Position Overview
A dental administrator is considered the backbone of a dental facility. There are many tasks that a dental office administrator handles.
Essentially, their work is to ensure provision of proper dental healthcare to the patients listed at the facility.
These professionals are responsible for making sure that the dental practice which they represent is run smoothly on a constant basis.
They schedule appointments, coordinate dentists’ schedules and handle patients’ records along with developing a marketing plan for the dental office that they work for.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for a dental office administrator’s job, one has to have a degree in dentistry.
This is because they often have to explain dental procedures to patients and follow up with insurance companies and it is imperative for them to understand the trade inside-out.
Skills & Abilities
Since handling accounts is also part of a dental office administrator’s job, it is important for them to possess some understanding of accounting procedures.
Also, it is imperative for dental office administrators to have good communication skills as they are in constant contact with patients and need to be able to provide them with proper information regarding their appointments.
See also: Dental Office Manager Resume
Dental Office Administrator Duties and Responsibilities
• Take telephone calls from new and existing patients and provide them with information on the services
• Provide walk-in customers with information regarding dental processes and procedures
• Schedule appointments for dental consultations and procedures over the phone and in person
• Provide patients with information on types of dental procedures that they will go through
• Educate patients about the cons of not going on with a proposed / suggested dental procedure
• Coordinate dentists’ schedules with appointments to ensure that no conflict arises
• Seat patients in waiting areas and provide them with a timeline of how much they may need to wait
• Interview patients to determine their reason for visiting the dental office and record all information on a form
• Assist new patients in filling out registration forms and provide them with patient IDs and treatment cards
• Maintain the reception area by ensuring cleanliness and sanitation of surfaces and furniture
• Assist patients in understanding office policies and the need to abide to them
• Call patients to provide them of reminders of upcoming appointments
• Reschedule appointments if there is a conflict between patient-doctor schedule or if either requests
• Take insurance information from patients and follow up on claims
• Collect payment from patients post procedure and provide them with receipts