Mail Merge Tool: Variables

You can personalize your mail merge documents by placing variables within the text of the document. Then, when you merge the document for a patient, parent, dentist, or other professional, the variables are replaced with information specific to that person.

Use This Feature

1. Create or Edit a Document - You can add merge tools to new documents, or documents that you have already created. See "Create and Edit Mail Merge Documents" for details.

2. Position Your Cursor - Place your cursor in the document where you want the information to print.

3. Open Variable Menu - Open the Add-Ins menu (if needed). Choose the Select Fields option to open a window of variable categories, most of which have subcategories.

   

4. Choose Variable - Click a tab at the top of the window, and select the category, and subcategory if needed, for the type of information you want to insert. Then select the variable you want to use and click Insert (or, double-click the variable name). (You can also use the Search field to find the variable to use.) Most variable names are self-explanatory. Certain variables have additional requirements, such as treatment findings variables and patient images. See the links at the bottom of this article for additional information about these variables.

   Keep Window Open Option - If you will be adding multiple variables in succession, you might want to enable the Keep Window Open option at the bottom of the variables window. If the option is disabled, the window closes as soon as you insert a variable.

   

5. Review & Edit the Variable Code - Once you have properly inserted a variable, it appears in the text of your document. (If you do not see the codes, press Alt+F9 on your keyboard.) You can manually copy, paste, and edit the code to change it into another variable, but be careful - spelling counts! This feature is particularly useful for adding a series of related variables, such as treatment findings, to a letter.

   

6. Save & Exit - Click the X in the upper right corner of the Word document window. As you exit, you have the opportunity to save the document.

More Information

Toggle Merge Code Display - When creating and editing documents with mail merge codes (such as variables and conditional statements), it is helpful and sometimes necessary to be able to see the codes. During regular daily use, however, you may wish to have them off. While different versions of Word have different ways of accessing this setting, an easy way to toggle the merge code display, regardless of your version of Word, is to press Alt+F9 on your keyboard.

Treatment Findings Variables - You can insert both the short and long descriptions of your patients' treatment findings and miscellaneous information from the Findings page of the patient folder into your mail merge documents, and print them in either list or paragraph form. See "Mail Merge Tool: Findings Variables" for details.

Patient Image Variables - You can add variables that will insert Edge Imaging patient images and layouts into your mail merge documents. See "Mail Merge Tool: Patient Images" for details.

Tooth Chart Variables - You can include a tooth chart variable in a mail merge document to include a graphical representation of your extraction requests in letters you send to a patient's dentist or other professional. You can choose from among several variables, specifying which numbering system to use, and whether to include just extraction requests or all tooth chart notations in the output. You can also include a tooth chart note variable to print the contents of the latest note in the document. See "Patient Tooth Chart" for details.

Contract Proposal Letters - Documents that use contract proposal variables must be set to the Patient Responsible Party document selection type for the data to merge correctly. See "Create and Edit Mail Merge Documents" for details.

Online Form Letters - Documents that use online form variables must be set to the Online Form document selection type for the data to merge correctly. See "Create and Edit Mail Merge Documents" for details.

Edge Signature - Add Edge Signature variables to your mail merge documents wherever you need a patient, responsible party, orthodontist, professional, operator, or assistant to digitally initial or sign the document. See "Edge Signature" for details.