Version 21.4 has been released as Stable, implementing many exciting features including 17 that were requested by our users.
Click on a topic to read more.
- Highly Requested Features
- New eServices Features
- New Account Module Features
- New Imaging Module Features
- New Manage Module Features
- New Reports-Related Features
- New Security Permissions
- Other New Features
- New Features for Users in Canada

- Printing the Appointments Module
There are now 3 options when printing the Appointments schedule: Full Color, Less Color, or Grayscale. Here’s how those options look:



- Continuity of Care Documents
The 21st Century CURES Act requires that healthcare providers provide information access to their patients. We believe the Continuity of Care Document (CCD) (e.g. Summary of Care document) satisfies most of the requirements. The CCD can be accessed in two places:
The Chart Module:
Click the CCD button in the Toolbar, then either show and print, or export to a file.
Patient Portal:
Patients can view their CCD in the Patient Portal.
For this to show for patients:
– Have SNOMED CT Codes and CVX codes downloaded (see Importing Code Systems)
– Have ModuleCareSummary checked in Patient Portal Settings.
- Insurance information added to Web Sched New Patient and Web Sched Existing Patient
- First, enable the ability to collect insurance information in Web Sched Carrier Rules.
- Set rules for Carriers (e.g. if you do not want to allow scheduling for certain carriers.)
- When a patient schedules an appointment, they will be prompted to enter insurance information.
- This information is added as a note to the appointment. This allows your office the opportunity to review the insurance information before it is added to the patient.
- New Manage Module Preference hides providers without a DEA number when creating a new (non-electronic) prescription
When selected, only providers with DEA numbers will show in the provider dropdown when creating a new (non-electronic) prescription.



- Web Sched Recall appointments can be restricted to specific blockouts (outlined).
- A Web Sched Recall preference (red arrow) determines how far in the future to search for appointment openings.
- An alert will display if Web Sched Recall messages fail to send.
Web Sched Recall


- Preference in Allocations Setup to run a limited income transfer on overpaid procedures attached to a received claim. (Defaulted to checked when Rigorous Paysplits is enabled. When Auto-Split or Manual Paysplits is enabled, the default setting for this preference is considered unchecked.)

- Preference to set default import folder in Imaging Module Preferences,
- Freehand drawing with pen, point to point lines, edit, change color, etc.
- Edit existing mounts.
- Determine where an image will display on screen in the Imaging Module
- Mounts can now contain generated text.
- Unmounted area for retakes or for moving images around.

- The Billing List can now be filtered by filing codes.
- A validation warning shows in the Send Claims window when a carrier does not support attachments.
- Printed ERAs display column for Claim Adjustment Reason Codes.
- Attachments can be added to tasks. See details and setup instructions in our manual.

- Queries allow a user to copy data from selected rows in a tab-delimited format. Quickly copy and paste just the info you want into Excel for easy data manipulation!
- Highlight the rows you wish to copy. (Click and drag or use Shift+click to select. If selecting cells or rows that are not next to each other, use CTRL + Click.)
- Right-click options allow you to copy just the text in a cell you’ve clicked into, or all the data in the row(s) you’ve selected.
- Additional Format options have been added in the upper right for viewing query results. You can choose to show row numbers (an easy way to see how many are in the list) and enable word wrap (so long content is displayed on multiple lines).
- The Procedures Overpaid report has a new checkbox that filters overpaid procedures that do not have an insurance payment or write-off.

New Security Permissions added include:
- Text message send: Allows users to send manual text messages from the Text Messaging Mailbox, ASAP List, Confirmation List, Text toolbar button, and right-click options in the Appointments Module.
- Definition Edit: Add or edit Definitions – Audit Trail entry logged when a definition is edited.
- Rx Combine: Allows user to merge multiple versions of the same prescription that may have been inadvertently created. This does not change the historical information of prescriptions that are already in patient charts.
- Text message view: Allows access to the Text Messaging Mailbox to view sent or received text messages.
- Updating Open Dental: Allows user to check for and install software updates. Users without this permission can still access the Update window, but will not be able to check for or install updates. Audit trail entry is logged when the Update window is opened and when Open Dental is checked for updates.
- Adjustment Type Deny: Determines which adjustments a user can add to an account.
When checked, the Adjustment Definition Picker window will open. Highlight which adjustments the selected User Group will not have access to. This permission does not prevent users from editing adjustment types from Definitions. - Users without the Ins Plan Edit permission can now request electronic benefits.

- Advertising – Select Patients can use favorite queries as the list.
- Combine button in Rx Setup screen allows inadvertently created identical (non-electronic) prescriptions to be merged. Requires Rx Combine permission.
- Appointment field defs can now be re-ordered using up and down arrows.
- Auto Ortho preference stops treatment months when debond code is completed.
- Mark procedures as Do not bill insurance by insurance plan.
- We’ve added TermsAndConditions to the Payment Plan Sheet as an Output Text Field,
- Gmail users can determine which emails to download to the Email Inbox.

- Provider overrides allowed for Canada Lab Fees. By default, the provider associated with the lab procedure matches the provider on the attached dental procedure, but the provider can be changed by double-clicking into the lab procedure and using the Provider dropdown to override the provider. A warning will display but is informational and will not stop the claim from sending.
We are continuing to develop exciting features, many of them requested through our Feature Request process. If you need help with any of the features highlighted here or with anything else in the program, please reach out to our support team.
Categories: Version Release Highlights
A recent update starting asking users if they “want to change appt. length” this has created a lot of problems for our office. Can that be adjusted per office or would it be another OD update?
Hi Amy! This isn’t new to version 21.4 but perhaps there is a user who is saying “yes” when prompted, thus creating the issue.
There is a global setting to keep appointment lengths locked – go to Setup, Appointment, Appts Preferences. On the left side, check the option for ‘Appointment time locked by default.’ This will “lock” appointment times even when an appointment is moved to another provider on the schedule. If you only want appointment lengths to be locked for certain appointments, you can open the appointment and check the “Time Locked” box (in the middle of the Edit Appointment window). Any further questions, please reach out to our support team – they’re happy to help! https://opendental.com/contact.html