Frequently Asked Questions

Click on the more tab (located in the bar across the top of the homepage), click on the help tab.  You will be prompted to enter the e-mail address you used when you registered originally. An e-mail will then be sent with your account information.  The login information/activation auto-emails may go into your spam filter so you may have to update your spam settings to allow the @dentaltown.com and @farranmedia.com email addresses to go through. 

If you do not receive the information please e-mail sally@farranmedia.com for further assistance. 

Click on the help tab (in the green bar across the top of the homepage). Click on the registration link.

Follow each of the 6 steps through the process and provide accurate and complete information in all required fields. This information is not privy to any other members of the site and will not be sold to marketers.

Once you have submitted your registration information, you will be sent an e-mail. You must open that e-mail and click an activation link before you will be allowed on the site. If the e-mail is not received, the auto-emails may be going into your spam filter so you may have to update your spam settings to allow the @dentaltown.com and @farranmedia.com email addresses to go through.  If you still do not receive the information, please e-mail help@towniecentral.com for further assistance.

Tips for Registering:

  There are no spaces allowed in your Login Name. If you would like to use a space, you must use an underscore “_”, this can be done by pressing shift on your keyboard as you press the hyphen key

  You may enter spaces for your Display Name, which can be updated in your Public Profile

  The password is case sensitive

  You must enter a valid e-mail address in order to activate your new account

  Make sure you fill in all required fields or boxes; otherwise you will receive an error message when submitting your registration  

   If you have issues during any of the steps, please contact Sally Gross at sally@farranmedia.com.

Once you are logged in, click on the my profile tab with your mouse (in the green bar across the top of the homepage). This will take you to your account information. Click the communities link under My Opt-Ins. 

From there you can select any communities that are available for you to join.  Once you join a community you cannot remove yourself from that community.

Once you are logged in, click on your profile picture/avatar in the top right corner. From the drop-down menu click on view profile.

From here you will be able to update your registration information and public profile, change your email or password, manage your subscriptions, upload a signature and avatar, and manage other settings for your account. 

After each change, make sure to click the update button at the bottom of each section, before clicking on a different link.

Click the media item and it will automatically be inserted into the main text editor.  If you’d like you can include additional text/images.  Click Publish to post your blog post.  

Once your blog post is published you will see a media player that will play your podcast.

Once you are logged in, click on the classified ads tab with your mouse (in the green bar across the top of the homepage). This will take you to the classified ads section.

In the drop down menu you will see the classified categories. Click the category you wish to view.  This will bring up every ad that has been placed in this category, starting with the latest post date. 

If you wish to narrow your search, click on the magnifying glass at the top of the classified ads section to enter as little or as much information as you would like.  This information can be Keywords, Locations, Specialty, and Category.  The less information you enter, the broader your search will be.  Click the search ads tab and a list will return with your specified choices for you to view.

Once you are logged in, click on the classified ads tab with your mouse (in the bar across the top of the homepage), click on view all classified ads. This will take you to the classified ads section.

Click the category you wish to view (this will be on the left side). This will bring up every ad that has been placed in this category, starting with the latest post date.

You can also use the search bar. This information can be Keywords, Locations, Specialty, and Category.  The less information you enter, the broader your search will be. Don't forget to click the go button once you have entered your information. 

Click on the Reply button that appears on each individual post in the upper right-hand corner. A reply box will appear which is similar to writing an e-mail.

Simply type your comments in the box, add a smiley or two (at the top of the e-mail box, meant to help with expression) if you feel it is needed for clarification.

Now to submit your message you will click on the Post button.

Once you have logged in, click on the message boards tab (located in the bar across the top of the homepage) and then choose the option forum categories. This will take you to a page with a variety of categories, starting with “Anesthesiology, Appliance Therapy, Assistants”, etc. 

Find the category that reflects the post you wish to create and click on it.  Depending on the category, you may need to select a subcategory.  For example, if you want to create a thread about Teeth Whitening, you would select the category “Cosmetic Dentistry”, and then select the subcategory “Bleaching/Whitening”.  However, if you wanted to post a thread regarding Periodontics, you would only need to select the category “Periodontics”, as this category has no subcategories. 

From there, you will need to locate the New Topic tap (located in the bar under the category). 

You will be able to enter a title and content and utilize the toolbar to check spelling, insert an image, change the font, etc.  When you have completed the content of your post, click Post at the bottom of the page. 

Your thread will appear in the category for all members to view.  It will also initially appear in the “Active Topics” section of the site for the remainder of the day, or for the remainder of the day from the last reply to your thread. 

First, you need to have saved images from your image software or x-rays from your practice management software.  You can easily export those by opening each image and saving to your desktop or if you want to do this process at home versus at the office you can email them to yourself, open them at home and save to your desktop.  These images can be saved as either a .jpeg or .gif making sure the file name does not include any non-alphanumeric characters such as #, %, &, @, etc. Once these image files are saved, you can upload them to Cases, Topics, your Image Gallery, etc.

