September 17, 2026
If your front desk runs on Open Dental, most of the phone calls your team makes every day already have a home inside the software — a Recall List, an Unscheduled List, a Task, a Referral, an Insurance Verification row. Open Dental already tells you who needs to be called. The work that's historically fallen on front desk staff is turning that list into an actual phone call, then logging the outcome back into the same record.
That's the piece Kickcall sits on — connecting through Open Dental's own published API to read those same lists and write every outcome (a booked appointment, a Commlog note, a completed Task, an updated recall status) straight back into your database in real time. Nothing changes about how your office uses Open Dental; Kickcall just makes sure the calls tied to what's already sitting in those lists actually get made and get closed out correctly.
Kickcall works as an AI receptionist for Open Dental through an official, verified integration partner for Open Dental — not a third-party workaround bolted on top of your schedule. That published API is a secure, structured way for approved partners to read and write specific pieces of data — like Appointments, Recalls, Tasks, or Insurance Verifications — for practices in both the US and Canada.
In practice, that means two things. First, reading — Kickcall checks the same records your staff would look at (a patient landing on the Unscheduled List, a recall coming due, a Task assigned to billing) instead of a separate copy of your data sitting somewhere else. Second, writing back — once a call happens, the result (a new appointment, a Commlog note, a completed Task) is saved directly into that same Open Dental record, the same way a staff member typing it in by hand would.
That's the whole idea: no second system to check, no spreadsheet in between, and nothing that only lives inside Kickcall. Below is a breakdown of the touch-points we handle most, grouped the way Open Dental groups them, with what triggers the call, how Kickcall executes it, and where it's grounded in Open Dental's own data.
A quick note on scope: Kickcall's core integration is Block Schedule Compatible and follows your existing Color-Coded Scheduling rules by default — that's the baseline every practice gets on day one. The 17 workflows below are the detailed, record-level breakdown of that baseline (for example, splitting "appointment recovery" into the four distinct scenarios — no-show, cancellation, provider unavailability, and waitlist fill — that Open Dental itself tracks as different statuses). If your practice needs something outside this list, custom workflows are available on request.
Trigger: An appointment's status is changed to No-Show and the appointment lands on the Unscheduled List.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall reads new entries on the Unscheduled List, calls the patient the same day, and offers the next available opening pulled live from the provider's schedule.
Written back: If the patient rebooks, a new appointment is created directly on the schedule and the unscheduled entry is cleared. If not, Kickcall logs the outcome as a Commlog entry so front desk knows a contact attempt was made.
Grounded in: Open Dental's Appointment record (the same status field staff use to mark a visit No-Show) and the Commlog record used to log the call.
Trigger: An appointment is broken or cancelled and sent to the Unscheduled List without a new date attached — different from a no-show, since the patient proactively cancelled.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall treats this as its own queue (not lumped in with no-shows, since the framing of the call is different) and calls to get the patient rebooked before the slot is forgotten.
Written back: New appointment on the schedule, or an Unscheduled Status update (e.g., "Will Call Back") so staff know where things stand without re-calling.
Grounded in: The same Appointment record as above, distinguished by status (Broken vs. No-Show).
Trigger: A provider blocks out time (sick day, schedule change) that conflicts with already-booked appointments.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall pulls the list of affected appointments, calls each patient, explains the change, and searches the same provider's (or an approved alternate provider's) open slots to offer a new time on the spot.
Written back: The old appointment is moved or broken, and the new one is scheduled directly — no double entry, no sticky notes.
Grounded in: Open Dental's provider schedule and operatory records, cross-referenced against the affected Appointments before any patient is called.
This is also where complex Open Dental scheduling comes in — a single blockout rarely affects just one provider. In Open Dental, a Blockout is set on an operatory (or several operatories at once), and the provider or hygienist it actually affects depends on who's scheduled into that operatory for that time block. So a hygienist calling in sick, a doctor blocking off surgery hours, or an operatory going down for maintenance can each ripple across a different set of patients depending on which operatory and provider schedule the blockout touches. Kickcall checks that relationship first — instead of rescheduling patients who were never actually impacted.
Trigger: A same-day or near-term opening appears on the schedule, and patients are sitting on the ASAP List (marked ASAP from a scheduled, unscheduled, or recall appointment).
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall works the ASAP List in order, calling patients to offer the earlier opening before it goes empty.
Written back: First patient to accept gets moved into the slot; their ASAP flag is cleared so they're not called again for an opening they already took.
Grounded in: The ASAP flag on the Appointment record, plus the same record Open Dental uses for its own ASAP notifications.
This is where recall reminder automation for Open Dental does most of its work — turning a due date sitting quietly in the Recall List into an actual booked appointment, without staff having to work the list by hand every morning.
