When you are working at the dental office front desk, you are the face of the practice and will need specific knowledge to help you effectively communicate with both the patients and dental staff. Being a dental administrative assistant is more than just being a receptionist. Patients will interact with the dental office front desk staff before they encounter anyone else in the practice and you will set the tone of their visit. The dental field is rewarding, challenging, and growing, meaning that you will have a position that has good job security, a good salary, and you’ll enjoy a satisfying career.

A dental office receptionist sitting behind the welcome desk.

What Will You Do at the Dental Office Front Desk?

Dental administrative assistants are always busy. As a dental office front desk assistant, you will answer the phones and schedule both routine and emergency appointments, communicate with the dental staff about patient needs, speak to specialists about referrals, create patient reports, handle insurance claims and billing, document treatment plans from the dental staff, and answer questions from patients about the practice. You will also prepare patient charts and regularly communicate patient information to the dentists.

What are the Benefits of Dental Office Administration?

As a dental office administrator, you will have a varied day that will leave very little time for becoming bored at work. Dental offices are busy and front desk assistants will always have something to occupy their time. As a front desk assistant in a dental office, you will meet and interact with a variety of people every day. As the first team member they come in contact with, you will have the privilege of welcoming them to their visit. If you put the patient at ease with a friendly personality and good communication skills, they will have less anxiety, and that is incredibly rewarding. On the practical side, dental office front desk assistants earn a very competitive salary, are in high-demand, and have excellent job security. Because dental practices keep regular hours, you will have a schedule you can count on.

What Is Front Desk Dental Office Training Like?

Because dental administrative work is so specialized, getting the right training before you begin your job search is important and can help you stand out as a desirable candidate. A dental front desk office assistant training program is typically very manageable, even if you are working full time during the training. Classes are usually held once a week for a period of 12 weeks and are very affordable without the need for student loans. 

Dental administrative classes give students the knowledge they will need to use the dental office software systems most offices use. The training will 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, both for the end of the day and end of the month, how to document the information the dentists will need, and finally, how to develop exceptional communication 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. If you’ve been looking for a great career, check out our dental office front desk training program at South Florida Dental Assisting School. 

It takes a great team to keep a dental practice running smoothly, and that begins and ends with the dental office front desk assistant. Dental offices can’t run without a great front desk staff, and getting the necessary training will make you the right choice for any office.