Setup & Manage Pulse: Getting Started & References

ATTENTION:

Pulse is currently in Limited Release - General release is expected late Sept 2026.
Documentation is currently being prepared. Details may be limited and further editing may occur during this time.

Pulse is a business intelligence platform purpose-built for dental practices running Dental4Windows or Dental4Web.

It pulls data from your practice management system into a structured data warehouse and presents it as interactive dashboards, giving you a single place to understand production, collections, debt, appointments, and patient activity without running multiple manual reports in Dental4Windows/Dental4Web.

It does NOT change the clinical, financial or appointment records
Data is refreshed on a daily schedule, so figures reflect activity up to and including the previous day unless otherwise noted

Who uses Pulse

Each user's view is scoped to their practice. If your practice has multiple locations, Pulse shows data across all locations by default, with filters narrowing to a specific site.

Practice Owner: Monthly production review, provider performance, outstanding debt

Practice Manager: Daily huddle, actionable follow-up lists, trend monitoring

Front Desk: Tomorrow's patient prep, today's appointments, incomplete treatment

Provider: Own production figures, rebooking rate, treatment plans

Access and First Session

Sign in

Contact your practice growth manager at Centaur if initial contact and setup information is required
Open the Pulse sign-in page (in a current version of Chrome or Microsoft Edge)
pulse.dental4web.com/login

Use the Pulse username and password supplied for your account.
Do not assume these are the same as a Dental4Windows/Dental4Web application login unless your administrator has explicitly configured them that way.

Enter your assigned username
Enter your Pulse password. Passwords are case-sensitive
Click Sign in. A successful sign-in opens the Home dashboard
Confirm that the client and location shown in the dashboard filters match the practice you intend to review

Understand your Access Scope

Pulse applies role-based access.

You may see one client, several locations, a subset of providers or a reduced dashboard menu. That is not necessarily an error. It can reflect the account scope assigned to your user

What you observe	What it usually means	What to do
Only one location appears	Your user is scoped to that site, or only one site is loaded	Continue if it is correct; otherwise ask the Pulse administrator to check access
A dashboard is missing	Your role may not include it, or it may not be published to your role	Confirm the dashboard name and request access through the normal support path
A provider is missing	The provider may be inactive, outside the selected location or excluded by filters	Clear provider filters and review active-status filters
No client can be selected	The client is fixed by your account or has not loaded correctly	Refresh once; if still blank, report the account and dashboard

Sign Out

Open the Settings user menu in the top-right area of Pulse
Select Logout
Close any downloaded patient-level files and store or delete them according to practice policy.

SHARED DEVICES Always log out when using a shared workstation. Closing a browser tab alone may leave the authenticated session available to the next person who uses that browser.

Home Page

Home is the landing dashboard after sign-in.

It combines a welcome area, a small set of practice KPIs and Quick Access to the most frequently used dashboards. It is designed for orientation, not detailed analysis

Home Live Filters

Filter	Default	How to use it
Client ID	Account scope	Confirm the practice context. Most users should not need to change it.
Location	All accessible locations or account default	Narrow Home measures to a site where the tile supports location filtering.

What Home Contains

Tile or area	What it shows	How to use it
Personalised greeting	A user-facing introduction to Pulse	Confirms that the Home dashboard has loaded
New Patients Today	Count of patients classified as new for the current day	Use as a quick front-desk awareness measure; verify detail in Huddle Today
New Patients this Month	Month-to-date new patient count	Use for an at-a-glance acquisition check; use Insights Summary for trends
Net Production this Month	Month-to-date net production	Use for a headline check; use the Net Production dashboard for target and deduction detail
Overdue for Periodic Check-up	Count of active patients meeting the overdue periodic-check rule	Open Actionable to view and work the patient list
Quick Access	Cards linking to Actionable, the three Huddles, Insights and both Insights Summary dashboards	Select the card that matches the task you are about to perform

Common Controls Found in Pulse

All Pulse dashboards use the same basic interaction pattern:

Choose a dashboard
Set the analysis context in the filter panel
Apply the filters
Inspect charts or row-level tables

The exact filters and visual layout differ by dashboard.

