What Are The Daily Responsibilities of a Dental Receptionist?
A successful dental receptionist helps ensure that a dental office works efficiently while providing a professional, friendly point of communication for patients and associates. After all, the profession is, among other things, the initial impression of a dental office. That means you are the first person a patient speaks to and are essential to establishing the patient’s relationship with the office. A dental receptionist ensures that a dental office’s operations run smoothly so dental professionals can concentrate on patient care and dental treatment.
The Responsibilities of a Dental Receptionist Include the following:
- Greeting patients as they arrive and answering the phones
- Scheduling and canceling patient appointments
- Dental Charting and Treatment Planning
- Completing and filing insurance forms and dental billing records
- Translating dental services into proper billable codes
- Managing office inventory and supplies
- Communicating with dental supply vendors
- Handling test results (x-rays)
- Office duties, including document filing, scanning, and creation
The responsibilities of this position will vary from office to office. In more recent years, since there has been an emphasis on customer service, receptionists have more responsibility within the practice’s setting, essentially becoming the office manager.
What Skills Does a Dental Receptionist Need to Have?
A successful dental receptionist helps ensure that a dental office works efficiently while providing a professional, friendly point of communication for patients and associates. Dentists prefer to hire dental receptionists who have experience either in the dental field or in customer service, and on–the–job training can teach a dental receptionist how to use specific types of dental software and perform other office duties. As a Dental Receptionist, you must be computer savvy, typing quickly and accurately on top of performing other office tasks.
Requirements of a Dental Receptionist Include:
- Excellent phone and in-person communication skills.
- Organization, time management, and multitasking abilities.
- An understanding of dental office procedures and workflow.
- Computer literacy in basic applications like email and Microsoft Office.
Job Outlook
Most dental receptionists have a high school diploma or equivalent, although some may have some postsecondary education, such as an associate’s degree. Continuing education courses are often available to keep dental receptionists up to date on the latest dental technology and office procedures. Receptionists are usually hired through various staffing agencies, but ACI Medical & Dental School can provide the pipeline you need to advance your career.
Why ACI Medical & Dental School?
Whereas most programs focus on the medical or dental industry, ACI’s Medical & Dental Administrative Assistant Program graduates are prepared to work in both Medical AND Dental administrative settings. With over 40 years in the business, ACI offers students a comprehensive and comprehensive education in medical and dental administrative support with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the medical and dental field. Through our program, students will learn how to manage medical offices, dental offices, and other medical facilities. In addition, they will also learn how to work with medical and dental software, how to record medical and dental records, and how to work with medical and dental equipment. See what past students have to say about this comprehensive training program.
Working in both dental and medical settings opens up many career opportunities as a dental receptionist can be the perfect first step toward a career in dentistry, medicine, or another medical-related field.
A dental receptionist trained at ACI Medical & Dental School can work in environments such as:
- Dentist offices
- Doctor’s offices
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Surgical centers
- Outpatient healthcare facilities
Graduates of the Medical & Dental Administrative Assistant Program will learn skills such as:
- Translating Medical & Dental terminology into codes used for billing
- Managing electronic health records
- Medical & Dental health insurance reimbursement procedures
- Dental charting and treatment planning
- Medical & Dental software, including Medisoft, Dentrix, and EZ Dental 2000
ACI’s Medical & Dental Administrative Assistant Program is offered in two formats. Our program is designed for students who want to complete their education at their own pace, and our on-campus program is designed for those who wish to attend classes on campus and complete their education faster. Contact us today to schedule a tour of ACI Medical & Dental School and start on the path to becoming a medical or dental receptionist.
