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Getting Started with Practice by Numbers — Setup Checklist

Complete Your Practice by Numbers Setup

Alyssa Elso avatar
Written by Alyssa Elso
Updated over 2 weeks ago

Use this checklist to make sure your practice is fully configured in PbN.
You can find most of these setup areas under the main menu icon → New Settings.


🧭 General Setup & Navigation

Goal: Understand where everything is before diving into setup.
☐ Open the New Settings page.
☐ Focus on reviewing the first tabs on the left-hand side, Practice and General.
☐ Locate the Quick Links on the right panel.
☐ Explore how to search settings using the search bar.


👥 Setting Up Providers and Employees

Goal: Ensure that providers and employees are accurately identified and mapped for reporting and access control purposes.

☐ Navigate to New Settings → General → Employees
☐ Click Adjust Position Mappings (Eaglesoft/Open Dental only)
☐ Review each staff member:
 - Check Active for employees currently working
 - Check Provider for doctors and hygienists
 - Check FTE for full-time employees (to enable Production/FTE KPIs)
☐ Verify all employee records are correctly mapped to PMS profiles
☐ Merge duplicate employee entries if they exist
☐ Retrieve each provider’s Provider ID from your PMS (needed for writeback)
☐ Save all changes

💡 Tips:

  • Only Active employees appear in provider filters and can be assigned user accounts.

  • Employees cannot be deleted, but they can be deactivated at any time.

  • Correct mappings ensure your practice data is accurate in dashboards and reports.

Review this article for additional help.


🔐 Managing User Accounts

Goal: Create and manage secure user logins for employees and external collaborators.

☐ Confirm employee is Active in New Settings → General → Employees
☐ Navigate to New Settings → General → User Accounts
☐ Click + Add User
 - For in-practice staff: select Unassigned Employee, assign a role, and click Create User
 - For non-employees: select Create New User, enter contact info, and assign a role
☐ Ensure the user receives:
 - Setup email link
 - Text message with Practice Code Word
☐ If the Code Word isn’t received, share it securely (in person or by phone)
☐ Verify password creation meets PbN’s security requirements:
 - 9+ characters, upper/lowercase, number, symbol
☐ Rotate Practice Code Word if compromised
☐ Assist users with password resets or account recovery as needed

💡 Tips:

  • Only Admin or Owner roles can create and manage users.

  • Never send Code Words manually by text or email.

  • Use strong passwords and reset them regularly to maintain security.

Review this article for additional help.


🧰 Understanding and Setting User Permissions

Goal: Manage user access safely by customizing permissions for each role in Practice by Numbers.

☐ Go to New Settings → General → Roles Definitions
☐ Select the role you want to manage (e.g., Admin, Manager, Front Desk)
☐ Review Included and Available Permissions lists
☐ Enable or disable permissions as appropriate for each user type
☐ Use filters or search to locate specific features (e.g., Payments, Forms)
☐ Resolve “Blocked By” dependencies when prompted
☐ Save your changes
☐ Test user access to ensure proper configuration
☐ Review permissions quarterly or after updates

💡 Tips:

  • Use consistent naming for roles across locations.

  • Limit “Change Practice Settings” or “Billing Settings” access to admin-level roles.

  • If users see “Permission Denied,” verify their permissions or consult the User Permissions Reference Guide.

Review this article for additional help.


🕒 Setting Up Office and Provider Hours

Goal: Ensure accurate provider availability and utilization reporting.

☐ Go to New Settings → Practice → Office and Provider Hours
☐ Enter your office’s regular working hours and include breaks (e.g., lunch).
☐ Review provider list:
 - Keep the box checked to apply the default office hours.
 - Uncheck the box to enter custom hours.
☐ For alternating schedules (e.g., every other day), see Managing Providers with Alternating Workdays and Hours.
☐ For temporary adjustments (meetings, vacation), see Manually Adjusting Provider Hours.
☐ Go to New Settings → Appointments → Settings to verify provider availability days.
☐ Ensure new services or scheduling options are Active in the Scheduling Options list.
☐ Save all updates before exiting the page.

💡 Tips:

  • Always save changes or they won’t apply.

  • Double-check your time zone.

  • If issues persist, contact PbN Support for assistance.

Review this article for additional help.


