How to Run Query for Overdue BWX

If you are struggling to identify which patients are past due for their bitewing radiographs, this report will help you clean up your recall list. Learning how to run query for over due bwx allows you to pull a targeted list of active patients who have not had a bitewing procedure completed within your specified timeframe.

The Query

This query looks for active patients who have not had a bitewing procedure (D0272, D0273, or D0274) completed in the last 18 months. You can copy and paste this directly into your User Query window.

SET @MonthsAgo = 18;

SELECT 
    p.LName, 
    p.FName, 
    p.HmPhone, 
    p.WirelessPhone, 
    p.Email,
    MAX(pl.ProcDate) AS LastBWXDate
FROM patient p
INNER JOIN procedurelog pl ON p.PatNum = pl.PatNum
INNER JOIN procedurecode pc ON pl.CodeNum = pc.CodeNum
WHERE p.PatStatus = 0
AND pl.ProcStatus = 2
AND pc.ProcCode IN ('D0272', 'D0273', 'D0274')
GROUP BY p.PatNum
HAVING MAX(pl.ProcDate) < DATE_SUB(CURDATE(), INTERVAL @MonthsAgo MONTH)
ORDER BY LastBWXDate ASC;

How to Run This Query

1. In Open Dental, go to Reports in the Main Menu.
2. Click User Query.
3. Paste the query provided above into the large text box.
4. Click Submit Query.
5. The results will display in the grid below, showing the patient's name, contact information, and the date of their last bitewing.

Understanding the Results

• LName / FName: The patient's last and first name.
• HmPhone / WirelessPhone: Contact numbers to help your front desk staff reach out for scheduling.
• Email: Useful if your office prefers to send recall reminders via email.
• LastBWXDate: The most recent date a bitewing procedure was marked as "Complete" in the patient's chart.

How to Customize

You can easily adjust this report to fit your office's specific recall protocols:

• Change the Timeframe: Locate the first line: SET @MonthsAgo = 18;. Change the 18 to 12 or 24 depending on your practice's standard for bitewing frequency.
• Filter by Provider: If you only want to see patients for a specific provider, add this line before the GROUP BY clause: AND p.PriProv = 1 (replace 1 with the specific ProvNum from your Provider setup).
• Filter by Clinic: If you have multiple locations, add AND p.ClinicNum = 1 (replace 1 with your specific ClinicNum) to the WHERE clause.

Variations

If you want to see patients who have never had a bitewing recorded, you can use a LEFT JOIN approach to find patients with no history of these codes. Additionally, you can filter by BillingType if you only want to target patients with specific insurance plans or private pay status.

Skip the Query — Use DentalCanvas Instead

Don't want to write SQL? DentalCanvas connects to your Open Dental database and shows you this data automatically in a visual dashboard — no queries required.

This article is provided by opendentalsupport.com, an independent community resource. We are not affiliated with Open Dental Software, Inc.