Overview of the Elements Menu in the Flex Form Builder

The Elements Menu in the Form Builder gives you complete control over customizing digital forms, making it easy to streamline patient intake and data collection.

With a variety of customizable elements at your fingertips, you can create user-friendly forms tailored to your practice’s needs. This guide will walk you through navigating the Elements menu to enhance workflow efficiency and improve the patient experience.

• Note: The Flex user must have admin permissions in Flex to access the Form Builder, which is found in the settings tab. To update a user's permissions, view this article: How Do I Change User's Permissions?

This guide walks you through each individual element within the Flex Form Builder. For detailed steps and information on how to add, edit, delete, or configure form elements, see steps 6 and 7 in this article: Using the Flex Form Builder.

Accessing the Elements Menu

1. Log into Flex as an administrative user.
2. Click the Settings icon in the top left.
3. Ensure Advanced Forms is enabled.
4. Click Edit Web Forms, then select the Form Builder tab.
5. If you are editing an existing form, choose a form from your list to edit or select the sub ‘Form Builder’ tab.
   •  Click ‘Yes’ to bring the form into the sub Form Builder tab.
6. The ‘Elements’ menu is located under the sub Form Builder tab on the right.

Form Elements

Header

Headers help organize your form by adding structure, clarity, and visual hierarchy. They make it easier for patients to understand the form’s purpose and navigate through different sections. The header element supports up to 6 text sizes and can be adjusted to span the full width of the page or as little as one-quarter width, depending on your layout needs. You can also include an optional subline below the header to add supporting text or context.

Image: Patient information header on the example New Patient Form (NPF) in Flex (right), shown with default text size, full-width layout, and an optional subline displayed beneath the header (configuration on the left).

Paragraph

The Paragraph element is ideal for displaying full sentences or longer blocks of text—such as authorization statements, consent language, or important instructions. Unlike Headers, which are used to organize and label sections, Paragraphs ensure that critical information is easy to read and clearly communicated to patients. Use this element when you need to provide clear details or context that patients must understand before proceeding. This element includes an optional header field and can be configured to span the full width of the form or as little as one-quarter width, allowing you to tailor the layout to your needs.

Image: Paragraph elements on an example form (right), shown with sample authorization statements. Unlike the Header element, this format supports longer, multi-sentence content for conveying detailed information or instructions (form builder—left).

Text Field

Text fields are used to format and collect responses on your form. They can be marked as required, tied to conditional logic, sublines can be included, and responses entered here can be imported in the patient's chart in Open Dental. You can also adjust the width of each text field, allowing multiple fields or questions to appear on the same line for a cleaner layout. Text Field format options help control how patients enter their responses. You can choose from: None, Social-Security, Phone, Email, Zip Code. For more advanced configuration options, see Steps 7 - 9 in: Using the Flex Form Builder.

Image: Text fields: First Name, Preferred Name, Last Name from the default example NPF in Flex (right) with Each question type marked as 'required' and formatted to '⅓ width' in the form builder (left).

Checkbox Group

A checkbox group question is formatted to allow multiple options as answers. With this question type, patients can select more than one answer to a single question. Note: Text in the first box appears on the form. Text in the second box indicates what you want imported into the patients chart.

Image: Dental History questions on the default example NPF (right) shown with default configuration in the form builder (left).

Radio Group

A radio group question is used when patients are asked to select only one answer from the group of options. These questions can be presented with a radio button, or an icon can be used for the patient to click instead of the traditional circle.

Image: The first question on the default example NPF and Health History Updates (HHU) Flex forms (right) using icons instead of traditional radio groups (configuration on the left).

Select

A select question type presents patients with a list of options to choose from. Similar to radio groups above, patients are asked to select only one answer from the list of options. The select question appears as a dropdown menu on your form and is configured similarly to the Radio and Checkbox group elements.

Image: An example of the select question type element on an example form (right) alongside sample configuration in the Flex form builder (left).

Date Field

The date field is commonly used to request a date of birth (DOB). This element can be imported into the patient’s DOB field in the Open Dental Family module. To achieve this, ensure that the import box is checked and the field is set to “Birth Date”. Note: The signature element (below) will automatically populate the current date when the patient’s signature is added to the form, as well as the date the electronic document was created.

Image: The date field element on the default NPF configured to request the patient’s date of birth (left) and an example of how the date field element appears on the form (right). 

Image Upload

The image upload element encourages patients to submit images directly through your form. Patients can select photos from their device (smartphone, computer, tablet) or choose to receive a secure link to capture a new picture. The photos uploaded through this feature can be imported into the Open Dental Patient Picture or folders within your Imaging module. The Image Upload element cannot be made required on the form.

