How do I manage appointments across several chairs and dentists?
In a practice with several chairs, an appointment takes two resources at once: a chair and a dentist. If the software books only one of them, you get overlaps that surface at the front desk, with the patient in front of you.
Short answer
- Each appointment is set in the calendar of a chair and of a dentist at the same time.
- Set a default duration per treatment type, not a single one for everything.
- Leave time between patients in the calendar for disinfection and preparing the chair.
- Use the calendar per dentist and per chair to see who is free and where.
- Check each dentist's calendar before booking, so you do not book a day they are away.
How to set it up, step by step
- Define the chairs as resources, with the names your team uses ("Chair 1", "Left room").
- Define the dentists, with their specialty and weekly schedule.
- Set the duration for each treatment type.
- Note which dentist performs each type of treatment, so you book it with that dentist.
- Book appointments from the calendar; the platform does not offer patients online booking.
- Check the calendar a week ahead, to spot gaps and overlaps.
Indicative durations per treatment
Booking durations per treatment, set in the platform
| Treatment | Chair time | Buffer time |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation | Set by the practice | Set by the practice |
| Scaling and hygiene | Set by the practice | Set by the practice |
| Filling | Set by the practice | Set by the practice |
| Root canal | Set by the practice | Set by the practice |
Practical example
Example: a practice with 3 chairs and 4 dentists, one of whom works only two days a week. The calendar shows which dentist and which chair are free at each time, so a booking on a day that dentist is away is easy to spot. Two dentists can be booked in different chairs at the same time, and the calendar per chair shows which chairs are free.
Common mistakes
- Booking only the dentist and not the chair: two dentists end up in the same room.
- One duration for all treatments, which throws the schedule out after a few long procedures.
- No buffer time between patients, so delays add up through the day.
- Expecting patients to book online: the platform does not offer patient online booking, so the team books every visit.
How 4dental helps
- Dual booking: every appointment takes a chair and a dentist at the same time.
- Configurable durations for each treatment type.
- A calendar per chair and per dentist, so the team sees each resource.
- Appointments are booked by the team from the calendar; patients do not book online.