Speak back intents is a setting in Bola that reads every charting command out loud right after Bola enters it. This includes pocket depths, gingival margins, recession, bleeding, suppuration, furcation, mobility, jump, undo, and any other Perio command. It is the broader audio-verification mode. Speak back pocket depths covers only PDs; this setting covers everything.
Headphones required.
This setting must only be used with headphones or earbuds. If the audio plays through the operatory speakers, Bola will hear its own playback through the microphone and try to chart it as if the hygienist were giving new commands. That causes repeated entries, wrong values, and lag. This is one of the most common root causes of "Bola is charting strangely" support tickets.
How it works
Each time Bola accepts a command, it does these things in order:
Charts the command
Pauses incoming audio
Speaks the command back through the active audio device
Resumes incoming audio when the playback ends
Because Bola pauses input during the spoken playback, you have to leave a beat between commands. If you start the next command while Bola is still talking, it will be missed. Treat it like a conversation with a person: you cannot interrupt and expect the listener to keep up.
This pacing is the second-most-common reason customers report Speak back not working. The first is using it without headphones.
Speak back intents vs Speak back pocket depths
These two settings are independent and can run alone or together. Most users pick one.
Speak back intents | Speak back pocket depths | |
Speaks back | Every command (PD, GM, bleeding, recession, mobility, furcation, suppuration, jump, undo, and so on) | Pocket depth measurements only |
Best for | New hygienists who want full verbal confirmation while learning Bola | Experienced hygienists who only want a verification cue on the highest-volume command |
Trade-off | More verbose. Slows charting more because every command triggers a playback. | Quieter. Other commands chart silently. |
Running both at the same time is allowed but redundant. PDs would speak back regardless because the broader setting already covers them.
Default state
Speak back intents is off by default.
How to turn it on or off
Desktop App
Open the Bola desktop app
Click Options
Click Charting Settings
Toggle Speak back intents 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 Speak back intents on or off
You can also reach the toggle from inside an active Perio exam. In the extension, click the gear icon in the mic widget to open Mic Settings. In Curve specifically, the same toggle is also reachable from Exam settings at the bottom-left of the Perio chart, listed as Speak back all commands.
The setting saves and takes effect automatically. No restart required.
Should I use Speak back intents?
Turn it on if:
You wear headphones or earbuds while charting
You are new to Bola and want a verbal confirmation that every command landed correctly
You are training a new hygienist
You frequently chart conditions beyond pocket depths (bleeding, recession, mobility) and want verification on all of them
Leave it off if:
You do not wear headphones or earbuds
Audio output goes to the operatory speakers
Your charting cadence is fast and pausing for every command would slow you down too much
You only need verification on PDs (use Speak back pocket depths instead, which is quieter)
You already use High Accuracy Mode and find the visual warning enough
Troubleshooting
Bola keeps charting things I did not say. The chart is wrong or duplicated.
This is the classic feedback-loop symptom. Speak back is on, but audio is going through speakers instead of headphones, so Bola hears its own playback and charts it. Either put on headphones, or turn Speak back intents off in Charting Settings (desktop) or Mic Settings (extension).
Bola misses my next command after speaking back.
You are likely speaking before Bola finishes the playback. Bola pauses input while it is talking. Wait for the spoken playback to end before saying the next command. If the pacing slows you down too much, this setting may not be a fit. Consider Speak back pocket depths instead, which limits playback to PDs only.
Speak back works for some commands but not others.
Send a session ID and tell us which commands speak back fine and which are silent. We have seen historic edge cases where specific intents (incomplete intent speak-back) needed targeted fixes.
The chart is fine but the spoken playback feels delayed.
Speak back follows whatever delay Bola has on the input side. If the chart is being entered quickly but playback is lagging, check your audio output device. Bluetooth headsets in particular can introduce noticeable latency. A wired headset or USB receiver removes that variable.
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, etc.) and whether you are charting with headphones or speakers.