How to Enable Overlapping Appointments

Overview

Overlapping appointments allow a provider to have more than one appointment scheduled during the same period.

This can be useful when a dentist only needs to assist with part of an appointment while another team member, such as an oral health therapist or hygienist, completes the remaining treatment.

For example, a dentist may complete an examination at the beginning of an appointment while a hygienist performs the patient’s clean. The dentist can then attend another appointment during the remaining time.

Before you begin

Overlapping appointments must be enabled separately for each provider’s calendar.

Once the setting is enabled, you must also select the overlap option when creating each appointment that needs to overlap.

Enable overlapping appointments for a provider

1. Open the Appointment Book, then click More.
2. Select Calendar Setup.
   
   
    
3. Find the provider’s calendar where you want to allow overlapping appointments.
4. Click the three dots next to the provider’s name.
5. Select Calendar Settings.
   
   
    
6. Scroll down to the Settings section.
7. Find the Overlap setting.
8. Select:
   • Yes to allow overlapping appointments.
   • No to prevent overlapping appointments.
9. Click Save Changes.
   
   

The overlap option will now be available when appointments are created for that provider.

Create an overlapping appointment

Enabling the calendar setting does not automatically overlap every appointment. The overlap option must be selected for each applicable appointment.

1. Create an appointment for the patient as usual.
2. Click the three dots in the appointment window, then select Options.
   
   
    
3. Enable the Overlap option, then click Done.
   
   
    
4. Enter a start and end time that overlaps with the provider’s existing appointment.
5. Click Create Appointment.
   
    

For example, if the provider already has an appointment scheduled from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, you can create another appointment from 3:10 pm to 3:40 pm.



 

Important information

• Overlapping appointments are enabled per provider calendar.
• The overlap option must be selected for each individual appointment.
• If the overlap option is not displayed when creating an appointment, check that it has been enabled in the provider’s Calendar Settings.
• Appointments must be overlapped by manually entering or selecting the appointment time. They cannot be overlapped by dragging and dropping an appointment in the Appointment Book.
• Overlapping applies to appointments within the same provider’s calendar.

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