Image: An example of an image upload requesting the patient’s photo. The element is formatted to ½ width, importing into the Patient Picture field of Open Dental.

Signature

The signature element allows users to sign digitally by drawing on a touchscreen or using their mouse. It is automatically date-stamped, recording the exact day the signature was added for record-keeping and compliance. This feature is commonly used to capture agreement, consent, or acknowledgement of information on a form. The signature element can be made required, tied to conditional logic, and more!

Image: A signature element from the default example NPF in Flex. This signature has conditional logic enabled and only displays when the patient has insurance and answered “yes” to the insurance question. To learn more about conditional logic, view Step 9: "Set up Conditional Logic" on: Using the Flex Form Builder.

Page Break

A page break divides the form into multiple sections or pages, making it easier to navigate and less overwhelming for the person filling it out. It helps organize related questions or information, creating a more structured flow, and provides a sense of progress as they click “Next” or “Submit”. Page breaks also reduce excessive scrolling by allowing users to focus on one section at a time. Overall, adding a page break improves the user experience by making the form better organized, easier to complete, and submit.

Image: Flex Form Builder (left) showing page breaks separating policies and related signature boxes, with an example of a page break at the end of the first policy in the default example NPF in Flex (right).

Line Break

A line break is used to create a visible separation between lines or sections of content on a single page. It helps organize information and creates a cleaner layout. Overall, line breaks help structure content making your form more user-friendly and ensuring that information is presented clearly.

Image: Line breaks in the form builder (left) and on an example form (right).

Text Area

The text area element is used instead of a text field when more space is needed for longer responses, like comments or descriptions. Unlike a text field, which is for short, single-line entries (such as a name or email), a text area allows users to type multiple lines of text. This makes it easier for them to provide more detailed information to you through the form. Note: 'Rows' can be limited or left blank for no line restrictions.

Image: An example of the text area element configuration (left) and on a Flex form (right), with a sample response.

Gender

The gender element is used to capture and store a patient’s gender identity, which is essential for personalizing their care and communication. This field appears as a radio group question on the form and can be configured to support options such as ‘Male,’ ‘Female,’ or custom selections based on your practice needs. By having this information, the system helps ensure accurate documentation and tailored interactions, improving the overall patient experience.

Image: The default gender element configuration in the Form Builder (left), shown alongside how the question appears on the Flex default example NPF.

Address

An address is requested for communication, billing, and insurance purposes. This element can be configured to support both U.S. and Canadian address formats, including States and Provinces. When the import box is checked, the address imports into the patient’s address field of Open Dental. For detailed information on 'Association' checkboxes view Step 7: "Configure Elements" in this guide: Using the Flex Form Builder.

Image: Default address element configuration in the Flex Form Builder (left), with examples of the address element on a form in U.S. format (top right) and Canadian format (bottom right).

Status

The status element is used to specify a person’s current relationship status: Single, Married, Child, Domestic Partner, Divorced, or Widowed. Similar to the Address field above, when the import box is checked, the selected status on the form imports into the patient ‘status’ field in Open Dental.

Image: Default status element configuration in the Flex Form Builder (left), with a sample of the status element as it appears on the default example NPF form (right).

Conditions

This element pulls data from the Conditions tab within the Form Builder. With the Conditions element you can customize how you ask patients about the medical problems they have been diagnosed with. This information is essential for making informed decisions about patient care and treatment. The Conditions element can be presented in categories, as a checkbox group question, or as a radio group for traditional ‘yes/no’ answers using circles. To manage the Conditions tab in your Form Builder, view Step 11:"Manage Medications & Conditions" of this article: Using the Flex Form Builder. To manage the Problems List in Open Dental view this resource from the Open Dental Manual: Open Dental Problems List.

Image: The Conditions element configuration in the Form Builder (left), displayed on the default example NPF in Flex (bottom right), and the conditions tab view (top right).

Medications

The Medications element pulls data from the Medications tab in the Form Builder allowing you to customize how you collect information about patient prescriptions or treatments. This helps ensure accurate records for treatment planning and more. Following the same set-up as the Conditions element, this can be set as a checkbox group type question or a radio group. For more details on managing the Medications tab, refer to Step 11: "Manage Medications & Conditions" in: Using the Flex Form Builder and for a resource on Open Dental view: Open Dental Medications List. 

