PMS integrations · 3 min read · Intermediate
Connecting Open Dental to Valian
Open Dental connects directly, with nothing installed on your computers. Generate a pair of keys inside Open Dental, paste them into Valian, and Amy is looking at your live schedule — usually in a few minutes.
Updated Jul 9, 2026
Open Dental is the easiest system to connect. Because Open Dental has a built-in connection Valian can use directly, there's nothing to install on your computers. You turn on Open Dental's connection, generate a key, and paste it into Valian. Once the badge turns green, Amy is looking at your live schedule.
Tip
Most practices finish this in a few minutes. If you'd rather not do it alone, your onboarding contact can screen-share and walk through every step with you.
Before you start
- Admin access to Open Dental (or your Open Dental admin on hand)
- Your Valian login, open to Settings → Integrations → Practice management
- A few minutes. If your Open Dental runs on an in-office server, make sure that server is on and online.
What you'll connect with
Open Dental's connection uses two keys:
- A developer key that identifies Valian — we provide this.
- A customer key that's unique to your practice — you generate this inside Open Dental.
Valian shows you both fields. You paste in the customer key you generate, and you're done.
Note
You never share your Open Dental password with Valian. The connection uses keys, not your login, and you can turn the key off inside Open Dental at any time.
Connect in four steps
- Open Settings → Integrations → Practice management and choose Open Dental. Valian shows you the developer key and a field for your customer key.
- Turn on the connection in Open Dental. In Open Dental, enable the API if it isn't already on. Not sure where that is? Your onboarding contact will point to the exact screen on a quick call.
- Generate your customer key in Open Dental and paste it into Valian next to the developer key we provide.
- Press Connect and watch the badge. It moves from Pending to Connecting to Connected. Once it reads Connected, Amy is on your live book.
Confirm it's working
Do a quick end-to-end check before your team relies on it:
- Open your schedule in Valian and in Open Dental side by side. Today's appointments should match.
- Call in and ask Amy to book a checkup. It should appear in Open Dental exactly where she booked it.
- Anything Amy needs a person for lands in What needs to get done (your Tasks tab), so nothing slips.
Keeping the connection healthy
- If you ever change or turn off the customer key in Open Dental, update it in Settings → Integrations so Amy's saved key stays current.
- If your Open Dental runs on a server in your office, keep that machine awake and online — the direct connection needs to reach it.
- If the badge ever goes red, follow Reconnecting your PMS if it disconnects.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install anything? No. Open Dental connects directly with keys. There's no connector or extra software on your end.
Will connecting slow Open Dental down? No. Amy reads openings and writes bookings in small, targeted requests. Your team won't notice a difference.
Does it matter if my Open Dental is hosted or on our own server? The connection works the same way for both. If it's on your own server, that machine just needs to stay on and online so the link holds.
Can I revoke Valian's access? Yes, any time. Turn off the customer key inside Open Dental and the connection stops.
Will Amy change my clinical records? Never. Amy only works with your schedule and patient contacts. See What syncs with your PMS, and what doesn't.
Still need a hand?
Reach the Valian team any time at help@valiansystems.com, or open a ticket from the Help Center inside your dashboard. During onboarding, your onboarding contact is at onboarding@valiansystems.com.