Your End-of-Year Power Plan: 10 Moves to Set Your Dental Practice Up for a Strong 2026

You don’t need another chaotic December. If your year always ends in a scramble, missed claims, outdated fees, confused staff, it’s not your fault. But it is your chance to reset.

Here’s your permission slip to take control now, so January doesn’t hit like a brick wall.

These 10 moves are your practice’s power play to finish 2025 strong, and walk into 2026 like the organized, optimized BOSS you are.

1. Assign Roles (So Nothing Gets Missed)

Before you check one box on your to-do list, make sure everyone knows what’s on theirs. Use Open Dental’s Tasks to assign responsibilities, create timelines, and set reminders. Accountability clears chaos.

2. Update Your System & Codes

• Run your Open Dental software update

• Import the 2025 ADA codes

• Order the new ADA coding manual for easy reference

New codes = cleaner billing + faster payments.

3. Lock and Backup Your 2025 Data

Prevent accidental edits and protect your records:

• Set a global security lock date

• Perform a full data backup before year-end

4. Audit and Clean Your Database

Clear out the digital clutter:

• Hide outdated users/providers

• Purge inactive patient records based on your retention policy

• Update team contact info and user access

5. Review and Raise Fees (Before January)

Use Open Dental’s Fee Tools to:

• Adjust office fees based on production and market benchmarks

• Set effective future dates for a seamless new year transition

6. Close the Loop on Claims and Collections

• Run the Procedures Not Billed report and clean up loose ends

• Handle overdue balances, issue refunds or send to collections

• Run the Insurance Overpaid report and clean up errors

Cash flow doesn’t magically fix itself. It starts with cleanup.

7. Refresh Your Note Templates and SOPs

• Update clinical note templates to reflect current policies

• Refresh SOPs in your training library or Open Dental wiki

• Make sure everything supports compliance and coding accuracy

8. Prep 2026 Schedules

• Set provider + team schedules in Open Dental

• Adjust block scheduling templates

• Block out CE and holiday closures now

Avoid reschedules, confusion, and the “why is no one here today?” panic.

9. Inventory and Equipment Checks

• Use downtime to audit supplies

• Toss expired items + restock essentials

• Schedule annual equipment maintenance for anything that clicks, whirs, or sterilizes

10. Set Marketing & CE Goals for 2026

• Review ROI on this year’s campaigns

• Plan re-engagement campaigns for inactive patients

• Schedule CE for the team now, not later

Growth doesn’t happen by accident. Map it out.

Wrap-Up: You Don’t Need to Finish Strong. You Need to Finish Prepared.

December doesn’t have to be your most stressful month. With a few strategic moves, clearing claims, updating systems, setting fresh fees, you’ll be walking into January with clarity, confidence, and a practice that’s actually ready to grow.

Need help? Our Comprehensive Software Exam is available for just $169 through December 31 to help you clean up, optimize, and set your systems right.