Interface Map

Area	Purpose	How to use it
Home	Starting point after sign-in	Review key tiles or use Quick Access to open a common workflow
Dashboards menu	Access all published dashboards	Use it for dashboards not shown in Home Quick Access, including the three standalone production views
Dashboard title	Confirms the current dashboard	Check it before interpreting a chart or taking a screenshot
Filter panel	Controls date, client, location, provider and subject-specific filters	Change values, then select Apply
Tabs	Separate subject areas within a dashboard	Select a tab before interpreting which charts and filters are relevant
Charts and KPI cards	Summarise counts, values, rates or trends	Hover for detail and use legend labels to identify series
Detail tables	Show the records behind an operational question	Sort, scan and follow up from the relevant source record
Refresh control	Reruns charts against the latest synced data	Use before time-sensitive huddles and after changing source records
User menu	Account and sign-out controls	Use Log out at the end of the session

Apply Dashboard Filters

Open the filter panel if it is collapsed
Confirm Client ID and Location first. These values define the practice context for filters that follow.
Select the date or date range where the dashboard provides one.
Set active-status, role, provider, appointment-book or treatment filters as required.
Select Apply. Wait for every chart to finish loading before interpreting the result.
Read the active filter values again before comparing the result with another report or screenshot.

How Cascading Filters Work

Many Pulse filters are cascading. A parent selection narrows the values available in later filters. If a provider or appointment book is not visible, review the selections earlier in the chain.

Typical chain	Example
Client ID > Location	Only locations belonging to the selected client remain available
Location > provider status > Provider	Only providers matching the site and activity status remain
Provider > Appointment Book	Only appointment books compatible with the selected provider context remain
Role > Provider	Selecting Dentist, Hygienist or another role narrows the provider list
Treatment group > Item	Selecting a treatment category narrows the individual item-code list

Clear and Reset Filters

Use Clear all when you want to remove your current selections and return to that dashboard's configured defaults.

Defaults are not identical across dashboards. For example, the Over Time summary starts at Last month, the by Provider summary starts at Last quarter, Insights starts at Current year and the standalone Net Production per Hour dashboard starts at Current month.

DO NOT COMPARE UNLIKE PERIODS: When moving between dashboards, do not assume the same date range has carried across. Confirm the visible date filter each time

Save and Load Filter Sets

Every dashboard includes Save filters and Load filters controls at the bottom of the Filters and controls panel.

Click Save filters to store the current filter configuration under a name:

A dialog opens with a Name filter set field and a Save button
Filter sets are personal; only you can see the filter sets you save

Click Load filters to restore a previously saved configuration

Select Load filters to open a dialog listing your saved filter sets
If none have been saved, the dialog displays No saved filter sets yet

Use Date Filters Accurately

Current day, month, quarter and year are calendar periods, not a rolling number of days.
Last month and Last quarter refer to completed prior calendar periods. A relative range such as one month ago to now is rolling and will not equal the current calendar month.
Transaction-date, treatment-date, appointment-date and treatment-plan-date measures can legitimately produce different totals for the same visible date range.
Previous-year and target series can depend on complete comparison data and configured targets. A missing line can mean there is no applicable comparison, not that the current value is zero.

Read KPI Cards and Charts

A KPI card provides a total, average, ratio or rate for the selected context. A chart explains how that number varies by time, provider, payment method, age category, appointment class or another dimension. Read the card and chart together.

Hover over a point, bar or segment to see its label and exact value where a tooltip is available.
Use the legend labels rather than colour alone. Theme colours can change, and some charts contain current, target and previous-year series.
Check the chart title before interpreting a value. Similar cards can use different date fields or status rules.

A zero is a calculated value. A blank, dash or missing chart can indicate no matching records, an unavailable comparison or a loading/filter issue.

