What is an opening balance from previous software?
If you converted to Dentally from a previous practice management software, you may have had patients with outstanding balances or credits on their account prior to the move.
As part of the conversion process, you may see opening balances in the patient's account screen, marked as 'Balance imported from previous software'. This is sometimes known as an opening balance.
This amount is based on the existing balance from the previous software, and so it is not linked to any practitioner when you first convert.
You may wish to link it to practitioners and treatment plans for better visibility. You will need to create a treatment code specifically for opening balances, create a new treatment plan which includes this opening balance treatment code, and allocate the opening balance invoice to this treatment, so that it is linked to a specific practitioner.
📝 Please note: Only outstanding balances, not credits, would need to be linked to a practitioner (if required at your practice).
How do I apply an opening balance to a treatment plan and practitioner?
💡 Top tip: Your practice might already have a treatment code for opening balances. Check by searching in your list of treatments, before creating a new one. If you need to create one, you will need to be a Level 4 user.
If you don't already have a treatment code for opening balances:
Navigate to your settings and click 'Treatment & Plans'.
Create a new code and enter a treatment code - in this case, something like 'OB' for opening balance.
Add a description to the 'Nomenclature' and 'Patient friendly name' fields (something like 'Opening balance'), set the 'Region' field to 'Patient' and set the 'Category' field to '09 General'.
Ensure only the 'Appear on invoice' field is ticked and the other two are not.
Save when you're ready.
You will then need to chart this treatment code in a treatment plan, and apply the opening balance to it.
In the 'Chart' tab, create a new treatment plan by clicking the + button below the chart.
Ensure your treatment list on the left is set to 'All', then use the search bar below it to search for your opening balance treatment item (eg. if you called it 'Opening balance', type this here).
Double click the treatment item - it will be added to the treatment plan you have started.
Click the arrow to expand the item, and enter the opening balance amount into the 'Price' field. Use the 'Practitioner' field to ensure the correct practitioner is selected that you want to be linked to the opening balance.
When you are ready, click 'Save'.
Click the tick box to the right of the appointment to complete the treatment.
Click 'Charge' at the bottom to charge the treatment, then click 'Complete treatment plan'.
This will generate an invoice for the opening balance, with the correct practitioner assigned. The invoice can be viewed in the 'Account' tab of the patient record, and payment can be taken from there.
🚨 Important: You will need to delete the original invoice (the one with the 'Balance imported from previous software' description) - otherwise the account will show that the patient owes more money than they do.