💡 Top tip: See what this online booking works from the practice perspective with our guide here.
How does an existing patient book an appointment online?
Before patients can book appointments, you need to ensure you have created appointment types and enabled them so patients can book them.
Patients can log in using the online appointment booking link you have provided to them.
They should select the 'I'm an existing patient' option.
They will be asked for their name and date of birth to log in.
They will be sent a code to their mobile phone as part of After logging into the Portal, the patient should click the two-factor authentication process. They enter the six-digit code and are then taken to the home screen of Dentally Portal.
📝 Please note: Two-factor authentication texts sent to patients may incur a charge for your practice.
If they are due for an appointment, they will see a task reminder asking them to book an appointment. Alternatively they can click the 'Book an appointment' button.
📝 Please note: Patients marked with booking restrictions do not have the option to book an appointment online. Patients who have been archived cannot access the Portal at all.
The patient will select the appointment type they need. This can include other treatments you may offer, such as Airflow.
The booking will default to with their regular practitioner, but can be changed manually.
The patient will be shown availability based on their preferences and can select their chosen slot. They will not be able to see any slots less than 1 hour from the time they are booking (it is not currently possible to increase or decrease this minimum time).
At this stage, the patient will have 15 minutes to complete the booking before it times out.
💡 Top tip: During this time, their selected slot will be held in the calendar with a grey block (without any patient info attached). The block will convert to an appointment if they complete the booking, or disappear if incomplete after 15 minutes. If the grey block does not disappear, this is not expected behaviour and we would recommend contacting Support.
If a deposit is required, they will be shown a payment screen, where they will confirm their choice and pay the deposit. If they have an outstanding balance, this is also shown here.
After any required payment has been made, a confirmation of the booking will be displayed. They will also receive an SMS confirmation to their phone.
💡 Top tip: If you also use online signing at your practice, upon completion of the booking the patient will then be prompted to fill in any required forms ready for their appointment.