One appointment, in detail
Why this appears
“Crown requires 1 pre-op PA — a panoramic or bitewing alone isn’t sufficient.”
In this chart the last X-ray is 14 months old, so no pre-op film exists for this tooth.
Replacement crowns need a photo of the existing restoration before it’s removed.
Decay or fracture under the old crown has to be photographed before it’s covered again.
The chart needs to say why this tooth needs a crown — “wear” alone doesn’t support the code.
Last full perio chart is over a year old — worth confirming before you build the case around it.
Signed treatment plan already on file — nothing to capture here.
Consent already on file for this procedure — nothing to capture here.
The morning huddle
The assistant sees what to capture. The office manager sees why. The same list prints for the morning huddle.
Morning Huddle
Thursday 16 July 2026
Open Dental
During the pilot Shep is read-only: it reads the schedule and chart and produces the huddle sheet. Writing flags back into appointments is a later step, and it stays off until your office turns it on.
How the rules work
Every scheduled procedure is checked against that patient’s chart — imaging, perio charting, notes, consent — before the appointment. Anything missing is flagged while there is still time to capture it.
Every rule traces to a requirement.
The rulebook behind each flag is written by dental billing and compliance specialists, against published payer and recordkeeping requirements.
“Crown requires 1 pre-op PA — a panoramic or bitewing alone isn’t sufficient.”
In this chart the last X-ray is 14 months old, so no pre-op film exists for this tooth. Shep reports that the record is absent. It does not decide whether the tooth needs a crown.
Documentation Readiness and Compliance for Open Dental Practices