📨 A2P 10DLC Registration

Goal: Verify your business to enable SMS messaging through Practice by Numbers.

☐ Go to Settings → Communication Settings → A2P 10DLC Settings
☐ Enter your Legal Business Name, EIN, and contact details exactly as registered with your state or IRS
☐ Review your information for accuracy before submitting
☐ Submit registration — PbN will send your info to The Campaign Registry (TCR)
☐ Understand associated fees:
 - $4 Brand Registration Fee
 - $15 Campaign Fee (one-time)
 - $10 Monthly Campaign Fee
☐ If rejected, correct and resubmit (note: $4 resubmission fee applies)
☐ Wait for confirmation of approval before sending SMS

💡 Tips:

  • Double-check your business name and EIN to avoid resubmission delays.

  • Registration is required before any SMS messages can be sent.

  • If your submission is rejected, update your details and resubmit from the same A2P 10DLC Settings page.


💬 Communication Settings

Goal: Ensure all patient communications in PbN are properly branded, compliant, and aligned with your preferences.

☐ Go to New Settings → Communication Settings
☐ Enter your Practice Name, Address, Website, Phone, Reply-To Address, and Email From Name
☐ Add your Online Scheduling Link

☐ Add your Signature for Text Messages
☐ Upload your logo (and optional banner)
☐ Add your social media links (Google, Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, etc.)
☐ Enable additional languages (Spanish, French) if needed
☐ Set PMS Overrides to allow messages for key communications (e.g., reminders, recalls)
☐ Configure Blackout Periods to stop texts after hours
☐ Review and customize opt-out/resubscribe templates
☐ Click Save Settings

💡 Tips:

  • Keep branding and contact info consistent across platforms.

  • Use blackout periods for after-hours professionalism.

  • Verify PMS Overrides comply with your practice’s communication policy.

Review this article for additional help.


🔄 PMS Writeback Settings

Goal: Ensure data from Practice by Numbers syncs accurately with your PMS.

☐ Go to New Settings → Practice → PMS Write Back Settings
☐ Enter the correct Writeback Provider ID (from Open Dental, Dentrix, or Eaglesoft)
☐ Enable desired note writebacks (calls, tasks, communications, insurance)
☐ Select default Note Type and PMS Document Type folders
☐ Adjust Fast Sync Intervals for appointments, new patients, and photos
☐ Map Appointment Statuses between PbN and your PMS
☐ Configure Online Form destination folders (intake, consent, treatment, scanned)
☐ Enable Automatic Payment Sync and configure payment type mapping
☐ Click Save Changes to apply your settings

💡 Tips:

  • Only active providers can sync data correctly.

  • Always verify your Provider ID and save before leaving the page.

Review this article for additional help.


🌟 Connect Google and Facebook Accounts

Goal: Import reviews and generate review request links for Google and Facebook.

☐ Go to Settings → Reputation → Review Request Settings
☐ Under Google, click Connect with Google
☐ Log in using the Google account that manages your Business Profile
☐ Select the correct Location ID for your practice
☐ Under Facebook, click Connect with Facebook
☐ Log in to your Facebook Business Account and select all relevant pages
☐ Assign the correct page to each office
☐ Click Save Settings
☐ Verify your Google Location ID and Facebook Page URL appear in PbN
☐ Create or update a Review Request Campaign under Campaigns

💡 Tips:

  • Always confirm you’re connecting the correct business profile for multi-office setups.

  • PbN automatically syncs reviews and links from your connected pages.

Review this article for additional help.


📅 Appointment Confirmation Statuses

Goal: Ensure PbN recognizes which appointments are confirmed in your PMS.

☐ Go to Settings → Practice → Appointment Statuses
☐ Review all statuses synced from your PMS (Dentrix or Open Dental)
☐ Check boxes only for statuses that mean confirmed
☐ Leave unchecked statuses that reflect pending or messaged states
☐ Click Save to apply your selections
☐ Verify confirmed appointments appear correctly on your PbN Schedule
☐ Revisit settings whenever new statuses are added or edited in your PMS

💡 Tips:

  • This setup is not needed for Eaglesoft, which automatically identifies confirmed appointments.

  • Avoid over-selecting to prevent inaccurate confirmation reporting.

  • Consistent use of PMS codes across your team ensures reliable scheduling metrics.

Review this article for additional help.

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