Basic Dental Office Management

What the heck do dental office managers do? For starters, dental office managers are the general managers of the dentist office. A lot of people may think that the dentist is the general manager, but if the dentist had to spend his time managing his or her offices, there would be no time for dentistry. Dentists need not only well-qualified nurses, secretaries and clerks, but also good office managers that can take care of and oversee all of the dirty work.

It is the dental office manager’s job (a field of dental office management) to ensure the quality of patient flow, employee performance and overall office organization. Just like a store manager at any retail chain, the dental office manager oversees all non-medical aspects of a dentist’s office. A good office manager also is aware of all the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Association), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and Code of Safe Conduct policies and ensures that the dental office complies with these policies.

A dental office management professional is also a dental assistant when needed. This means that a good dental office manager has experience and knowledge of dental terminology and equipment. The office manager has to be able to run the office efficiently and as stress free as possible. If there is a missing employee, the office manager needs to be able to address the problem in the quickest, most efficient way possible.

Dental office management makes good money, but becoming an office manager requires experience not only in the field but also hands-on experience as an office manager. A dental assistant or any other employee of a dentist’s office will do well in trying to learn and participate as much as possible in all aspects of the job, including things that are not technically in the job description.