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 top-right corner.
Select New Settings from the dropdown menu.
In the left navigation panel, click PMS Write Back Settings under the Practice section.
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 (e.g., Open Dental, Dentrix, or Eaglesoft).
Select your Writeback Provider ID from the dropdown list.
Click Save Changes after selecting.
If this ID is not set up correctly, writeback data will not sync properly.
Obtaining the Provider ID
To ensure correct synchronization, you must use an active Provider ID from your PMS. Follow the instructions below based on your PMS type:
Open Dental
In Open Dental, go to Setup > Practice > Provider Setup.
Locate the provider you want to sync and copy the Abbreviation or Provider ID.
In Practice by Numbers, paste this value into the Writeback Provider ID field.
Eaglesoft
Open Eaglesoft and go to Lists > Providers/Staff.
Select the provider you wish to sync.
Note the Provider ID (often a short alphanumeric code).
Enter this code in the Writeback Provider ID field in PbN.
Dentrix
In Dentrix, go to Office Manager > Maintenance > Reference > Provider Maintenance.
Select your provider.
Copy the Provider ID or Provider Code listed.
Paste it into the Writeback Provider ID field in PbN.
Tip: Only active providers should be used for writeback. If the provider is inactive in your PMS, PbN will not be able to sync properly.
Note Write Back Settings
This section allows you to choose which note types automatically write back to your PMS.
Use the toggles beside each item to enable or disable writeback.
Available note types:
Phone Call Logs
Outgoing Call – Write outgoing call details to the patient record.
Incoming Call – Write incoming call details to the patient record.
Missed Call – Write missed call details to the patient record.
Incoming Call Transcript – Save transcripts of incoming calls.
Outgoing Call Transcript – Save transcripts of outgoing calls.
Incoming Call Summary – Save AI-generated summaries of incoming calls.
Outgoing Call Summary – Save AI-generated summaries of outgoing calls.
Patient & Task Notes
Patient Notes – Write notes directly to the patient record.
Task Notes – Write task-related notes to the patient record.
Communications
Outgoing SMS – Write outgoing text message logs to patient records.
Incoming SMS – Write incoming text message logs to patient records.
Outgoing Email – Write outgoing email details to patient records.
Incoming Email – Write incoming email details to patient records.
Insurance
Insurance Verification Note – Write insurance verification results to patient records.
Note Type Selection
In the Note Type Selection section, choose the default note type for writeback operations.
This determines the note category used in your PMS for all notes synced from PbN.
Document Type Settings
You can configure which document types synchronize between PbN and your PMS.
For each item below, select the document type or folder where it should save in your PMS.
Insurance Verification → Choose your PMS document type (e.g., Insurance Documents).
Account Statement → Choose your PMS document type (e.g., Statements).
Fast Sync Update Intervals
Control how frequently PbN checks your PMS for updates.
Setting | Description | Default Interval |
Appointment Status | Sync confirmed/unconfirmed appointment statuses | 15 seconds |
Appointment Changes | Detect and update appointment modifications | 60 seconds |
New Patients | Pull new patient records from PMS | 30 seconds |
Patient Profile Photos | Optional: enable syncing patient photos to replace initials | Checkbox |
Tip: Frequent syncing ensures your PbN data (appointments, patients, and changes) stays current with your PMS.
Appointment Status Settings
This section defines how PbN maps appointment statuses between systems.
Confirmed Appointment Status
Select all PMS statuses that represent confirmed appointments.
This ensures that appointments confirmed in your PMS appear confirmed in PbN.
PMS Status Mapping
Map PbN statuses to your PMS statuses for consistency:
Confirmed in PbN → Map to the PMS status for confirmed appointments.
Unconfirmed in PbN → Map to the PMS status for unconfirmed appointments.
Online Forms Settings
Configure how online forms sync and save to your PMS.
Select the default folder or document category for each type of form.
Patient Identification – For patient intake forms.
Informed Consent – For signed consent forms.
Treatment Plan – For treatment proposals or accepted plans.
Scanned Documents – For scanned or uploaded documents.
You can customize these categories per form type as needed.
Payment Sync Settings
This section controls how payments are written back to your PMS.
General Payment Sync
Enable Automatically Sync Payments to ensure PbN finds the patient’s name and DOB before syncing payments back.
If disabled, payments will need to be manually transferred.
Payment Mapping Options
Post Payments to Provider – Select the payment type for provider payments (e.g., Addl. Payment (AA)).
Customer Online Payment – Choose the PMS payment type for online portal transactions (e.g., PbN Payment).
In-Office POS Payment Post Payment Type – Select the PMS payment type for in-office PbN POS transactions.
Charged by Practice Post Payment Type – Select the PMS payment type used for surcharges collected by the practice.
You can also enable Separate Payments and Fees to sync fees and payments as individual transactions.
Saving Changes
Once you have configured all settings:
Review all toggles, note mappings, and sync intervals.
Click Save Changes in the upper right corner to apply.
Changes take effect immediately, and PbN will continue syncing with your PMS based on your configured intervals.