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Frequently Asked Questions

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These are some of our customers' most frequently asked questions. This is a good place to begin if you are experiencing a common issue and you would like an immediate answer. If you cannot find the answer to your question or would like further assistance, contact Open Dental Support.

Question: What version of Open Dental am I using? How do I check to see if there is a new version available?
Answer: In the Main Menu, click Help, Update. You will see the version you are currently using. To check for updates, click the Check for Updates button. If you have never done an update, please call us for assistance.

Question: How often should I update the Open Dental program?
Answer: We update the program about once a month. You don't have to update that often, but you can if you want the newest features. Call us if you want more details on updates.

Question: What happened to my color/confirmation circles?
Answer: You may need to change your Appointment View. Press the F1 key on your keyboard or check the View dropdown and select the correct view. If this is an existing workstation, someone most likely selected the none view under the Pinboard.

Question: How do I print out a Fee Schedule?
Answer: Print a Fee Schedule by running the Procedure Codes - Fee Schedules Report. Click Reports, Standard. Click Procedure Codes under Lists, select the fee schedule you want to print and click OK. Click Code or Categories to sort.

Question: Why don't I see any patients when I click the Select Patient button?
Answer: It's likely that the Refresh while typing box (under Search) is unchecked. Click the checkbox to show the patients instantly.

Question: When I print out a prescription, why doesn't the DEA number for the provider show?
Answer: Make sure the prescription is marked as a controlled substance. Click Lists, Prescriptions. Double-click the items that are controlled substances and mark them as such. You can also click Lists, Providers and double-click the providers to make sure the correct DEA number is entered.

Question: What do I do when I see an Unhandled Exception?
Answer: Please call Open Dental Support. We have solutions to most Unhandled Exceptions.

Question: Why don't I see any clock events when I click the View Time Card button?
Answer: A pay period must be set up before Open Dental can display clock-in and clock-out events. Click Setup, Manage, Time Cards to add pay periods.

Question: How do I change the color on an Operatory?
Answer: Operatory colors are usually based by the assigned provider. When a provider is assigned, you can change the provider color by clicking Lists, Provider, then double-clicking that Provider and changing the Appointment Color. If there is no provider assigned to the Operatory, the default color is used and cannot be changed.

Question: How do I add a folder to the Imaging Module list?
Answer: Click Setup, Definitions, Image Categories. Click Add to add your folder. Use the up/down arrows to organize your folders if you wish.

Question: How do I make a secondary insurance plan the primary plan, or vice versa?
Answer: Change the Order of the plan. In the Family Module, double-click the insurance plan. Under Patient Information, enter the Order number. Primary plans = 1, secondary = 2, etc. Changing the order of one plan will automatically change the order of the patient's other plans.

Question: On the Edit Appointment window, there is a list of single click procedure combination options in the middle. How do I customize that list?
Answer: Add, edit, or hide procedure code groupings in Definitions, Appt Procs Quick Adds.

Question: We just had a conversion and now see income transfers, dated the date of the conversion, on practically every patient. Why?
Answer: At the time of conversion, if a family balance is 0 we automatically reallocate amounts by performing an income transfer. See Conversions: Income Transfers.

Question: The Copay Fee Schedule for an In-Network PPO insurance is set up, but insurance is showing as $0.00 on the Treatment Plan. Why?
Answer:
A possible cause is that you have 0% coverage or nothing entered in the category for this procedure so Copay is ignored as 100% patient responsibility.

For short and simple questions that do not require a screen share, click the Chat option on our Contact Us page during normal hours of operation.

Open Dental Software 1-503-363-5432