How to Use OpenWide: A Complete Patient Guide

Searching for a Dentist

Start by entering your postcode, town, or area into the search bar on the homepage or the directory page. OpenWide will show you dental practices near your location, sorted by our match algorithm which considers distance, ratings, verification status, and whether the practice offers online booking.

You can filter results by NHS or private, treatment type, price range, verified practices only, and whether the practice offers evening or weekend appointments. The "NHS Only" filter is particularly useful if you are looking for an NHS dentist accepting new patients — OpenWide monitors acceptance status across thousands of practices.

If you are not sure what treatment you need, use the "Get Matched" feature instead. Answer a few questions about your needs and preferences, and OpenWide will generate a personalised shortlist of practices that match your criteria.

Comparing Practices

Each practice on OpenWide has a detailed profile page showing everything you need to make an informed decision. You will see the practice address, opening hours, treatments offered with pricing, patient reviews, team profiles, and whether they accept NHS patients.

The OpenWide Match Score helps you quickly assess how well a practice fits your needs. It is calculated based on distance, verification status, review ratings, and availability. A higher match score means the practice is a better fit based on what you are looking for.

You can shortlist practices by clicking the heart icon on any practice card. Your shortlist is saved to your account so you can compare your top choices side by side before making a decision.

Booking an Appointment

There are three ways to book through OpenWide:

1. **Online booking** — Some practices offer real-time online booking directly through OpenWide. Click "Book Now" on their profile, choose a date and time, and confirm your appointment.

2. **Request an appointment** — Click "Request Appointment" on any practice. Fill in your name, contact details, treatment interest, and preferred times. The practice will receive your request and respond directly.

3. **Call Now** — Click the "Call Now" button to phone the practice directly. You will need to be signed in so we can protect clinics from spam calls.

All communication through OpenWide is private. When you send an enquiry, your real email address is hidden behind a masked relay address. The practice sees your name and message but communicates through OpenWide, keeping your personal details protected until you choose to share them.

Managing Your Enquiries

After sending an enquiry, you can track all your conversations in your Patient Dashboard under "My Enquiries". Each enquiry shows the practice name, your original message, and the full conversation thread.

You can reply to practices directly through the dashboard — your message will also be sent to the practice via email. If the practice replies by email, their response automatically appears in your dashboard chat thread. This two-way sync means you never miss a message regardless of whether you prefer the dashboard or email.

Unread messages show a blue dot indicator so you can quickly see which conversations need your attention.

Creating Your Free Account

Signing up for OpenWide is free and takes seconds. You can create an account with Google (one click) or with your email address. An account lets you:

- Save practices to your shortlist - Send enquiries and track conversations - Book appointments online - Leave reviews for practices you have visited - Get personalised recommendations

Your account data is private and never shared with practices unless you choose to contact them. You can delete your account at any time.

Getting Matched to the Right Dentist

If you are not sure where to start, the Get Matched feature does the work for you. Visit the "Get Started" page and answer a short questionnaire about:

- What treatment you need - Your location and how far you are willing to travel - Whether you prefer NHS or private care - How urgently you need an appointment - Your contact details

OpenWide will email you a personalised shortlist of matched practices, ranked by how well they fit your needs. Our dental team reviews each request and can provide additional recommendations. This service is completely free.