Trigger: A patient's Prophy, Perio, or custom Recall Type becomes due and they appear on the Recall List.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall calls the patient (or, for families, offers to schedule the whole household at once — the same logic behind Open Dental's Sched Family button), working the same due-date search Open Dental already runs for openings after the due date.
Written back: A completed recall appointment is created on the schedule; if the patient can't be reached, they're marked "reminded" or left queued so the next scheduled recall reminder cycle still applies — the same behavior as Open Dental's own automatic reminders.
Grounded in: The Recall record (due date, recall type, interval) that already drives the Recall List.
Trigger: A patient falls into the Reactivation tab of the Recall List — last seen before a set date, no completed procedure since, and no future appointment on the books.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall works this list separately from active recall, since the framing is "we'd love to see you again" rather than "you're due" — a different call script entirely.
Written back: A booked appointment, or — if the patient isn't reached — a REACT-type Commlog entry, the same entry type Open Dental's own Reactivation List uses to count contact attempts against the Max # Reminders limit your office has set.
Grounded in: The patient's last-visit history and the Commlog record, filtered by the REACT type your office already defined.
Trigger: A new patient (or an existing patient sent by another provider) is added with a Referred From source in the Family Module.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall calls the referred patient, confirms details, and books their first appointment — keeping the referral source attached correctly so your Referral Analysis reporting stays accurate.
Written back: New appointment scheduled, and the referral attachment stays intact so the source is credited when production is tracked.
Grounded in: The Referral record attached to the patient's Family Module entry.
Trigger: A procedure marked Referred Out (sent to a specialist — oral surgeon, endodontist, periodontist, or orthodontist) comes back with a completed status or a report attached, and the referral needs to be closed with a follow-up visit at your office.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall calls the patient once the specialist's report is in, explains next steps, and books the follow-up appointment tied to the original treatment plan.
Written back: Appointment booked, and the Referred Procedure Tracking entry gets its Date Done and Status filled in — so the loop with the specialist is actually closed in the report, not just in someone's memory.
Grounded in: The referral attachment tied to the procedure, which is what feeds the Referred Procedure Tracking Report.
Trigger: Procedures sit in the Treatment Plan Module with a priority set but no appointment scheduled — usually surfaced through the Planned Appointment Tracker.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall calls patients with outstanding treatment-planned work, walks through what's still needed, and books it — following the same priority order the treatment plan already has.
Written back: The planned procedure is converted into a scheduled appointment, moving it off the tracker.
Grounded in: The patient's Treatment Plan record and its attached procedures.
Trigger: An appointment is coming up for a procedure that needs something from the patient first — antibiotic premedication, a signed consent, fasting instructions, a medical clearance note.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall calls ahead of the appointment date to confirm the patient has what they need, and flags anything missing.
Written back: A Task is created and sent to the relevant Task List (e.g., clinical or front desk) if something is outstanding, so staff can follow up before chair time is wasted.
Grounded in: Open Dental's Task record, sent to whichever Task List your office already uses for that kind of follow-up.
Trigger: A Lab Case attached to the patient is updated to Received status (crown, denture, appliance, etc. back from the lab).
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall calls the patient to schedule the delivery or seat appointment as soon as the case status changes.
Written back: The appointment is booked and linked to the existing Lab Case, so the case closes out automatically when that appointment is set complete — exactly how Open Dental already ties the two together.
Grounded in: The Lab Case record itself, the same one that drives Open Dental's Lab Case list.
Trigger: A patient's insurance plan is flagged Pending or incomplete, or a chart/registration field is missing ahead of an appointment.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall calls the patient to collect the missing piece — subscriber ID, group number, updated consent, medical history update.
Written back: The information is added to the patient's file (or handed to staff via a Task if it needs manual entry), and the Pending flag can be cleared.
Grounded in: The patient's Insurance Plan record and, when staff need to finish the entry, a Task.
Trigger: A patient appears on the Insurance Verification List — benefits or eligibility unverified, or a pre-authorization is still pending before a scheduled procedure.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall calls the patient (or coordinates with staff) to close the gap before the appointment date, working the same days-until-appointment filter the Verification List already uses to prioritize who's urgent.
Written back: Verification status and status date are updated, and the appointment stays on the books with a clean insurance picture instead of a surprise at check-in.
Grounded in: The Insurance Verification record — the exact one behind Open Dental's own Insurance Verification List.
Trigger: A Task is explicitly created and sent to a billing-related Task List — flagging a patient balance, a failed card payment, or a payment plan that needs a call.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall picks up the Task, calls the patient about the balance, and handles the conversation without pulling a staff member off the front desk.
Written back: The Task is marked Done (or reassigned back to staff if the patient needs a human for a payment dispute), with the outcome logged in Commlog.
