Open Dental setup guide
What you need, the seven setup steps, what 2care reads and writes in Open Dental during a call, and how your own scheduling rules and recall types are kept.
4 min read
How it connects
2care connects to your Open Dental database, whether the server sits in your practice or with a hosting provider. The connection is made through the database's supported interface, and nothing is added to the machines your practice runs.
- Availability is read live by operatory and provider, using the appointment types, lengths and blockouts you configured yourself.
- Bookings are written into Open Dental during the call, into the schedule you already own.
- Your configuration is the source of truth. The agent offers only what your own rules allow, and it never overwrites them.
Your onboarding specialist sets the connection up with your team during go-live.
Terms used here
- Operatory. A treatment room or chair in your Open Dental schedule.
- Blockout. Time you have reserved in the schedule for a purpose, such as emergencies or a provider's meeting.
- Recall type. A kind of repeat visit you defined in Open Dental, each with its own interval.
Before you start
| Item | Who provides it |
|---|---|
| Approval from the practice owner or office manager to connect Open Dental | Your practice |
| Who manages your server, in the practice or with a host | Your practice, or your hosting provider |
| Your operatories, providers and appointment types | Your office manager |
| Your blockouts and the emergency time you hold back | Your office manager |
| A signed BAA with 2care | Signed before any patient data moves |
Setup
- Sign the BAA. No patient data is read until it is in place. See HIPAA and the BAA.
- Authorise the connection. If a host runs your server, we coordinate with them alongside you.
- Confirm operatories and providers. We read them as you configured them and check them with your team.
- Confirm appointment types and blockouts. These are taken exactly as you set them up. See visit types and provider templates.
- Set your emergency rules. We agree which descriptions go to held emergency time and which go straight to a person.
- Run a test round trip. We book a test appointment, open it in Open Dental, then cancel it, with your team watching.
- Switch the line over. Your number forwards to 2care at the hours you choose. See forwarding your number.
Most practices are live in about 5 business days.
On a booking call
| Step in the call | What the caller hears | What happens in Open Dental |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | A request for their date of birth | The caller is matched to their existing patient record |
| Availability | Open times with the provider they asked for | Open time read live, honouring your operatory rules and blockouts |
| Choice | The time they chose, read back | The slot is checked again at the moment of booking |
| Booking | Confirmation of the appointment | The appointment is written into the correct operatory and provider |
| Confirmation | A text with the date, time and location | A record of the call is kept against the patient |
The appointment is only confirmed to the caller once Open Dental has accepted it. If the time was taken in the meantime, the booking is not written and the agent offers the next open time instead.
What 2care reads
- Operatory and provider availability, live
- Appointment types and lengths, as your own configuration defines them
- The recall list, so outbound calling uses your data rather than a copy
- Patient records, to match a caller rather than duplicate them
- Insurance plan details already stored
What 2care writes
- Appointments, into the correct operatory and provider
- Patient contact details, read back to the caller before saving
- Insurance fields, as values rather than notes
- Recall outcomes, so the list stays true
- A record of the call against the patient
Every write is traceable and can be undone. Each one records the call that caused it.
What 2care never touches
- Clinical notes, which are never read or written
- Results, which are never retrieved or read out: those calls go to your team
- Medication requests, which are taken down and passed on, never granted or changed
- Your scheduling configuration, which is read and never overwritten
- Anything outside the access your practice authorised
Recall
Outbound recall follows the recall types and intervals that already exist in your Open Dental setup. Patients who are due are called, offered a time that fits your rules, and booked on the call.
The outcome is written back to the recall list. See recall and outreach campaigns.
Questions
Does it work with a self-hosted Open Dental server?
Yes, whether the server sits in your practice or with a hosting provider. Your onboarding specialist sets the connection up during go-live.
How are emergencies handled at night and at weekends?
The same way as during the day. Urgent descriptions go to your held emergency time or to a person every time, and your number stays answered through nights and weekends. See after-hours and lunch cover.
Is every call kept?
Yes. Each call is kept against the patient in your own database, which is where a self-hosted practice expects to find it.
Related
- Open Dental integration overview
- How the agent chooses a slot
- A booking did not appear
- HIPAA and the BAA
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