The medical field is made of many different positions, and a position that is often overlooked, although crucial to the success of the practice, is the front desk dental office assistant. In a dental practice, the front desk staff supports every aspect of day-to-day operations. Dental offices are busy places with very specific needs, and for the right individual, becoming a dental front office assistant can be an excellent career choice. You can train for this rewarding career in as little as twelve weeks without taking out a large amount of student loan debt, and the training will make you extremely marketable in this field.

Dental office front desk worker checking patients in for their appointments.

What Does a Dental Front Office Assistant Do?

The assistant you see at a dental office front desk has a job that is unique to other front desk jobs. Front office dental assistants do more than answer the phone and schedule appointments. They often create reports, handle insurance billing, document treatment plans, and answer questions from patients about the practice and their care. While many states don’t require a dental office front desk assistant to have any specific training, going through front desk dental office training will allow you to be thoroughly prepared and well situated for success in any task you are asked to do. Training includes a solid understanding of the software used in most modern dental offices.

How Do I Become a Dental Front Office Assistant?

Most dental office front desk assistants will need to have basic office qualifications, which usually consist of a high school diploma or GED. Some dental offices will look for prior experience working in an office, regardless of the industry. But those who are serious about a career that has a good salary, reasonable hours, and steady growth should look into front desk dental office training that will give them the knowledge they need that is specific to dental practices.

What Does Front Desk Dental Office Training Involve?

A dental front desk office assistant training program is typically very manageable. Classes are held once a week for a period of 12 weeks, and will give students the knowledge they will need to be successful in the field. The training will also involve how to manage and enter patient information and medical history, as well as treatment plans, how to process payments, how to handle insurance billing, how to create reports the dentists will need, and finally, how to develop exceptional phone skills. With focused front desk training for dental offices, as well as the connections the training program can offer with dental practices in the area, students who complete the program are much more likely to be hired than those without dental office front desk training.

Completing dental office front desk training demonstrates that you are committed to being successful in your position. In three short months, and with a relatively small investment, you will be well on your way to a steady, well-paying career with room for advancement. Since this type of training is very specific, and networking in the dental industry is very broad, you will quickly find that you will have no trouble finding a great job after enrolling in and completing a front desk training program like the one offered here at South Florida Dental Assisting School. To learn more about this exciting career choice or to discuss specific questions you may have about the programs we offer, contact our admissions team today!