Image: The Medications element setup in the Flex Form Builder (left), shown on the default example NPF (bottom right), with the medications tab view displayed (top right).

Referrals

The Referrals element adds a drop-down question to the form, allowing patients to select from both default and custom referral sources. You can add custom sources using the Referrals tab, but default options cannot be removed. The default options are: None, Someone I know is a patient, A doctor referred me, and Other. If a patient selects ‘’Other” or types a response, that response will only import into the patient’s Open Dental Referral sources field if it exactly matches—spelling, punctuation, and capitalization included— an existing option in your Open Dental Referrals list. What the patient typed will always be saved on the PDF file found in Open Dental Imaging and from the 'Patient Paperwork' icon on the Patient Page in Flex. Collecting referral source data can help track outreach efforts, refine patient acquisition strategies, and identify which channels are most effective.

Image: The default Referrals element configuration (top left) as it appears on the default example NPF in Flex (bottom left & right), with the Referrals tab open for source management (top right).

Image: The patient page in Flex indicating where to find completed documents that are stored in the  Open Dental imaging module.

Allergies

The Allergies element allows you to collect information about your patient’s allergies. This element pulls from the Allergies tab in the Web Forms Form Builder and can be customized as a checkbox type question or a radio group. To add or remove allergies from the Open Dental List in Flex, visit the Allergies List in Open Dental.

Image: Allergies element configuration, defaulted as a checkbox group in the Form Builder (left), displayed on the default example NPF in Flex (bottom right), and the Allergies tab view (top right).

Policies

The Policies element is added to the form to collect acknowledgements and signatures toward your office policies or other required information on the patient. Changes to Policies are made in the Policies tab within Web Forms, not in Open Dental. To learn more about Policies in Flex, refer to the following resource: How to Update Office Policies in the Flex Form Builder.  For information on Consent and Post-Op Forms, check out: Consent Form Text Guides and Post-Op Form Text Guides.

Image: The Policies element configuration for the first policy in the NPF Form Builder (left), displayed on the default example NPF in Flex (bottom right), with the Policies tab open for editing.

Icon

Icon elements in the Flex Form Builder serve as visual markers and help improve the form’s clarity and organization. Icons are displayed in the center of the page on the form and cannot be formatted to adjust their alignment or width in relation to other elements in the Form Builder. Please note, these icons are purely decorative and not clickable.

Image: The Icon element in the Form Builder (left) and how it displays on the form (right).

Additional Family Member

This element is typically added at the end of the New Patient Form (NPF). Its purpose is to guide the person filing out the form through another NPF, allowing additional family members' forms to be included in the same session. This is especially helpful when other family members need to be added but are not already part of the family bundle. When additional forms are submitted via the Additional Family Member element, they are saved in Flex under Unmatched Documents. For information on matching documents, refer to this resource: Understanding and Resolving Unmatched Documents.

Image: The Additional Family Member element at the end of the NPF in the Form Builder (left), with an example of how it appears on the Flex form (right).

New Patient

This element imports the default Flex New Patient Form (for new patients) and the default office Policies. The New Patient element is useful if the form is deleted before it is downloaded and securely saved. Please note that if any changes were made to the default form, those changes will need to be redone, as this element only imports the original, unmodified version.

Image: The New Patient Element being dropped into the Form Builder (left) with a list of default and custom created web forms in Flex (right).

Health History

This element imports the default Health History Update form (for existing patients) and does not include office policies by default. Similar to the New Patient element above, the Health History Element can be used to revert to the Flex defaults.

Image: A list of web forms in the Flex Form Builder with the default forms visible (left) alongside the Health History element being dropped into the Form Builder (right).

Nested Form

This element allows you to embed an existing web form into the current one. By nesting forms, you can streamline the process, making it easier to gather all necessary information in a single form. This is especially helpful for additional documents like Record Release Forms, Sleep Apnea Questionnaires, and other supplementary forms. Nesting a form creates a smoother experience for patients and reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed by multiple forms. For detailed information on Nested Forms, view this resource: How to setup Nested Forms in Flex.

Image: This example shows a nested form element with conditional logic enabled (top left), the source form indicated in the forms list (bottom left), and two views of how the element appears within a form (top and bottom right).

With a full understanding of the Elements menu, you're equipped to build smart, user-friendly forms tailored to your practice's needs. Each element is designed to streamline data collection and enhance the patient experience.

Take your skills even further, check out our full guide for building and customizing forms in the Flex Form Builder. It offers details on managing, configuring, and formatting form elements to help you get the most out of each feature. Using the Flex Form Builder.

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