Setting Up Appointment Types and Durations

Appointment types let you give patients distinct booking options for cleanings, new patient exams, consultations, emergencies, and anything else your schedule requires. Setting these up correctly means the right amount of time gets blocked and your front desk spends less time manually adjusting the calendar.

Why Appointment Types Matter

Without defined appointment types, every booking looks the same and takes the same amount of time. A 20-minute hygiene check and a 90-minute new patient exam both need different chair time, different preparation, and sometimes a different provider. When each appointment type carries its own duration and label, the schedule reflects your real workflow and patients always request the right amount of time upfront.

Opening Your Calendar Settings

1. From your dashboard, open the Calendars tab in the main menu.
2. Find the calendar you want to configure and click the gear icon or Settings next to it. If you have not created a calendar yet, see Creating Your First Booking Calendar before continuing.
3. Scroll to the Appointment Types section within that calendar's settings.

Creating an Appointment Type

1. Click Add Appointment Type.
2. Enter a clear Name that patients will recognize. Good examples: New Patient Exam, Cleaning and Checkup, Free Implant Consultation, Emergency / Tooth Pain.
3. Set the Duration in minutes. This controls exactly how much time gets blocked on your calendar when someone books this type.
4. Optionally add a short Description that appears on your booking page to help patients choose the right option.
5. Click Save.

Repeat this process for each appointment type you want to offer. Most practices set up four to six types to start.

Common Appointment Types and Suggested Durations

Below are typical examples. Adjust times to match your practice's pace.

• New Patient Exam (60 to 90 minutes): includes X-rays, perio charting, and a full exam.
• Cleaning and Checkup (Existing Patient) (45 to 60 minutes): routine hygiene visit with a quick doctor check.
• Consultation (30 to 45 minutes): for implants, Invisalign, cosmetic work, or second opinions.
• Emergency / Tooth Pain (30 minutes): a focused slot that gets someone in fast without disrupting your full schedule.
• Whitening or Cosmetic Consult (20 to 30 minutes): lighter visit, often paired with a treatment presentation.

Controlling Which Types Show on Your Booking Page

You can set any appointment type to Active or Inactive at any time. Inactive types disappear from your public booking page but stay in your settings so you can turn them back on later. This is useful for seasonal promotions or types that only apply when a specific provider is in.

Restricting Types to Certain Providers

If you use a team or round-robin calendar, you can limit certain appointment types to specific staff members. For example, you might only allow surgical consults to appear when your oral surgeon is available. Configure this inside each team member's calendar settings. For more detail, see Team and Round-Robin Calendars.

How Appointment Types Appear to Patients

When a patient visits your booking page or uses the booking widget on your website, they see a list of the active appointment types you have set up. They select one, and the calendar only shows available slots that fit that duration. This prevents patients from booking a 20-minute slot for what should be an hour-long new patient visit.

Once your appointment types are in place, consider setting up automated appointment reminders so patients receive timely confirmations and recall texts without any extra work from the front desk.