The Feature Request system is a unique tool that allows offices to vote on features they want in Open Dental.

In the Main Menu, click Help, Request Features.

Every office can vote on requests and submit new requests. This system is the official process for notifying Open Dental HQ of desired features and enhancements. Open Dental does not guarantee a request will become implemented, nor does Open Dental offer a timeline on implementation.

Searching for a Feature Request

It is recommended to search for an existing request before submitting a new request. This is to ensure votes are not split among duplicate requests and all users are properly notified if the request becomes implemented.

• Search terms: Enter a search term or Request Number. Search multiple terms before committing to creating a new request (e.g., "appt" and "appointment"). Leave the field blank to view all requests. Click Search to update results in the Feature Requests grid.
• Mine: Only search for requests created by your office.
• My Votes: Only search for requests your office has voted on.

Click a column to sort results. Double-click a request to view details or click Add to create a new request.

Voting on an Existing Request

When an existing feature request is found, double-click it to add votes.

Use the My Votes section to vote on a Feature Request:

1. View Points Remaining to see how many points (votes) the office has left. Each office is allotted 100 votes to split among feature requests as needed.
   • If a request Approval status is InProgress, votes are locked in and cannot be reallocated. Votes return to the office when the feature request Approval status is Complete.
2. Enter the number of votes to allocate to a feature request in the Points field. Points can be added and removed as needed.
3. If this request is hindering office flow, mark the request as Is Critical. Each office is allotted two Is Critical requests.
4. Optionally, add a Discussion Note to include comments. Click +Save to add the note to the Feature Request. Discussion Notes are publicly visible to any Open Dental users. Discussion notes are not considered as part of the request and are designed to provide additional context to the need of the request.

Adding a New Feature Request

When an existing request cannot be found, click Add to create a new one.

1. Enter a Short Description to summarize the request.
2. Enter Detail about the request. Add plenty of detail to help Open Dental HQ fully understand the request.
3. Add Points (votes) to the request. This is required for the request to be visible to other offices.
4. If this request is hindering office flow, mark the request as Is Critical. Each office is allotted two Is Critical requests.
5. Click Save to submit the request.

Open Dental HQ Considerations

There any many factors to consider before Open Dental implements a request. Due to the number of requests and complexity of some requests, we cannot implement all requests.

Open Dental made recent enhancements to the Feature Request system. As a result, some fields are left over from previous versions.

• Difficulty: No longer used. Was used to determine the difficulty of a request. Defaults to 5 but may change in some circumstances.
• Approval: Left blank for new requests. For older requests, used to determine the current Approval status of a request.
  • An Approved request was previously used to signal the request was approved for voting, not that the request was approved for development. A blank Approval status is treated the same as an Approved status.
  • InProgress signifies the request is in progress with Open Dental. There is no timeline for features in progress.
  • Complete signifies the request has been implemented in an Open Dental version. Typically, Open Dental will note the version the request was added in the request details.
• Points: The total number of votes allocated to this Feature Request.
• Is Critical: The total number of offices that have marked this request as critical.
• Weight: No longer used. An internal calculation to determine the value of a Feature Request.