on the lower right at https://cloud9support.planetdds.com/hc/en-us, or giving us a call during our business hours of 8:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST at the 1.800.394.6050 option 2.
 

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