SOFTWARE UPDATE: Version 18.3 has been released as Stable.

17 requested enhancements & new features were implemented in this software update!

Some noteworthy items in version 18.3 include…

Preparing for 2019:

• 2019 CDT codes are now available. Update to stable version 18.2.47 or greater (recommended) or beta version 18.3.26 or greater, then use Fee Tools to update your CDT codes.
• Canada Fee Guides will be made available as we receive them. Available fee guides are listed on our Canada Fee Guides page.
• Take a look at our New Year Checklist to get your new year off to a running start!

For Larger Practices Using Clinics:

• Users can now be restricted to only view procedure code fees from their clinic.
• New Manage Module preference will set statements to print alphabetically instead of by clinic.

Insurance-Related Enhancements:

• The new Posterior option in the Procedure Code Edit window will set downgrades for ALL posterior teeth.
  Until now, only Molar or Second Molar (Premolar) could be selected as a condition for the downgrade. Now, it can be set to downgrade all Posterior teeth. When used in Lists>Procedure Codes > Edit Procedure Code Window, this setting will apply GLOBALLY to all insurance plans. If there is a specific insurance plan that only downgrades composite fillings on Premolars (Second Molars) or Molars, follow the instructions in the section Set a Downgrade on the Insurance Plan Level in our Estimate Downgrades manual page. See how this works in the video at the top of this post.

• Substitution codes can now be set by insurance plan.
  See the section Set a Downgrade on the Insurance Plan Level in our Estimate Downgrades manual page.
  See how this works in the video at the top of this post.
• When a patient has a Secondary claim pending (in Hold Status in their account): Once payment is received on the Primary Claim, you will be presented with a pop-up asking how you want to handle the pending Secondary Claim(s). See how this works in the video at the top of this post.

Other new features:

• Account Module: Allow Recurring Charges to run more than once per month.
  Starting in version 18.2, recurring charges can be set to run automatically at a certain time of day (see the section Automatic Recurring Charges on this page.) See Step 2, Select a Charge Frequency on the Authorize Recurring Charges page for how to specify the frequency at which recurring charges should be run.
• Appointment Module: New Advanced button under the pinboard will generate an Advanced Appointment Search Window. This view provides additional options including Blockout type, Clinic, and Appt View.
• Mobile Web: Blockouts are now displayed in the Appointment view.
• Autonotes within Autonotes: An Autonote can now contain another Autonote. See more on this page.
• Medications Lists can now be imported.
  Import either a list exported from Open Dental (if you have another location on a separate database) or a properly formatted delimited .txt file. See the Medication Lists page for more details on format.
• Email and Email Templates can now includes HTML components
  Use the Edit HTML button to format text, add hyperlinks, etc. See our HTML Email page for more.
  Please Note: At the current time, it is not possible to copy and paste raw HTML into the Edit HTML screen. Only the HTML features available in this view may be used. Stay tuned for future developments.

Enhancements for our customers in Canada:

• We now have e-claim integration with TELUS network.
• It’s almost time for updated 2019 fee guides (none are available quite yet). Check our Canada Fee Guides manual page for a list of available fee guides, and instructions for importing them into your software.
  TECH TIP 1: Check back periodically, as we will continue to update our list as fee guides are received.
  TECH TIP 2: Due to copyright issues, downloading fee guides may require an updated Open Dental version, ODA password, or provider verification. Check the fee guides page for details.

In case you missed it, check out our Canada 101: Using Open Dental in Canada blog post. It covers proper workstation setup, as well as Canada-specific features in Open Dental.

For a complete list of all the new features & enhancements in this software update, see the version 18.3 page on our website.

Need help updating your software?

Read this post for how to see what version you’re currently using, and get software update recommendations.