Play midline chime is a setting in Bola that plays an audible cue when Bola's cursor crosses the midline of the mouth during a Perio exam. It is meant for hygienists who chart quadrant by quadrant and want a hands-free confirmation that the cursor has moved into the next quadrant.
What "crossing the midline" means
The midline is the anatomical center line that divides the mouth into left and right halves. In universal numbering:
Maxillary midline sits between teeth 8 and 9
Mandibular midline sits between teeth 24 and 25
When Play midline chime is on, Bola plays the chime any time charting transitions across one of those boundaries. For example:
Charting tooth 8 buccal (mesial, mid, distal), then 9 lingual (mesial, mid, distal) crosses the maxillary midline. Chime fires.
Charting tooth 25 buccal, then 24 lingual crosses the mandibular midline. Chime fires.
Where the sound plays
The chime plays through whatever audio output device is currently active on the computer. If you have a wireless headset paired, it plays through the headset. If audio is routed to the computer speakers, the operatory hears it.
Default state
Play midline chime is off by default.
How to turn it on or off
Desktop App
Open the Bola desktop app
Click Options
Click Charting Settings
Toggle Play midline chime on or off
Chrome Extension
Click the cog wheel (two icons to the right of the mic button) in the Bola extension
Click Mic Settings
Toggle Play midline chime on or off
The setting saves and takes effect automatically. No restart required.
Should I use Play midline chime?
Turn it on if:
You chart quadrant by quadrant and want a clear audio cue at each midline crossing
You want a hands-free signal that confirms the cursor is moving as expected
You are training new staff on quadrant-based charting cadence
Leave it off if:
You chart in patterns that frequently cross the midline mid-cadence (the chime would fire often)
The chime is disruptive in a shared operatory
You prefer to glance at the chart for visual confirmation
You can toggle at any time.
Troubleshooting
The chime never fires even when I cross the midline.
Confirm the setting is on (Options → Charting Settings, or cog wheel → Mic Settings). Then check that your audio output is unmuted and the active device. We have seen historic edge cases where the chime did not fire on certain EHRs (Denticon in particular has had reports) and on the last position of a middle tooth. If the setting is on, audio is working, and the chime still misses crossings, send a session ID so we can investigate.
I hear the chime, but my chart looks wrong at the midline.
The chime is a passive audio cue. It does not affect charting accuracy. If the cursor is jumping to the wrong tooth at the midline or measurements are landing on the wrong side, that is a charting path or template issue, not a chime issue. Note the EHR, the affected teeth, and a session ID, then reach out to support.
The chime fires more than expected.
You may be charting in a pattern that frequently crosses the midline. For example, alternating buccal of tooth 8 with lingual of tooth 9 causes a midline crossing on every command. Either tighten your cadence to one quadrant at a time, or turn the chime off if your normal workflow legitimately spans the midline often.
Not sure which mode you're in.
Open the desktop app → Options → Charting Settings, or in the Chrome extension click the cog wheel → Mic Settings. The toggle shows the current state.
If you're still stuck, reach out and let us know your EHR (Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental, Curve, Ascend, Denticon, etc.) and the teeth where the chime is misbehaving.