Migrate from Open Dental to Mailchimp

Open Dental Patient table maps directly to Mailchimp contacts. PatNum is stored as a custom merge field (PATNUM) for traceability back to the source record. Email address is the required unique identifier on the Mailchimp side. We also enforce case-insensitive email matching and flag duplicate emails for manual resolution before final import.

First name and last name from the Patient table load into Mailchimp's native FNAME and LNAME merge fields, which are available on every audience by default. Handles NULL gracefully for records missing a name component. If both name fields are absent, we assign a placeholder tag to preserve record integrity and avoid Mailchimp validation errors.

Open Dental stores up to three phone numbers per patient. We prioritize WirelessPhone as the primary, falling back to HmPhone, then WkPhone, for the PHONE merge field. The others surface as tagged notes (e.g., 'HomePhone: 555-0101'). This ensures the most frequently used mobile number is captured for SMS-enabled campaigns, while secondary lines remain searchable via tags for staff reference.

Each PatField with FieldType Text, Date, or Currency becomes a Mailchimp merge field named to the FieldName (e.g., INS_VERIFIED, RECALL_DATE). PickList fields become tagged values; Checkbox fields become 'Yes'/'No' text in a merge field. We also map numeric Currency fields to Mailchimp's number merge field type, preserving two decimal precision, and we create a lookup table for PickList options to ensure consistent tagging across all contacts.

Open Dental's ClinicNum has no Mailchimp equivalent. We create one tag per clinic (e.g., 'Clinic: Downtown', 'Clinic: Westside') and apply them to all contacts from that clinic. This enables location-based segmentation in Mailchimp campaigns. If a patient is associated with multiple clinics, we apply multiple tags and optionally flag the primary clinic using a separate merge field for clearer targeting.

Recent completed procedures and last appointment date translate to tags like 'LastProphy: 2025-11', 'HasPerio: Yes', or 'NewPatient2025'. This lets Mailchimp automations trigger on behavioral signals rather than requiring a full clinical record. We also tag procedures with a short code and date, so segmentation filters can target patients who had a specific treatment within a defined window, such as 'Proc: D0150 within 6 months'.

Open Dental recall intervals (e.g., 6-month prophy, annual exam) become tags and/or Mailchimp automation entry conditions. We export the recall type and next due date as merge fields so recall drip sequences can be built on the Mailchimp side. This approach enables time-based triggers that alert patients when their recall due date approaches, improving appointment adherence and practice revenue.

Open Dental account balances, ledger entries, and payment history have no place in Mailchimp contact profiles. These do not migrate. We flag patients with outstanding balances as a tagged note (e.g., 'HasBalance: $150') if your compliance policy permits it outside a BAA.

Open Dental documents, images, and custom sheets (consent forms, treatment plans) are not contacts. They do not migrate. If you need digital forms alongside Mailchimp campaigns, we recommend a separate form tool like Formstack or DocuSign. These assets remain stored in Open Dental or your document management system and can be linked in Mailchimp emails via URLs if needed, but the files themselves stay on the source platform.

Provider names can be tagged on contacts they treated (e.g., 'LastSeenBy: Dr. Smith') for personalized 'Dr. X's team' campaign content. Provider credentials do not become separate Mailchimp contacts. We also create a provider lookup table mapping provider abbreviations to full names and specialties, so tag labels are human-readable and support segmentation by provider or specialty in future campaigns.