How Open Dental Brings the Whole Office Together

A Lesson From the Field

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my years of training dental teams is this: Open Dental only works well when your whole team works well together.

That’s why, when we do Open Dental training—whether it’s admin or clinical—we don’t just train one part of the office. We train everyone, together.

Why It’s Not Just “Front” vs. “Back”

Sure, your admin team probably won’t be doing clinical charting, and your hygienists and assistants probably won’t be entering new patients or verifying insurance. But that doesn’t mean their work doesn’t affect each other. In fact, it’s the opposite.

Open Dental is deeply connected across every role. The choices made in the front office affect how things flow in the back. And what happens clinically—notes, procedure codes, treatment statuses—impacts everything from billing to insurance claims.

The “Aha” Moment

One office I worked with recently really drove this home. During a virtual training session, a member of the clinical team paused and said:
“Wait… the front office needs my chart notes to send claims?”

She truly didn’t know that what she entered had such a direct impact on the admin team’s ability to process claims cleanly and quickly. That moment stood out to me, and it’s not uncommon.

We can’t assume everyone understands the full picture. They only know what they know.

You Only Know What You Know

That’s a phrase I use all the time: You only know what you know.

And it’s especially true with Open Dental. The software only functions based on the information that’s entered, and the person entering that information can only do it right if they understand the “why” behind it.

Training Together Creates Transformation

That’s why we don’t isolate training. We walk through every module with the full team, so everyone gets a better understanding of how their role fits into the bigger system.

It builds more respect.
It builds more communication.
It builds more consistency across the board.

And honestly? These sessions aren’t just for the offices I work with—they’re for me too. I’ve learned just as much from the teams I train as they’ve learned from me. Every practice teaches me something new. It’s a true collaboration.

The Takeaway

The next time you’re thinking about training, I encourage you to do it together. Open Dental is a tool for the whole practice—and when everyone is aligned, that’s when the real transformation happens.