When you create a post by clicking the Reply or New Topic button, you can upload an image by clicking the Insert Image icon in the toolbar. This looks like a square, with mountains, and is located in the bottom row toolbar.  If you rest your mouse over it, a label will appear saying "Insert Image".

The upload images window will then open up. Click the select button to find the image on your hard drive, and then click Upload. A preview of the image will appear on the screen. If this is the image you wish to upload, click the Insert button.  If the image was placed in your post, you can close the Image Gallery window.

How to start a poll on the message boards:

Once you have logged onto Hygienetown.com, click on the “Message Boards” tab on the right side of the screen.  This will take you to a page with a variety of categories, starting with “Anesthesiology, Appliance Therapy, Assistants”, etc. 

Find the category that reflects the poll you wish to create and click on it.  Depending on the category, you may need to select a subcategory.  For example, if you want to create a poll about Teeth Whitening, you would select the category “Cosmetic Dentistry”, and then select the subcategory “Bleaching/Whitening”.  However, if you wanted to post a poll regarding Periodontics, you would only need to select the category “Periodontics”, as this category has no subcategories. 

From there, you will need to locate the “Create New” button located in the upper right corner of the Message Board section.  Hover your mouse over the button and New Topic, New Case, New Poll, and New Video will appear.  To post a poll, select “New Poll”. 

You will be able to enter a question and options for answers, as well as utilize the toolbar to check spelling, insert an image, change the font, etc.  When you have completed the content of your poll, click Post at the bottom of the page. 

Your poll will appear in the category for all members to view.  It will also initially appear in the “Active Topics” section of the site for the remainder of the day, or for the remainder of the day from the last reply to your thread. 

Please note – once you create your poll, you won’t be able to edit the question or answers.

To insert media into a topic or reply click on the Media Gallery button (play button to the right of the YouTube button in the editor).



This will open the media gallery and will display any previously uploaded media here. To insert a previously uploaded video or audio file, simply click on it to insert it into the body of your post at the cursor.

You can also upload video and audio (podcast) files by selecting one in the media gallery window, giving it a title, and uploading it. Once the media file is uploaded, click to insert. After it is submitted, the media will be processed and will show up in the gallery as pending until it completes. You can close the media gallery and write your post while waiting for the media to finish processing. You can also refresh the window by clicking on the reload button in the top right corner (next to the close button). Once the media file is uploaded, click to insert.

To insert media into a topic or reply click on the Media Gallery button (the colored play button to the right of the YouTube button in the editor).

This will open the media gallery and will display any previously uploaded media here. To insert a previously uploaded video or audio file, simply click on it to insert it into the body of your post at the cursor.

You can also upload video and audio (podcast) files by selecting one in the media gallery window, giving it a title, and uploading it. Once the media file is uploaded, a submit button will appear. After it is submitted, the media will be processed and will show up in the gallery as pending until it completes. You can close the media gallery and write your post while waiting for the media to finish processing. You can also refresh the window by clicking on the reload button in the top right corner (next to the close button).

How to Subscribe to a Forum:

If you would like new posts in a particular forum sent directly to your email, you can subscribe to that forum.  Once you have logged in, click on the message boards (in the bar across the top of the homepage) then forum categories.  This will take you to a page with a variety of forums, starting with “Anesthesiology, Appliance Therapy, Assistants”, etc. 

Find the forum that you wish to subscribe to.  Depending on the forum, you may wish to only subscribe to a subcategory.  For example, if you want to receive updates about Teeth Whitening, you would select the forum “Cosmetic Dentistry”, and then select the subforum “Bleaching/Whitening”.  Once you are in that forum, click the Subscribe tab.  However, if you wanted to receive updates for all of “Cosmetic Dentistry”, you can also click the Subscribe tab (in the toolbar below the category), prior to selecting a subcategory.

All of the new posts will be sent to the email we have on file in your View Profile section of the website.

How to subscribe to a Thread:

If you would like new posts in a particular thread sent directly to your email, you can subscribe to that thread.  Once you have logged in, click on the thread you wish to subscribe to.  At the top of the post, under the topic, click the Subscribe tab.  All of the replies in this thread will be sent to the email we have on file in your View Profile section of the website.

How to follow a Member:

If you would like new posts from a particular Member sent directly to your email, you can follow that Member.  Once you have logged in, find the Member you wish to follow, either by the search button(magnifying glass in the top right) or within a thread.  Click the follow link under their picture and all of the posts from this Member will be sent to the email we have on file in your View Profile section of the website.

Once you are logged in, click on your avatar/profile picture in the top right, click view profile from the drop-down menu. This will take you to your account, public profile, subscriptions/opt-ins, settings, and communities Click on the Avatar/Signature link, then enter your contact information or any text you would like to include within your signature.