Use Cross-Filtering

Cross-filtering is enabled across the current dashboards. On compatible visuals, selecting a bar, segment or data point can temporarily filter other charts in the same dashboard. This is useful for exploring one provider, payment type or category without reopening the filter panel.

Select single chart value and wait for the other charts to update.
Confirm the temporary selection or filter indicator before interpreting the new result.
Clear the chart selection or temporary cross-filter before moving to a different question.

CROSS-FILTER SCOPE: A chart selection does not necessarily affect every chart or every tab. Filter scope depends on compatible data. If a visual does not change, use the dashboard filter panel instead.

Filter References

The table records the verified production filter labels and date defaults as at 29 July 2026. Account defaults can preselect Client ID or Location

Dashboard	Verified filters	Date behaviour or default
Home	Client ID; Location	No general date filter; tiles use current-day or current-month logic
Huddle Yesterday	Client ID; Location; Provider Status; Appointment Book Activity Status; Provider; Appointment Book	Fixed previous-day logic
Huddle Today	Client ID; Location; Provider Status; Appointment Book Activity Status; Provider; Appointment Book	Fixed current-day logic; no separate Today date filter
Huddle Tomorrow	Client ID; Location; Provider Status; Appointment Book Activity Status; Provider; Appointment Book	Fixed next-day logic
Insights Summary (Over Time)	Client ID; Location; Date; Provider is active; Provider; Hidden appointments	Date defaults to Last month
Insights Summary (by Provider)	Client ID; Location; Dates; Provider; Provider active status	Dates defaults to Last quarter; provider status defaults to Active
Insights	Dates; Client ID; Location; Payment type; Treatment status; Treatment plan is active; Patient activity status; Role; Provider; Provider active status; Debt age; Includes bad debt	Dates defaults to Current year
Net Production	Client ID; Location ID; Date; Provider active status; Role; Provider; Treatment group; Items	Rolling one month ago to now
Net Production per Hour	Client ID; Location ID; Date; Role; Provider active status; Provider	Date defaults to Current month
Total Discounts	Client ID; Location ID; Location; Dates; Provider active status; Role; Provider; Treatment group; Item	Dates defaults to Last month
Actionable	Client ID; Location; Provider active status; Provider	No general date filter; each tab uses its own rule

Use Tables

Scroll vertically to review additional rows and horizontally when a patient-level table has many columns.
Select a column heading to sort.

The Appointments Tomorrow table supports sorting by one or multiple columns.
Use search or column controls only where they are visible and enabled for that table.

If a download option is available for your role, apply and verify filters before downloading.

Export options can vary by chart and permission.

Open the source patient, appointment or transaction record before changing operational or clinical information.

Refresh Correctly

Refresh reruns the dashboard using the latest data already synced to Pulse. It does not force the source system to send new data immediately and it does not change the dashboard's filters.

Note the dashboard title, active filters and last-sync time if it is shown
Use the dashboard refresh control once

Wait for all charts to complete. Avoid repeatedly refreshing while queries are still running
If a recent source change is still absent, wait for the next normal sync and try again before escalating

Dashboard Directory

Dashboard	Purpose	Best Used for
Home	Where should i start and what needs attention at a glance	At Sign in
Insights Summary (Over Time)	High-level trend view of net production over time, by provider	Monthly or quarterly review
Insights - Production & Treatment (Net production)	Analys net production by item and provider	Billing and production review
Huddle Yesterday	End-of-day review of the previous day's production, FTAs, and appointment outcomes.	Morning standup
Huddle Today	Live view of today's schedule, production tracking, and appointment status	During the day
Huddle Tomorrow	Prepare for tomorrows patients	End of day prep
Actionable	Treatment coordinator action list — patients requiring follow-up grouped by reason.	Daily action lists
Insights	Detailed analytical dashboard with four tabs: Production & Treatment, Collections, Debt, and Appointments.	Deep dive analysis
Insights Summary ( By Provider)	Compare provider performance side by side	Provider reviews
Insights - Production & Treatment (Total Discounts)	Monitor discounting across items and practitioners	Fee management
Insights - Production & Treatment (Net production per Hour)	Track production efficiency per chair hour	Efficiency analysis

CHOOSE THE FOCUSED VIEW Use a Huddle or Actionable dashboard to run a task. Use an Insights Summary dashboard to detect a pattern. Use Insights or a standalone production dashboard to investigate the pattern in more detail.

