Booking Appointments

The appointment scheduler is the heart of MyDentalPractice. This comprehensive guide covers all scheduling features, from basic bookings to handling conflicts and walk-ins.

Calendar Views

The scheduler offers three views accessible from the top of the Appointments page:

Day View — Detailed hour-by-hour schedule for a single day

Week View — Overview of the entire week (default)

Month View — High-level monthly calendar showing appointment counts

Switch between views using the toggle buttons or keyboard shortcuts: D (day), W (week), M (month).

Creating an Appointment

From the Calendar

Click on any available time slot in the calendar

The booking form slides in from the right

Fill in the required fields:

- Patient — Search by name or phone number

- Treatment — Select the procedure type

- Dentist — Choose the provider (if multiple)

- Duration — Auto-filled from treatment defaults, adjustable

- Notes — Optional appointment notes

Click Book Appointment

From the Quick Menu

Click the + New Appointment button to open the booking form without selecting a time first. You will need to choose the date and time manually.

Handling Schedule Conflicts

If you attempt to book during an occupied slot, the system will:

Show a warning with the conflicting appointment details

Offer three options:

- Find Next Available — Automatically suggests the next open slot

- Double-Book — Override the conflict (requires Admin or Owner role)

- Cancel — Return to the calendar

Double-booked time slots are highlighted in orange on the calendar.

Walk-In Patients

For unscheduled walk-in patients:

Click + Walk-In from the Appointments page

Select or create the patient record

Choose the treatment type

The appointment is created for the current time

Walk-in appointments are marked with a special badge on the calendar

Appointment Statuses

Each appointment progresses through these statuses:

Status	Color	Meaning
Scheduled	Blue	Confirmed future appointment
Checked In	Green	Patient has arrived
In Progress	Yellow	Treatment has started
Completed	Gray	Treatment finished
Cancelled	Red	Appointment was cancelled
No-Show	Orange	Patient did not arrive

Update the status by clicking the appointment and selecting the new status from the dropdown.

Rescheduling

To reschedule an appointment:

Click the appointment in the calendar

Click Reschedule

Select the new date and time

The patient is automatically notified via SMS (if enabled)

The original time slot becomes available again

You can also drag and drop appointments in the Day and Week views to reschedule them visually.

Cancellation

To cancel an appointment:

Click the appointment

Click Cancel Appointment

Select a cancellation reason from the dropdown

Choose whether to notify the patient

Confirm the cancellation

Cancellation reasons are tracked in the analytics dashboard for identifying patterns.

Filtering Appointments

Use the filter bar above the calendar to filter by:

Dentist — Show only one provider's schedule

Treatment Type — Show only specific procedures

Status — Show only certain statuses (e.g., "Scheduled" only)

Date Range — Jump to a specific period

For automated reminders, see SMS Reminders. For repeating schedules, see Recurring Appointments.

Booking Appointments