For the active clickable link you will need to enter the coding below that creates a sample hyperlink to your site. Here is an example of the code for http://www.towniecentral.com with a title for the link of "Townie Central":

<a href="http://www.towniecentral.com" target="_blank">Townie Central</a>

Copy and paste the above code into the signature box. You will need to remove the address between the quotation marks and insert the address you wish, including HTTP://.  You will need to remove the Townie Central title and insert the title of your link.  If you have issues with this please email Sally Gross at sally@farranmedia.com. 

If you are able to access posts in one community, but not another, you are not a member of the community that is denying you access. You will need to add the community denying you access to your account. Please do NOT re-register.

Once you are logged in, click on your avatar/profile picture in the top right, click view profile from the drop-down menu, click on Communities, from there you will able to join other communities (if permitted). (Note: Once you join a community you cannot remove yourself from that community.)  Make sure you click the Update Communities button at the bottom of the screen.

Some of our communities are restricted to certified specialists.  If that community is not available for selection, you may not be eligible to join.  If you have questions regarding your eligibility, please contact Sally Gross at sally@farranmedia.com 

To check which communities you belong to click on your avatar/profile picture and in the drop-down menu will be a list of your communities. 

Once you are logged into the site, click on the continuing education tab (in the bar across the top of the homepage) and then choose view all courses.

You can select a course by entering search criteria in the bar across the top portion of the Online CE section, search by category in the Categories list on the right side of the screen. 

Once you have found a course, click the course title to view details.  If you would like to view this course, click the orange View Course tab found to the right under the title.

When prompted, enter your payment information and your personal information. This information needs to be accurate, as it will appear on your CE Certificate.  When complete, click the Submit button at the bottom of this section.

You will be able to view the course in its entirety or pause and come back.

If you pause the course and leave the page, you can return to the course by clicking the continuing education tab (in the bar across the top of the homepage), click on the >>,  Click my receipts, you will then be able to select the title of the course, click the View Course button, then click the option to resume playback. 

After having obtained a minimum score of 70% on the post test, you can obtain your CE certificate in 3 ways:

1) After submitting your post test successfully, a page will appear with the button CE Certificate. Click on this button and you can print your certificate.

2) When in the Online CE section, click on My Certificates link located on your right hand side navigation bar. All your certificates are stored on this page and you can access them and print them anytime.

3) You will receive your certificate by email. However, some Internet providers block these emails and you may not receive it. You still have all your certificates stored under the My CE Certificates link within the Online CE section of our communities as described in #2 above.

Most licensing boards accept credits from AGD PACE and ADA CERP recognized providers. However, it is the responsibility of each registrant to contact his/her licensing board to verify which credits are accepted. Note that many states do not accept credits for practice management courses. Continuing education credits issued for completion of online CE courses may not apply toward license renewal in all licensing jurisdictions.

Most licensing boards accept credits from AGD PACE and ADA CERP recognized providers. However, it is the responsibility of each registrant to contact his/her licensing board to verify which credits are accepted. If both are accepted, you can then submit the ones of your choice.

Once you are logged into the site, click on the CE tab, click on my CE certificates, to the right of the CE title you will be able to view the certificate. You can either print it out or email it

Check that Flash Player is installed (already installed on 98% of all browsers) and that you have the latest version by clicking here:
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

Make sure flash is enabled

https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

Clear cache and cookies

https://kb.wisc.edu/page.php?id=24629

Change browsers

You can do that in latest versions of Chrome at chrome://settings/content/flash.  You’ll need to explicitly allow http://www.dentaltown.com to use Flash as shown below







Also make sure your Microsoft Silverlight plug in is up to date:  http://www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight/Get-Started/Install/Default.aspx


If you see the animation playing in the section labeled Adobe Flash Player, then your Flash Player is up-to-date.  If you need to update or install Flash Player, you will be prompted to do so.

Additionally, pop-up blockers may prevent the course from displaying.  Either turn off your pop-up blocker or set it to allow pop-ups from towniecentral.com. (How to do this depends on your specific pop-up blocker).  

Note: Firewalls and antivirus programs may have a script and pop-up blockers, you may need to turn them off or set them to allow the webcast.

Also, your Privacy setting in Internet Explored may prevent the course from displaying.  Set the Privacy setting to Medium High or medium. Do the same for any other browser.

There are many things that can cause this to happen.  Below are some of the most common issues:

1.  Make sure your speakers are plugged into a power outlet, turned on, and plugged into the correct output on your computer soundcard.

2.  At the lower portion of the webcast window and to the right of the “articulate” logo there is a volume icon. Make sure the volume level is turned up.

3.  Go to Windows “Control Panel”, click on “Sound and Audio Devices” and make sure your audio device volume is turned up and not muted.

4.  Make sure you are getting sound from other devices.  Can you hear sound from Windows Media Player, QuickTime, or other media players? If you can’t, it is a problem with your computer and not the webcast.

5.  If you did not get sound in Step 4, it is possible that the driver on your sound card is not installed or corrupted. Go to “Control Panel”, System, and then find Device Manager. If there are any yellow question marks anywhere (particularly the sound), that means that the driver is gone, corrupt, or outdated. Find a new driver on the internet or try updating your soundcard.