Accounts Receivable (AR) in Practice by Numbers is designed to display the current financial position of the practice using the latest synchronized data from Curve Dental.
Unlike Curve Dental, Practice by Numbers does not maintain historical Accounts Receivable snapshots. Understanding this distinction is important when comparing AR balances between the two systems.
How Accounts Receivable Works
Practice by Numbers always displays Accounts Receivable using the most current available data.
This means:
AR is calculated using today's synchronized data.
Historical AR snapshots are not stored.
You cannot view or calculate AR "as of" a previous date.
For example, if today is July 6, Practice by Numbers displays the outstanding balances that exist after all synchronized activity as of July 6.
Even if you generate a report for June 30, the Accounts Receivable values shown in Practice by Numbers reflect today's balances—not what the balances were on June 30.
This behavior is expected and should be considered whenever comparing Accounts Receivable with Curve Dental.
To compare Accounts Receivable balances, use Curve Dental's Responsible Party Aging Summary report.
Comparing Accounts Receivable with Curve Dental
To compare Accounts Receivable balances, use Curve Dental's Responsible Party Aging Summary report.
Navigate to: Reports → Financial Reports → Responsible Party Aging Summary
Report Configuration
For the most accurate comparison:
Select the same clinic(s) used in Practice by Numbers.
Run the report using today's date.
Compare the totals at the bottom of the report:
Patient Total
Insurance Total
Total Owing
These values most closely align with the current Accounts Receivable balances shown in Practice by Numbers.
Important: Since Practice by Numbers always displays current Accounts Receivable, the Responsible Party Aging Summary should also be run using current data. Historical aging reports will not reconcile with Practice by Numbers.
Compare these totals:
Patient Total
Insurance Total
Total Owing
These values most closely align with Practice by Numbers' current Accounts Receivable balances.
Important: Since Practice by Numbers always reports current AR, the Responsible Party Aging Summary should be run using current data for the most accurate comparison.
Payment Plans and Financed Contract Balances
Another important difference involves patients who have outstanding balances associated with payment plans or financed contracts in Curve Dental.
Currently, these balances may not be included in the Accounts Receivable values or AR Details displayed in Practice by Numbers.
Practice by Numbers calculates Curve Dental Accounts Receivable using AR data provided through Curve Dental's integration. If Curve Dental does not provide a patient's AR record through that data source, Practice by Numbers does not receive the balance and therefore cannot include it in:
Accounts Receivable totals
AR Details
Patient AR lists
As a result, a patient may have an outstanding balance visible in Curve Dental while that balance does not appear in Practice by Numbers.
This can occur with payment plan or financed contract balances and is a current limitation of the Curve Dental integration.
What This Means When Comparing AR
If your Curve Dental Responsible Party Aging Summary shows a higher AR balance than Practice by Numbers, check whether any of the difference is associated with patients who have payment plans or financed contract balances.
These balances should not automatically be treated as a synchronization error. The balance may exist in Curve Dental but may not be available to Practice by Numbers through Curve's AR data.
Understanding "Account Credits" vs. "Patient Credits"
One of the most common sources of confusion is the difference between Account Credits in Curve Dental and Patient Credits in Practice by Numbers.
Although the names are similar, these are different financial metrics and are not expected to match.
Practice by Numbers | Curve Dental Responsible Party Aging |
Patient Credits / Refunds | Account Credit |
Net patient overpayments | Gross unapplied credits, deposits, and prepayments |
Practice by Numbers Patient Credits
Patient Credits represent:
Net overpaid patient balances
Refundable patient credit amounts
Money paid beyond what is currently owed
Curve Dental Account Credits
The Account Credit column on the Responsible Party Aging report includes:
Unapplied credits
Prepayments
Deposits held on patient accounts
These values represent gross account credits rather than refundable patient balances.
Because Curve Dental's Account Credit calculation includes held deposits and unapplied credits differently than Practice by Numbers, these totals will not match.
This is expected behavior and does not indicate a data discrepancy.
Best Practices for Comparing Accounts Receivable
For the most accurate comparison:
Verify the AR Daily Sync has completed.
Run the Responsible Party Aging Summary using today's date.
Select the same clinic(s) in both systems.
Compare:
Patient Total
Insurance Total
Total Owing
Remember that Practice by Numbers always displays current Accounts Receivable rather than historical balances.
Do not compare Curve Dental Account Credits with Practice by Numbers Patient Credits.
Need Additional Assistance?
If Accounts Receivable balances still appear different after verifying:
AR Daily Sync completion
Responsible Party Aging Summary configuration
Clinic selection
Current reporting date
Please contact the Practice by Numbers Support Team and include:
Date of comparison
Clinic(s) selected
Screenshots of the Responsible Party Aging Summary
Screenshots of the corresponding Practice by Numbers Accounts Receivable metrics
Providing this information allows the Support Team to determine whether the difference is expected or requires further investigation.