Grounded in: The Task record and Task List your office already uses for billing follow-up.
Trigger: An appointment is set complete and the treatment plan or recall schedule calls for a next visit.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall calls shortly after the visit to lock in the next appointment while it's still top of mind for the patient.
Written back: New appointment scheduled, tied to the correct treatment plan priority or recall type.
Grounded in: The completed Appointment record plus whatever's still open on the Treatment Plan or Recall.
Trigger: A visit involving a prescription, extraction, or procedure with a recovery period is set complete.
How Kickcall executes it: Kickcall calls to check the patient is doing fine and isn't having issues with pain or medication. This one doesn't have a dedicated list in Open Dental the way No-Shows or Recall do — the call itself is the safety net, not something Open Dental generates on its own.
Written back: Logged as a Commlog note against the patient. If the patient reports a problem, Kickcall escalates by creating a Task straight to the clinical Task List so a provider follows up — it doesn't attempt to give clinical guidance itself.
Grounded in: The Commlog record, and a Task record only when escalation is needed.
Trigger: Same completed-appointment trigger as above, used by practices that want a pulse on patient experience
.How Kickcall executes it: A short feedback call, kept separate from the wellness check so it doesn't get confused with a clinical follow-up.
Written back: Logged as a Commlog entry; low or concerning feedback can also trigger a Task to a manager's Task List instead of getting lost in a call log.
Grounded in: The Commlog record, same as above.
Everything above covers what Kickcall does once it's connected. A few practical points on what it takes to get there and what surrounds it:
Setup takes 48 to 72 hours. Because Kickcall connects directly through Open Dental's own published API rather than requiring a new system, migration, or developer project, most practices are live within two to three business days. Timelines can extend slightly if a practice requests custom workflows beyond the standard set.
No long-term contract. There's no cancellation fee and no penalty for leaving — practices can cancel at any time.
A signed BAA is available on request, which matters directly for the HIPAA and PIPEDA/PHIPA compliance already discussed above — a Business Associate Agreement is typically the concrete document a practice's compliance officer will ask for before go-live.
Your existing phone system stays in place. Kickcall works alongside whatever telephony provider a practice already uses — RingCentral, Vonage, Zoom Phone, Google Voice, or a local VoIP provider — so switching phone systems is never a prerequisite for switching to Kickcall.
Multilingual support. Kickcall automatically responds in the caller's language, which matters for practices serving diverse patient populations without needing a bilingual staff member on every shift.
Spam and routine-call filtering. Kickcall filters out spam and robocalls before they ever reach a staff member, cutting routine call volume by up to 80% so front desk time goes toward patients, not solicitations.
Every one of these workflows starts with something Open Dental is already tracking — a list, a status, a Task, a Commlog trigger — and ends with something written back into that same system, through Open Dental's own published API. Kickcall isn't a separate app your team has to check; it's a phone extension of the lists Open Dental already keeps. That's also why it's built as a verified integration rather than a workaround: the read and write operations go through the same data your front desk already trusts, so nothing gets duplicated and nothing falls through a gap between two disconnected systems.
None of that requires ripping out your phone system, signing a long-term contract, or waiting weeks to see it working — it's the same Open Dental data your team already trusts, live in a couple of days.
Yes. Kickcall is a verified, official Open Dental integration partner, connecting through Open Dental's own published API rather than a third-party workaround.
Yes. Kickcall is built to meet HIPAA requirements for US practices and PIPEDA/PHIPA requirements for Canadian practices, so the same integration works on either side of the border.
No. Kickcall reads and writes to the same Open Dental records — Appointments, Recalls, Tasks, Referrals, Insurance Verifications — your staff already use, so there's no second system to learn or check.
Most practices are live within 48 to 72 hours, since the integration connects directly through Open Dental's existing API rather than requiring a migration or developer project. Practices requesting custom workflows outside the standard set should expect a longer timeline.
Yes. Kickcall integrates alongside your current telephony provider — RingCentral, Vonage, Zoom Phone, Google Voice, or a local VoIP provider — so there's no need to switch phone systems to adopt it.
No. There's no cancellation fee and no penalty for leaving at any time.
Yes, upon request — a standard part of onboarding for practices whose compliance officer requires one under HIPAA.
Yes. Kickcall is Block Schedule Compatible — hard blocks stay closed, and appointment-type blocks only accept the matching appointment type. It also follows your existing Color-Coded Scheduling setup for provider, operatory, and appointment-type assignment, so bookings land the same way they would if front desk staff made them.
Yes. Kickcall automatically responds in the caller's language, which is useful for practices serving multilingual patient populations.
Yes. Spam and routine solicitation calls are filtered out before reaching staff, which typically cuts overall call volume front desk has to handle by up to 80%.
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