The PMS Writeback Settings page in Practice by Numbers (PbN) allows you to configure how data such as notes, documents, appointment statuses, online forms, and payments synchronize back to your Practice Management Software (PMS).
Proper configuration ensures your PMS and PbN remain in sync at all times.
Accessing PMS Writeback Settings
Log in to Practice by Numbers.
Click your profile icon in the upper-right corner.
Select New Settings.
Under Practice, select PMS Write Back Settings.
PMS Sync Settings
At the top of the page, you'll find the Writeback Provider ID field. This identifies the PMS integration to which PbN is connected (for example, Open Dental, Dentrix, or Eaglesoft).
Select your Writeback Provider ID from the dropdown list.
Click Save Changes.
Important: If the Writeback Provider ID is not configured correctly, writeback data will not sync successfully.
Obtaining the Provider ID
Before proceeding, verify that the provider exists as an active user in your PMS and that their information is accurate. Provider IDs must exist in the PMS before they can be used in Practice by Numbers.
Open Dental
Navigate to Setup > Practice > Provider Setup.
Locate the provider you want to use.
Copy the Abbreviation (Provider ID).
Paste this value into the Writeback Provider ID field in Practice by Numbers.
Eaglesoft
Navigate to Lists > Providers/Staff.
Select the provider.
Copy the Provider ID.
Enter the Provider ID into the Writeback Provider ID field in Practice by Numbers.
Dentrix
Navigate to Office Manager > Maintenance > Reference > Provider Maintenance.
Select the provider.
Copy the Provider ID or Provider Code.
Paste it into the Writeback Provider ID field in Practice by Numbers.
Tip: Only active providers should be used for writeback. If the provider is inactive, synchronization may fail.
Note Write Back Settings
This section determines which activities automatically write back to your PMS.
Enable or disable each item using the available toggle.
Phone Call Logs
Outgoing Call
Incoming Call
Missed Call
Incoming Call Transcript
Outgoing Call Transcript
Incoming Call Summary
Outgoing Call Summary
Patient & Task Notes
Patient Notes
Task Notes
Communications
Outgoing SMS
Incoming SMS
Outgoing Email
Incoming Email
Open Dental: Displaying SMS Communication Logs
Note: SMS writeback from Practice by Numbers does not require any Program Link configuration in Open Dental.
However, to display incoming and outgoing SMS messages in a patient's Communication Log, the Show Automated Commlogs option must be enabled.
To enable this setting:
Open Open Dental.
Open any patient record.
Navigate to the Account module.
Click the Show dropdown.
Select Show Automated Commlogs.
Once enabled, automated communication logs, including SMS messages written back from Practice by Numbers, will appear in the patient's Communication Log.
Insurance
Insurance Verification Note
Note Type Selection
Use the Note Type Selection section to choose the default note category used when Practice by Numbers writes notes back to your PMS.
This determines how notes are categorized within your Practice Management Software.
Document Type Settings
Configure where documents created in Practice by Numbers are stored within your PMS.
Select the appropriate document type or folder for each category.
Document | PMS Document Type |
Insurance Verification | Insurance Documents (example) |
Account Statement | Statements (example) |
Fast Sync Update Intervals
Configure how frequently Practice by Numbers checks your PMS for updates.
Setting | Description | Default |
Appointment Status | Sync confirmed/unconfirmed appointment statuses | 15 seconds |
Appointment Changes | Detect appointment modifications | 60 seconds |
New Patients | Import newly created patients | 30 seconds |
Patient Profile Photos | Replace patient initials with profile photos | Optional |
Tip: Shorter sync intervals help keep appointments and patient information current between your PMS and Practice by Numbers.
Appointment Status Settings
Configure how appointment statuses are mapped between Practice by Numbers and your PMS.
Confirmed Appointment Status
Select every PMS appointment status that should be treated as Confirmed in Practice by Numbers.
PMS Status Mapping
Map Practice by Numbers statuses to the appropriate PMS statuses.
Practice by Numbers | PMS Status |
Confirmed | Select your PMS confirmed status |
Unconfirmed | Select your PMS unconfirmed status |
Online Forms Settings
Choose where online forms are stored within your PMS.
Configure the destination document folder or document type for each form category.
Available categories include:
Patient Identification
Informed Consent
Treatment Plan
Scanned Documents
These mappings can be customized independently.
You can customize these categories per form type as needed.
Payment Sync Settings
Configure how payments collected in Practice by Numbers are written back to your PMS.
General Payment Sync
Enable Automatically Sync Payments to allow Practice by Numbers to locate the matching patient using their name and date of birth before posting payments.
If this option is disabled, payments must be transferred manually.
Payment Mapping
Configure the appropriate PMS payment types for each payment source.
Payment Type | Description |
Post Payments to Provider | Payment type used for provider payments (for example, Addl. Payment (AA)) |
Customer Online Payment | Payment type used for online portal payments (for example, PbN Payment) |
In-Office POS Payment | Payment type used for Practice by Numbers POS transactions |
Charged by Practice | Payment type used for practice-collected surcharges |
Optionally enable Separate Payments and Fees to post fees and payments as separate transactions.
Saving Changes
After configuring your settings:
Review all writeback options, mappings, and sync intervals.
Click Save Changes in the upper-right corner.
Changes take effect immediately, and Practice by Numbers will continue syncing with your PMS using your configured settings.