Lock It Down: Setting the Stage for an Organized 2026 in Open Dental

Beyond the financial and coding tasks, year-end is the time for essential administrative cleanup and preparation. If you didn’t maximize your Open Dental practice this year, preparing for 2026 is crucial for success. By locking down the old year and fully setting up the new one, you give your team the gift of a stress-free January. 

Here are the key operational moves for your Open Dental system.

1. Protect Your 2025 Data with a Security Lock

• The Final Act: After all claims are paid and all adjustments are posted for the year, set the Global Security Lock Date in Open Dental (found under Setup > Security > Security Lock Dates).
• The Safety Net: Locking the year prevents anyone from accidentally entering procedures, payments, or adjustments into a date that has already been closed out, protecting your final financial reports and tax documents.

2. Build a Flawless 2026 Schedule

• Proactive Scheduling: Before the holidays, enter all provider schedules, holiday closures, and new block scheduling templates for the entire upcoming year in Open Dental.
• Preventing Payroll Issues: While you're in the Manage Module, remember to set up new pay periods for the entire new year to ensure the time clock functions correctly on January 1st.

3. Stage Your Flex Campaigns

• Pre-Load Success: While you're enjoying your holiday break, Flex, an authorized vendor with Open Dental, can be working for you! Stage your new year's recall and re-appointment campaigns to launch automatically in the first week of January.
• The Result: Your patients will receive the first reminders of the new year while your team is still catching up from the holidays, ensuring your schedule is full from day one.

Quick Flex Win

Leveraging the holiday downtime to lock data and stage campaigns ensures your practice starts the new year organized, compliant, and fully booked.

Act now and let Flex turn year-end into momentum.