Metric Glossary

These definitions describe how the measures are used in the current Pulse dashboards. Exact implementation follows the production data model and can be refined over time. When a definition affects a formal financial or clinical decision, confirm the current metric specification and source records.

Term	Working definition and interpretation
Actionable	A record that meets a defined follow-up rule. It still requires source-record review before action.
Active patient	A patient who meets the current activity rule. Pulse work lists have historically used recent attendance within an 18-month period, but the live rule is authoritative.
Appointment Book	A schedule, chair or provider-linked book from the source system.
Appointments per hour	Completed or qualifying appointments divided by the hours included by the chart's calculation.
Average age of debt	Average or weighted average number of days that included outstanding balances have remained unpaid.
Average net production	On the standalone Net Production dashboard, net production divided by the number of days in the selected period.
Bad debt	An outstanding amount classified as bad debt in the applicable source/data rule. Insights can include or exclude it.
Cancelled appointment rebooked	A cancelled appointment followed by a qualifying new booking under the Pulse rule.
Collections	Payments received in the selected context before subtracting refunds and reversals.
Completed appointment	An appointment counted as completed under source attendance/status rules.
Completed treatment plan	A treatment plan recorded with completed status. It is not necessarily identical to all completed production items in the period.
Current period	The date range selected in the dashboard. It can be a calendar preset, completed prior period or rolling relative range.
Daily total debt	Outstanding debt balance represented across dates, used to show movement over time.
Debtor ratio	Outstanding debt relative to the applicable production or billing base under the Pulse calculation.
Deductions	Configured components that reduce gross production to net production, including relevant promotions, discounts and refunds.
Discount	A reduction applied to a treatment, invoice or fee under source-system rules.
FTA	Failed to Attend: an appointment recorded as not attended under the source-status rule.
FTA rebooked	An FTA followed by a qualifying new booking under the Pulse rule.
Gross production	Production value before the configured deductions or adjustments.
Hidden appointment	An appointment classified as hidden or not visible under the source data. The Over Time summary exposes a filter for this context.
Hourly net production	Net production divided by the hours included in the provider or practice calculation.
Inactive appointment book	A source appointment book marked inactive. It can still contain historical activity.
Inactive provider	A provider marked inactive in the source system. Historical activity can remain reportable.
Location	A practice site within the client database. Some dashboards use a display name, a Location ID, or both.
Net collections	Collections less refunds and reversals under the Pulse calculation.
Net production	Production after the adjustments included by the Pulse net-production calculation.
New patient	A patient or appointment flagged as new under the source/Pulse definition.
Patient hours	Booked or included patient/chair time for the selected context.
Practice goal or target	A configured production target used for comparison. If no target is configured, target visuals can be blank or zero.
Presented treatment plan	A treatment plan recorded as presented to the patient.
Accepted treatment plan	A treatment plan recorded as accepted. Acceptance does not by itself mean an appointment is booked or production is completed.
Rejected treatment plan	A treatment plan recorded as rejected or declined under the source status mapping.
Rebooking rate	The proportion of qualifying completed appointments associated with a qualifying future booking. Current summary material uses same-day booking creation as the key rule.
Refund	An amount returned after a payment or transaction under the source financial record.
Reversal	A payment entry reversed or negated under the source financial record.
Role	Provider profession or role used to narrow the provider list.
Schedule utilisation	Booked appointment time divided by available appointment-book time under the dashboard's availability rules.
Treatment group	A category that groups related treatment items for analysis.
Treatment plan value	Value of treatment plans included by the selected date, provider, status and active-status context. It is not completed production.
Treatment plan with no status	A treatment plan that does not carry a recognised status in the current mapping.