In the Main Menu, click Setup, Manage, Manage Preferences.

Alternatively, click Setup, Module Preferences, Manage tab.
Set default options and settings for features in the Manage module. To enable a preference, check the box or uncheck the box to disable.
Send all new prescriptions to electronic queue: Only added for 2011 EHR certification.
Time Card first day of week for overtime: If using time cards, set the first day of the week used to calculate weekly overtime (over 40 hours). See Time Card Setup.
ADP Export includes employee name: Select whether or not to include employee names when exporting time card data in ADP format. This information is not needed by ADP, but may make output more readable.
- Checked: Include employee names.
- Unchecked: Do not include employee names.
Claim Send window validate on load (can cause slowness): Select when to validate e-claim information on the Insurance Claims window (Send Claims).
- Checked: Open Dental will validate e-claim information when the Insurance Claims window is loaded. When using Clinics this option can cause slowness.
- Unchecked: Open Dental will validate e-claim information when sending.
Select all provider/employees when loading schedules: Determines whether providers and employees are automatically selected by default when you open the Schedules window (Schedule Setup).
- Checked: All providers and employees are highlighted by default when you open the window.
- Unchecked: No providers or employees are highlighted by default when you open the window.
Billing and Statements: The options below affect billing defaults and what shows on Statement.
Show return address:
- Checked: Show the practice or clinic address as the return address.
- Unchecked: No return address shows.
Show notes for payments:
- Checked: Notes entered on the Payment window show with any payment entries. These notes always show in the Patient Account Grid in the Account module.
- Unchecked: Notes entered on the Payment window don't show.
Show notes for adjustments:
- Checked: Notes entered on the Adjustment Edit Window show with any adjustment entries. These notes always show in the Patient Account Grid in the Account module.
- Unchecked: Notes entered on the Adjustment window don't show.
Show procedure breakdown:
- Checked: Additional financial information will show in the Description column for each procedure (e.g. patient portion, insurance paid, write-off, adjustment).
- Unchecked: This information will not show.
Account Numbers use: Select whether to use Chart Number or PatNum for the account number.
Days to calculate due date. Usually 10 or 15. Leave blank to show "Due on Receipt": Enter the number of days that will be used to calculate the Due Date on statements.
Days in advance to bill payment plan amounts due. Usually 10 or 15: Enter the number of days in advance of a payment due date that statements will be triggered to print when running billing. See Payment Plan. Cannot be used with Dynamic Payment Plans.
Account Module statements default to intermingled mode:
- Checked: Statements generated from the Account module default to intermingle family members (mix patients in the same family together in one grid and sorted by date). Future Appointments for all family members will display on walkout statements.
- Unchecked: Statements generated from the Account module do not intermingle families by default (each patient will have a section on the statement). Only the selected patient's future appointments will display on walkout statements.
Max number of statements per batch (0 for no limit): Enter the maximum number of statements that will be considered a batch when sending statements via the Billing List. Number entered cannot be greater than 256. Enter 0 to set no limit. Will be ignored if using Output to File and EDS options in Billing Defaults. Useful for large offices that send many statements.
Show progress when sending statements: Determines whether or not a progress bar shows when sending statements via the Billing List.
- Checked: A progress bar does show that includes options for pause, resume, cancel.
- Unchecked: A progress bar will not show.
Print statements alphabetically: Only visible when clinics is enabled. Determines order statements are printed.
- Checked: Prints statements in alphabetical order of patient's first and last name, regardless of clinic
- Unchecked: Patients are ordered by clinic, then alphabetically by first and last name.
Show claims received after days (blank to disable): Zero dollar insurance claim payments received within the number of days entered will show in the Batch Insurance Payments window (Batch Insurance Payment) when finalizing an insurance check. If left empty, zero dollar insurance claim payments will be hidden.
Finalize claim payments in Batch Insurance window only:
- Unchecked: Users can finalize claims from the Claim or the Batch Insurance Payments window.
- Checked: Users can only finalize claims from the Batch Insurance Payment window. They will be blocked from finalizing claims on the Edit Claim window.
ERAs print one page per claim: When printing ERAs, print one page for each claim listed.
ERAs post write-offs for Category Percentage and Medicaid/Flat CoPay: Determines whether write-offs will be posted for Category Percentage and Medicaid/Flat CoPay insurance plan types.
- Checked: Write-offs will be calculated and posted for all plan types, including Category Percentage and Medicaid/Flat CoPay.
- Unchecked: Write-offs will only be posted for PPO and PPO Fixed Benefit plan types.
Insurance Payments: show auto deposit: Determines whether or not automatic deposits for claim payments is enabled or disabled.
Allow paid 30 minute breaks: Determines whether up to 30 minutes of break time is considered as paid or unpaid on time cards.
- Checked: Count up to 30 minutes of break time as paid time. Enables the View Breaks button in the Manage module and Breaks radio button on the Time Card for employee window. Also enables the Lunch status so employee can clock out for unpaid breaks.
- Unchecked: All break time will be considered as unpaid time. Disables the Lunch status and View Breaks button in the Manage module. Also disables the Breaks radio button on the Time Card for employee window.
Note: Before changing this preference, have all employees clock out and make any needed time card adjustments. Changing the preference will not affect historical time card breaks. Breaks that occur while the preference is checked will remain as paid breaks. Breaks that occur when the preference is unchecked will remain as unpaid breaks.
ERA allow total payments: Determines if procedure level payment splits are required when processing ERAs.
- Checked: Payments can be added as total.
- Unchecked: Payments must be allocated to procedures.
ERA Automation: Determines if ERAs are processed automatically or manually.
- Review All: All ERAs must be processed manually.
- Semi-automatic: ERAs can be processed with a single click of the Auto Process button on the ERA window. This will receive the claims associated with the ERA, and finalize the payment. They can also be processed manually, if needed.
- Fully-automatic: ERAs will be automatically processed when imported, receiving the claims associated with the ERA, and finalizing the payment. If an ERA does not get automatically processed while being imported for any reason, the user can still attempt to process them by clicking the Auto Process button on the ERA window, or process them manually.
Note: This preference can also be set on a Carrier level. See
Carriers.
Deposit Software: Select a software to deposit to when utilizing Deposits. Options are:
Hide providers without DEA number from making (non electronic) prescriptions: Determines which providers are listed when creating an Rx / Prescription.
- Checked: Only display providers with a DEA number entered in the Provider Edit window.
- Unchecked: Show all providers regardless if a DEA number is entered.
Save accounting invoice attachments in database: Determines if invoice attachments on Accounting Transactions are saved to the database or to a local folder.
- Checked: Save the invoice attachments in the database (transactioninvoice table).
- Unchecked: Save the invoice attachment in the local folder which it originated from. When selected, attachments must remain in the original folder. If an attachment is moved or deleted, it cannot be opened in Open Dental.