Skip to main content

LocalMed: Adding Appointment Types in Open Dental

Adding appointment types in OpenDental will allow you to connect reasons for visit within Local Med

Rade Obradovic avatar
Written by Rade Obradovic
Updated this week

Important Announcement about LocalMed Services

Effective November 15th, 2025, LocalMed will be retired and we will be moving all online scheduling functionality into our unified Dental Intelligence platform within our Engagement module. With Engagement, you’ll get everything you love about LocalMed, plus powerful new tools such as:

Your next steps:

  • Already using Engagement? You should have received communication on how to schedule a transition session with our Online Scheduling Transition team. Need assistance? Contact Support.

  • Not on Engagement yet? To continue scheduling online after November 15, learn more about Dental Intelligence Online Scheduling and schedule time with an Account Manager.

  1. In the main menu, click Lists, then Procedure Codes

  2. In the lower left, under Procedure Codes, click + New

  3. Complete each field listed under Edit These Fields for Each New Code. These fields are required

    1. Procedure Code: The new code. Up to 15 numbers, letters, or symbols are allowed. All codes starting with D will be shortened to 5 characters before being included on an insurance Claim. For example, you can have two different codes for nitrous, with the difference being a letter that is added to the end of a standard D code. When sent to insurance, only the standard 5 digit code will be used

    2. Description: If this code starts with D and is billed to insurance, the description will show on the claim.

    3. Abbreviation

  4. Select the Category: The category this procedure code will be organized under. (Misc is most common)

  5. Click Add to save the procedure code and close the window.
    The new procedure code will appear in the Procedure Code List under its category.

Click here to learn how to adjust appointment length in LocalMed via Open Dental.

Did this answer your question?